pandora - 10 hours free

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Check out www.pandora.com - there was a thread about this a few days ago but now they're letting you try it for 10 hours free. Basically you type in an artist or song and it plays stuff it thinks is similar based on computer analysis. It seems to be ok in that it won't play rap when you request rock, but on the other hand it gave me REO Speedwagon when I asked for Super Furry Animals.

But at the very least you can type in a rock/rap artist and instantly hear a few of their songs for free. Sweet!

So who wants to bet google buys this in a week?

― guythatsaysstuff, Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

Eh, it's okay.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

I remember using a very similar service in like 1999! (I don't remember what it was called, but it operated on the exact same principle, so I don't know what's so revolutionary about this.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

yeah, there's several of these. and they generally get better the more people use them. the computers don't analyze the music, they analyze user listening patterns. which is why i can't help but wonder if the post above is some sort of use me pls spam.

― msp (mspa), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:37 (twenty years ago)

Actually, you know what, I'm wrong: Pandora's new thing is that it does analyze the music.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

Not spam, I saw it on metafilter this morning and wanted to talk about it, but talking over there costs $5. :) Actually I'm not sure what it does. I initially thought they used computers to analyze the actual music and make comparisons, but the site says they just categorize songs by hand. Which is a little less impressive, but maybe better than user listening patterns, although perhaps they are full of it and they do that too.

― guythatsaysstuff, Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:53 (twenty years ago)

My brother just wrote a grad-school paper about Pandora and Last.fm. He should say something in this thread.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

I'm trying it out as we speak and so far been pretty pleased with the music it's choosing for me (I'm doing a gloomy Smog, Cat Power, Songs:Ohia type of mix) -- I like 80% of the stuff it's come up with. I'm enjoying the way you can "mould" the radio station to what you want to hear by giving it feedback on whether you do or don't like what they're playing. It'll be interesting to come back later and set up another station with the same initial artist and see if you get the same playlist, or something different; if something different, constant-streaming, customized radio for $36 a year is not a bad deal, I think.

― Surfer_Stone_Rosalita (Surfer_Stone_Rosalita), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Check out the Last.fm service. Looks to be much more comprehensive in its datamining. www.last.fm/. I've been using it for over a year and it continually provides interesting stuff. Can't recommend it enough.

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

Last.fm, you say?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

Someone clue me in: Why would I want to get an Audioscrobbler?
Audioscrobbler
Audioscrobbler & Musicmobs
Post your Audiosrobbler userlink so we can always watch what you're listening to

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

So far so good after three songs.

The Ex - Huriyet
Hot Snakes - Braintrust
Asian Kung-Fu Generation - N.G.S. (ok song, sounds like it's a REALLY low quality mp3 though. Tough to listen to for that reason actually)

Oops, song number 4 is a mis-step. It's another Hot Snakes song off the same album... I'm enjoying the song but surely there are other songs that feature the same "punk roots, mild rhythmic syncopation, minor key tonality, repetitive melodic phrasing, and mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation."

Oops again! song number six is another Ex song of the same album...

It's promising I guess, if they can work out these bugs...

― ianinportland (ianinportland), Tuesday, 30 August 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

OMG IT JUST RECOMMENDED GAY DAD TO ME

― Guayaquil, Wednesday, 31 August 2005 03:10 (twenty years ago)

Kind of interesting. I typed in soul coughing which led me to "Good Shit" by Cornershop which led me to "I have the touch" by Peter Gabriel which led me to "Jacking the Ball" by The Sea and Cake.

― Oh Lord, My God, is there no help for the widow's son? / Kate (papa november), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 03:26 (twenty years ago)

I now have Mayhem Radio, Judas Priest Radio and Jandek Radio and I'm a happy man. Next I think I'll try Plasmatics Radio and then Tugboat Radio.

