Visit this site to listen and learn
Where to find it: Pandora Radio
– www.pandora.com
Who runs the site: The site is run by a group of musicians
and
”
technologists
”
who started a project called the Music Genome Project in 2000.
Tim Westergren is the founder. The goal of the genome project was
to analyze thousands of songs for a variety of attributes.
Visit this site to listen and learn
Where to find it: Pandora Radio – www.pandora.com
Who runs the site: The site is run by a group of musicians and “technologists” who started a project called the Music Genome Project in 2000. Tim Westergren is the founder. The goal of the genome project was to analyze thousands of songs for a variety of attributes.
Who is likely to use the site: Music aficianados who want to learn about a variety of musicians out there, or who want to find other artists like their favorite artists. Others with an Internet connection and speakers may also want to use it for the free radio.
Pros: The way the site works is that you type in the name of a band you really like and it plays a song by that band, and then, plays similar songs or artists it thinks you would like. As songs play, users can give them a thumbs up or thumbs down so the music player gets better at selecting songs. Users can also click an option not to play the song ever again or to skip it for a few months.
When trying it out, I entered my favorite band to start a station, U2. The first song that played was “Staring at the Sun,” a U2 song I like alright, but it was a live version, and I don’t usually like live music unless I am at a concert. From there it played Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Police – all bands I would listen to from time to time, though I didn’t know all the songs.
Cons: Users can only sample Pandora Radio for four or five songs before they are prompted to sign up to continue listening. The free registration requires users to view ads, while a $36 per year subscription allows users to listen ad-free. They can also purchase additional equipment that allows them to use the Radio without a computer.
One other downside is that after skipping a few songs, a message pops up that says only so many songs can be skipped each hour so if a really bad song comes up, and you’ve already skipped a few, you’re stuck with it, unless you create a new station. For those who want more control over the music they listen to, stick to the iPod.
