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If literary tastes can be used as a basis for matchmaking, it stands to reason that musical tastes could be equally instructive in that respect. Enter Tastebuds, a UK-based matchmaking site that creates instant connections based on shared musical passions. Users of Last.fm can connect directly into Tastebuds using their account and associated preferences on that site. All others simply enter at least three of their favourite bands or artists into Tastebuds and indicate what type of match they’re looking for, and in what country. From there they’re shown the photos and basic stats of potential candidates, with the option to refine their search by age, location or musical artist. They can then zoom in on any potential matches that interest them and add those that look promising to their favourites; when that happens, the potential match receives an email telling them so. The rest is up to the users in question. Using Tastebuds is completely free. Hundreds of people are signing up with Tastebuds each week, the company says, and it’s not hard to see why. Given the endless forms and often unilluminating personality tests favoured by many traditional dating companies, cutting right to the chase online — whether via musical tastes, literary tastes or another relevant dimension — is a lot more efficient and makes much more sense for those whose social lives are increasingly lived on social networks. Tastebuds currently accepts users from anywhere on the globe, but this is an area where a local touch could go a long way. One to bring to musically minded lonelyhearts in your part of the world…? Spotted by: Julian Keenaghan