― moley (moley), Friday, 2 September 2005 06:09 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Here's what's been playing on Judas Priest Radio (which I've renamed Judas Fuckin Priest Radio):

Judas Priest – Freewheel Burning
Dokken - Kiss of Death
Bulletboys – Kissin’ Kitty
Judas Priest – Rock Hard, Ride Free
Skid Row – The Threat
Wheels of Fire – Judas Priest
Winger – Seventeen
Primal Fear – Back from Hell
Whitesnake – Children of the Night
Poison – Sacrifice
Winger – State of Emergency
Tesla – Cumin’ Atcha Live

I am in heaven!

― moley (moley), Thursday, 29 September 2005 00:37 (twenty years ago)

I'm also running out of my allotted 10 hours fast. Two more artists I'd like to try are Diamanda Galas and Nina Hagen. That could be very interesting.

― moley (moley), Thursday, 29 September 2005 01:56 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

the ad-based version of this is totally free now. apparently 300,000 have been analysed and classified after 400 criteria. sounds quite interesting. they didn't have dayvan cowboy from the new boards of canada in their database though. boards of canada up to now yielded kraftwerk, kid 606, enigma, chemical brothers and journeyman vs barcode. almost exactly the kind of electronica/dance which i don't care about. boards of canada seem quite unique. except that jan jelinek guy, who probably isn't in their database. can't check as i have to register now.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Saturday, 19 November 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, I meant 300,000 songs.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Saturday, 19 November 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

For whatever it's worth, I've been running the free "ad-based" version of this for the past couple days, and I've yet to see a single ad. Also for whatever it's worth, this is my own station:

http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh123684599888936884

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 16 August 2006 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

I wish they would let you exclude albums (as they do artists or songs). There are certain albums I am going to have to exclude by saying no to every song, I'm afraid. Here's my eclectic station with a copycat name (apologies to xhuxk):

http://www.pandora.com/?ext_lsfi=147317794878177402

I think ultimately I will stick to more narrowly degined stations, because there are too many different moods potentially covered in that catch-all station.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 21 August 2006 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

i like the sound! it actually sounds really nice.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 21 August 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

so here's my question: supposedly they "ban" any artist from your station who you gives a thumbs-down to twice. But what if that's an artist you already added, because you like lots of their other stuff? Does the artist wind up being banned anyway? Like, what if I thumbs-down a couple shitty late Van Halen or Springsteen or Mellencamp songs? That doesn't mean that I don't want those artists on my station, just that I don't want those songs. (My solution so far, for artists I like who have songs I hate, is to use the "don't play this for a month" option. Which I also use for great songs that I hear way to often already anyway, and so would rather not listen to right now, like say "The Message" or "Dancing in the Streets.")

― xhuxk (xheddy), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 00:34 (nineteen years ago)

supposedly it is only meant to be available for US users as you have to give a zip code when you register. i just had a look at the site and it works without having to register. odd.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 00:43 (nineteen years ago)

Actually I don't know what I was talking about saying you can outright ban artists, that's not an option.

I didn't realize it supposedly banned artists you thumbs down twice. I've already given the thumbs down several times to some songs by some of my favorite artists! I mean, yeah, if you are dealing with someone prolific or just very inconsistent, that can be a problem. I only really like one song on the 2-CD Grupo Niche hits collection they seem to primarily draw from (for that band) but they are one of my favorite bands! They just put out a lot of garbage as well.

But xhuxk, I would think another solution would be to make sure the artist is one that you actually added. I would assume that would override a frequent thumbs down.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 22 August 2006 01:14 (nineteen years ago)

seven months pass...

My station:

http://www.pandora.com/?sc=qm14562381

― moley, Thursday, 5 April 2007 06:18 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

One of the musical attributes identified by Pandora for The Shaggs is 'great musicianship'.

― moley, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 01:42 (nineteen years ago)

nine months pass...

Somebody revived a different Pandora thread today, thus reminding me I have a Pandora station, which I hadn't listened to for several months. But I am listening today and loving it!!

