Last Fm matches listeners with music at online site
Where to find it: Last Fm
– www.last.fm/
Last Fm matches listeners with music at online site
Where to find it: Last Fm – www.last.fm/
Who runs the site: The site originated in London and was founded by self-proclaimed music enthusiasts Felix Miller, Martin Stiksel and Richard Jones. They refer to their team of employees as a “music-obsessed-team.”
Who is likely to use the site: This site is for anyone with a love for music and an interest in discovering new artists. It is perfect for any job where you find yourself in front a computer screen for hours on end and are tired of listening to the same formulaic radio playlist.
Why it’s cool: Last Fm, a self-proclaimed social music revolution, is the latest Web site/ application that offers listeners a list of similar artists to play on their computer. If a person likes Coldplay Last Fm would play James Blunt, or perhaps Muse. Simply click to save the band you like and click the ones you don’t. The difference is that instead of leaving it up to the Web surfer to sift through uncharted terrain hoping to find something they will like, Last Fm finds the music you want and brings it streaming into your headphones and computer speakers. As promised on the Web site “Last Fm radio learns what you like and gets better” In my first day of exploring Last Fm I found several artists that have become favorites and it has opened up my eyes to a larger selection of music.
Pros: For years now I have been put off by the similar artist recommendations tacked on every shopping site from Amazon to Best Buy. The suggestions are hit or miss with more miss than hit. I really enjoy the simplicity of being able to skip a song that is below par and the excitement of being able to track the songs I like on Last Fm, plus it’s free to listen to complete songs. The site saves the songs in an easily accessible folder and I even have the choice of tracking a certain artist. Along with playing the song, Last Fm provides the listener with a brief bio of the artist and a link for more information
Cons: The songs are chosen at random so listeners can’t select to hear a specific song by a specific artist whenever they want. For those who want to burn a song to a CD or download it to an mp3 player, they will need to visit another site to purchase the songs.
