Pandora: Can it be as good as it seems?

[Chris Kelsey]

I tried Pandora a couple of years ago and wasn't impressed, although I can't remember why. Today I sampled it in connection with my Facebook page and was blown away. My only question is this: can something this cool--and free--be as good as it seems? Is there a downside of which I'm not aware? Mainly, is it ripping off artists? I've not been keeping up with such things, so I was hoping someone on this board could enlighten me. Thx!

[Uli]

It's gotta have some hidden problems. Otherwise why would they have called it Pandora?

Welcome back, Chris.

[Chris Kelsey]

Thanks, Uli! And thanks, rostasi, for pointing me in the direction of Last.fm. I've only just started messing with it, and it seems amazing. What a time we live in...

[PaintedPostDave]

I just recently stumbled onto Pandora. At least for the time being I have been using it in preference to my own CD collection or FM (NPR). I enjoy being able to customize the selections. And I, too, am waiting for some sort of catch. Right now, it's too good to be true.

[walto]

It's nice that there's now some classical stuff on there too.

[Troll]

Crap, I loved this site to learn about artists I'm not familiar with. Read on

Tim Westergren, the founder of popular Web radio start-up Pandora, has said in an interview with The Washington Post that his company may be close to a shutdown.

"We're approaching a pull-the-plug kind of decision," Westergren said in the article, published Saturday. "This is like a last stand for webcasting."

The problem, he explained, is last year's royalty hike for Web radio, which makes it extremely expensive for an independent start-up to stay afloat in the business. The royalty increase will eat up 70 percent of Pandora's $25 million in revenue, Westergren said.

SoundExchange, an organization comprising representatives from record labels and performers, believes that Internet radio owes a bigger cut of profits than traditional radio does. Activist groups like the SaveNetRadio Coalition, along with start-ups like Pandora, have fought the fee hikes.

A few Web geeks weren't convinced that Pandora's situation is as dire as Westergren says it is. "I love Pandora like my old baseball glove, but they can only pull this Chicken Little move so many times," marketing consultant Brian Oberkirch posted to Twitter on Monday morning.

But Westergren assured in the Post interview that he's not exaggerating. "We're funded by venture capital," he explained. "They're not going to chase a company whose business model has been broken. So if it doesn't feel like its headed towards a solution, we're done."

[walto]

I like it (except for all the repetition), but I actually don't see why the record companies charge them anything. It's basically advertising for them. With classical, in particular, since they never play whole works, they're basically providing come-ons with links to places to buy. It's an infomercial site.

[groover]

This is bad news. I left my MP3 player at home today, and Pandora is my salvation when that happens.

[tippy]

You want a bad ass station - plug in Handsome Boys Modeling School (artists) (I think that's what it's called). I LOVE love love Pandora. This is terrible news. I really hope they could stay up.

[groover]

I'm listening to the Jim Hall station. No Handsome Boys, I guess, but Jim Hall, Grant Green, Russell Malone, et al, are not too hard on the ears while I'm trying to concentrate on work.

[tippy]

oh I've got lotsa different stations across the map including varieties in the same genre but the one I listened to most is Handsome Boys which Gary recommended in rap thread. You can have 100 different stations.

[justicelimoges]

Originally Posted by Chris Kelsey

I tried Pandora a couple of years ago and wasn't impressed, although I can't remember why. Today I sampled it in connection with my Facebook page and was blown away. My only question is this: can something this cool--and free--be as good as it seems? Is there a downside of which I'm not aware? Mainly, is it ripping off artists? I've not been keeping up with such things, so I was hoping someone on this board could enlighten me. Thx!

I listen to some 20 Pandora stations while I surf the web or fuck a good woman. I have purchased a substantial amount of music that I have experienced through Pandora, but I hear the RIAA? is pressing to shut Pandora down.

[tippy]

I have purchased more music this year from my listening at Pandora, including at times purchasing through the iTunes link though I don’t think I much care for iTunes format. It seems to be missing something, making the music loud and flat somehow, not quite as nuanced. I’m not sure what that’s about – it could be my hearing - but because of that I’ve been purchasing cds at Amazon (at decent prices too) unless I really want the song but don’t know if I want to commit to the cd.

[walto]

Me too. I've picked up about ten CDs this year because of Pandora. I can't believe the record companies think it will be better to close them down.