Here is what Accidental Evolution Radio (which I linked to way upthread) has been playing this morning:

Lindisfarme - Scarecrow Song
Brinsley Schwarz - Hymn to Me
J.D. Blackfoot - One Time Woman
The Byrds - Set You Free This Time
Marvin Gaye - Where Are We Going
Jimmy Castor Bunch - Bertha Butt Boogie
Neville Brothers - Brother John
Maze & Frankie Beverly - Back In Stride
Chron Gen - You Make Me Spew
The Vibrators - Killer On The Internet
The Boils - Bullies
Alternative TV - Action Time Vision (Live)
Premiata Forneria Marconi - From Under
Jethro Tull - A Passion Play, Part 1

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 14:16 (eighteen years ago)

Er, that Tull song seemed really long; I gave it a zzzzz (= don't play it for a month), but not a thumbs down.

Then they played Gentle Giant's "Dog's Life," which was fine, then I gave another zzzz to a live version of "Roundabout" by Yes. Great song, but I've heard it a million times, and I was getting progged out.

Then:

Debarge - Who's Holding Donna
Jennifer Lopez feat. LL Cool J - All I Have (thumbs down)
Plies - Shawty (thumbs down)
Cage - Escape to 88 (thumbs down)
Hole - Heaven Tonight

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 14:32 (eighteen years ago)

Letters to Cleo - Dreams (= Fleetwood Mac cover, not bad)
The Academy Is... - Attention (thumbs down)
Herman's Hermits - Dandy (thumbs down)
Bobby Bare - All-American Boy
Alabama - Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)
Johnny Cash - Cocaine Blues (Live)
Jerry Reed - When You're Hot You're Hot
Pet Buffalo - The Letter (?? -- no idea who these people are, but didn't mind it)
The Veronicas - I Could Get Used To This
Natalie Imbruglia - Big Mistake (thumbs down)
Charlie Daniels - What This World Needs (Is A Few More Rednecks) (thumbs down -- didn't sound horrible, but jeez what a dipshit)
Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 Ya
Rick Springfield - Human Touch
Stacy Lattisaw - Tonight I'm Gonna Make You Mine

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 15:16 (eighteen years ago)

took a break for a while, then came back:

Joan Jett - Doing All Right With The Boys
Suzi Quatro - Wild One
The Troggs - I Can't Control Myself
The Pandoras - Six Times a Day (Live)
The Spinners - Richard Pry, Private Eye
The Coasters - Young Blood
The Robins - Smokey Joe's Cafe
The Silhouettes - Get A Job
Robert Earl Keen - The Front Porch Song
The Flatlanders - You've Never Seen Me Cry
Blue Highway - No Home To Go Home To (no idea how this sounded; I must have been in the kitchen)
The Brother Boys - I See Love (thumbs down)
Styx - Great White Hope (zzzzz)
Devo - Freedom of Choice
Saga - Cat Walk
ZZ Top - Give It Up
Kris Kross - Alight (a Snoop Dogg imiation?? Assuming he even existed then. Awesome, either way)
Too $hort feat. Jagged Edge and Jazee Pha - Choosin' (thumbs down)
Grateful Dead - Good Lovin' (Live)

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 17:23 (eighteen years ago)

"Alright" by Kris Kross I meant.

And that Dead cover was kinda pointless (so, I thumbs-downed it, though I like when the Rascals do it).

Funny to hear the Pandoras on Pandora, though!

---

Jason Aldean - Asphalt Cowboy (shrug -- probably should've thumbs-downed this, but I like the title)
Montgomery Gentry - Carrying On (almost as dipshitty as Charlie Daniels -- nobody's gonna tell them what kind of flag to fly -- but it has some swing to it)
Rodney Atkins - Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)
Pat Green - Way Back Texas
The Kinks - (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman
The Clash - Garageland
Milk N' Cookies - Rabbits Make Love
Pearl Jam -- W.M.A. (thumbs down -- halfway decent groove to this one; might have been okay as an instrumental, though at first I got the idea Vedder was trying to do a John Lydon imitation; I couldn't take him for long, though)
Paul Simon - Duncan

― xhuxk, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 17:54 (eighteen years ago)

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