Pandora Rocks - Personalized Streaming Audio
| Published: | Feb 23, 2006 | |||
| Author: | Stacy Reed | |||
Built on the foundation of the Music Genome Project (a 6 year collaborative music analysis endeavor), Pandora emerges on the Web 2.0 scene, providing a personalized streaming audio experience for music lovers everywhere.
Here's how it works: Pandora asks you for one of your favorite artists or songs. Then they create a streaming audio station that plays songs by that artist as well as those that are related by style, vocal harmony, or other similarities. This gives each listener a unique experience every time they tune in and introduces them to new artists they might not have heard before.
You can create as many stations as you wish and refine them to your own likes and interests. The more information Pandora receives from you, the listener, the better their service becomes at choosing what you want to hear. Pandora can save a list of your favorite songs so you can go back to them later. Clicking on a song in the playlist brings up a menu that lets you buy the MP3 from iTunes or buy the album from Amazon which is a cool intuitive feature. Once you've created a station, you can share it by sending it to others via email right from the interface. You can even search for shared stations created by others in the community just to jazz things up a little.
Pandora is free but displays unobtrusive ads until you subscribe. A subscription costs $36 for 1 year (that's $3 a month) or $12 for 3 months (which is $4 a month). That's a great deal! The more I use Pandora, the more my heart swells with admiration. Give it a chance, I think you'll dig it too.
About Stacy Reed
Software librarian and acclaimed artist seeks knowledge and entertainment via Internet. Stacy Reed is an advocate for free information, software and services. She began reviewing software for Tucows in 2000. She's naturally curious with interests in a wide array of subjects including science and technology, software, the arts, and open education.
Pandora Internet radio is now available on your BlackBerry view it
Another cool feature of Windows 7 is the ability to stream music on your network view it
Trying to watch a video and not getting any sound? Let's find the problem. view it
If you get tired of listening to your own music Winamp Media Player gives you lots of radio choices view it
With Pandora you can have free radio on your iPhone view it
Get music or samples from your guitar, MIDI keyboard, or just about anything that makes noise view it
Using the iPod software built into your iPhone view it
Finding and buying what you're looking for from iTunes view it
Searching for and finding audio and video podcasts view it
FL Studio Fruity Slicer power user tips view it
