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Pandora - self-instigated radio!



For quite a while now, I have been listening to music on Pandora - www.pandora.com (amazingly), and for those who don't know it, it's a radio program of sorts. You type in a band that you perhaps-already like, or maybe want to hear - and Pandora plays that band/artist, interspersed among several tracks deemed to be by similar or like-minded artists.

Now if you like, say, Cat Stephens and Joni Mitchell, but also Supergrass and Motorhead, of course they won't be played all on the same selected theme. However, you can type in name after name, and the program will accordingly select aligned artists.

It's fab and gear, so now you know.
 




REDLAND

Active member
Jul 7, 2003
9,443
At the foot of the downs
you can save off your favourite songs as well as it puts them on your HD while its playing them !!
 


Snowy

Active member
Jul 14, 2003
292
Perranporth
Unfortunately Pandora's Box doesn't always save the tracks you want but another one with the wrong name - really frustrating if you don't realise!
 


Jul 5, 2003
6,776
Bristol
It's a bit weird though 'cos it is very scientific about the music it recommends- it works out the structure/instruments etc of the music you like and plays stuff on that basis. last.fm is a little more consistent i find.

Nice idea though.
 






generally only plays commercial music, I like african, middle eastern and its database is poor to non-existant, but good for the Clash.
 




Bluejuice

Lazy as a rug on Valium
Sep 2, 2004
8,270
The free state of Kemp Town
It is very good but get in quick because they're looking at closing it to UK users because of the ludicrous new royalty laws being imposed upon all net radio.

Make the most of it while you still can
 




Robot Chicken

Seriously?
Jul 5, 2003
13,154
Chicken World
It closed today, according to WebUser magazine.

However it should be possible to use a proxy IP address to gain access. I've yet to try but there are plenty of US IP addresses out there that should allow access!
 
















Raphael Meade

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
4,128
Ex-Shoreham
It closed today, according to WebUser magazine.

However it should be possible to use a proxy IP address to gain access. I've yet to try but there are plenty of US IP addresses out there that should allow access!

yeah it's stopped streaming to the uk because of licensing issues. still going in the states so a proxy should work.

the statement from tim, pandora founder;

"hi, it's Tim,

This is an email I hoped I would never have to send.

As you probably know, in July of 2007 we had to block usage of Pandora outside the U.S. because of the lack of a viable license structure for Internet radio streaming in other countries. It was a terrible day. We did however hold out some hope that a solution might exist for the UK, so we left it unblocked as we worked diligently with the rights organizations to negotiate an economically workable license fee. After over a year of trying, this has proved impossible. Both the PPL (which represents the record labels) and the MCPS/PRS Alliance (which represents music publishers) have demanded per track performance minima rates which are far too high to allow ad supported radio to operate and so, hugely disappointing and depressing to us as it is, we have to block the last territory outside of the US.

It continues to astound me and the rest of the team here that the industry is not working more constructively to support the growth of services that introduce listeners to new music and that are totally supportive of paying fair royalties to the creators of music. I don't often say such things, but the course being charted by the labels and publishers and their representative organizations is nothing short of disastrous for artists whom they purport to represent - and by that I mean both well known and indie artists. The only consequence of failing to support companies like Pandora that are attempting to build a sustainable radio business for the future will be the continued explosion of piracy, the continued constriction of opportunities for working musicians, and a worsening drought of new music for fans. As a former working musician myself, I find it very troubling.

We have been told to sign these totally unworkable license rates or switch off, non-negotiable...so that is what we are doing. Streaming illegally is just not in our DNA, and we have to take the threats of legal action seriously. Lest you think this is solely an international problem, you should know that we are also fighting for our survival here in the US, in the face of a crushing increase in web radio royalty rates, which if left unchanged, would mean the end of Pandora.

We know what an epicenter of musical creativity and fan support the UK has always been, which makes the prospect of not being able to launch there and having to block our first listeners all the more upsetting for us.

We know there is a lot of support from listeners and artists in the UK for Pandora and remain hopeful that at some point we'll get beyond this. We're going to keep fighting for a fair and workable rate structure that will allow us to bring Pandora back to you. We'll be sure to let you know if Pandora becomes available in the UK. There may well come a day when we need to make a direct appeal for your support to move for governmental intervention as we have in the US. In the meantime, we have no choice but to turn off service to the UK.

Pandora will stop streaming to the UK as of January 15th, 2008.

Again, on behalf of all of us at Pandora, I'm very, very sorry.

-Tim Westergren
(Pandora founder)"
 




Jul 20, 2003
20,689
I like it

but there are so many good "internet radio stations" out there that to listen solely to what you like/ a taste algorithm is a sham/ shame


yours in Drive By Truckers, American Music Club, Explosions In The Sky, Art Brut & Open heaven (this week)
 




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