[tippy]

I see the About (song, artist, album) feature is turned off since yesterday. They changed the software. Unless there is another way to access it but it was really convenient to be able to link directly to the info. Don’t know why anyone would want to take that away.

It also doesn’t show marked “thumbs up” plays anymore either perhaps to make you participate in the survey every time. Don’t like these changes.

[LutherBlissett]

Originally Posted by justicelimoges

I listen to some 20 Pandora stations while I surf the web or fuck a good woman. I have purchased a substantial amount of music that I have experienced through Pandora, but I hear the RIAA? is pressing to shut Pandora down.

Wwwhat ??

mr Kelsey

you are the best reviewer on jazz in the AMGuide, a soprano saxist ?

[robert]

Originally Posted by tippy

I see the About (song, artist, album) feature is turned off since yesterday. They changed the software. Unless there is another way to access it but it was really convenient to be able to link directly to the info. Don’t know why anyone would want to take that away.

It also doesn’t show marked “thumbs up” plays anymore either perhaps to make you participate in the survey every time. Don’t like these changes.

no problem here...Im good.....It is the .same as always......

[Chris Kelsey]

Originally Posted by LutherBlissett

Wwwhat ??

mr Kelsey

you are the best reviewer on jazz in the AMGuide, a soprano saxist ?

Yes, that's me (blush). Thanks for the compliment!

[Pete C]

Still loving it. Today's artists so far on "Pete's Mix":

Herbie Hancock
Marcos Valle
Ahmad Jamal
Allan Holdsworth
Sly & the Family Stone
James Brown
Earth, Wind & Fire
Stevie Wonder
Trovesi
Hot Club of S.F.
Bill Mays
Mark Feldman
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Solomon Burke
Joe Tex
Fats Domino
The Zombies
The Kinks
Hollies
Beatles (and just realized that Ticket to Ride is a ripoff of the Byrds' sound)

[Jon Abbey]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Beatles (and just realized that Ticket to Ride is a ripoff of the Byrds' sound)

I don't think the Byrds had released anything before Ticket To Ride was recorded in February 1965.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

I don't think the Byrds had released anything before Ticket To Ride was recorded in February 1965.

In that case, I got it backwards--compare the guitar sound & riff on Ticket to Ride and the early Byrds recordings.

[BFrank]

From AMG: "Often described in their early days as a hybrid of Dylan and the Beatles, the Byrds in turn influenced Dylan and the Beatles almost as much as Bob and the Fab Four had influenced the Byrds."

[CraigP]

I've been using Pandora and Last FM to educate myself about 20th/21st century classical music. Last interrupts itself to stream, however, while Pandora doesn't. Anyone else notice this?

[Solitary1]

I love Pandora and last.fm. Have the clients on my iPhone as well as on my desktop. I have genre specific stations on Pandora whereas last.fm is a hodgepodge of everything I listen to as it's tied to my iTunes library.

[stonemonkts]

I throw Pandora on, and just for kicks (and because I wanted to see the program surprise me with maybe Ayler, or even Marion Brown) I choose "avant garde jazz/free jazz. So far it's played Coltrane (late 50's/early 60's), Miles Davis ('Round Midnight...Dear Old Stockholm), Freddie Hubbard (early Blue Note), Monk, and Joe Lovano.

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

I throw Pandora on, and just for kicks (and because I wanted to see the program surprise me with maybe Ayler, or even Marion Brown) I choose "avant garde jazz/free jazz. So far it's played Coltrane (late 50's/early 60's), Miles Davis ('Round Midnight...Dear Old Stockholm), Freddie Hubbard (early Blue Note), Monk, and Joe Lovano.

Well, at least it is "free" jazz, Pat.

[stonemonkts]

Yes it is free, and I appreciate it.

Since I posted the above, they played Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, and Dolphy, interspersed with Miles from early 60's.

[Ron Thorne]

As our friend, SinginSumo would have said .. Coolio!

[stonemonkts]

This morning I switched to my "Lawrence Brown" station, and have been enjoying Lester Young, Ben Webster, Monk, Jay McShann, Sonny Rollins (not a direct connect to Brown in my mind but the track was nice so I don't care), Johnny Hodges....and then...."Froggy's Midnight Cabaret" (Cline/Gauthier/Stinson).

How do they come up with this stuff?

[Pete C]

The secret, IMO, is to customize your stations for the level of eclecticism you're looking for.