2008 Woodie Awards
Website Review: Surf for sound with streaming radio
Jennifer Cox
Issue date: 2/9/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that music is to the soul what a water bath is to the body. For those of you with immaculate ghostly hygiene, listening to music on a daily basis is probably equally or more important for your mental health than sleeping or eating. Finding new music is as important as finding new friends, and falling in love with a new song is as exciting and gripping as having a crush. In the age of MySpace, and Facebook, it's only right that new music should be as accessible and exposed as we are. Though there are many websites that allow you to search for music, most require you to know precisely what you are looking for. This is why websites like Last.fm and Pandora.com are unique and enchanting. Though there are thousands of people registered on these sites, I am often shocked by the number of people who have never tried them. Every audiophile deserves to know what they've been missing.
Most radio play lists these days are unbreakable. Songs are repeated all day long, and the only new music you hear is by major label artists. The music industry is complacent, corrupt, and jaded. What about the indie bands, the foreign artists, and the underground acts? This is why last.fm and Pandora.com are a breath of fresh air. These sites have the potential to change your musical life. I mean it.
Last.fm is a streaming radio station out of London which automatically tailors the music it plays to individual listeners' fancy. Based on collaborative data gathered from 800,000 registered users, the station can compare your favorite music to other people's favorite music, giving you a personalized radio stream that considers every type of music you crave no matter how varied your tastes are. If there's an overlap between what you and others like, there is a great chance that you will like something they recommend to you. To get started, you can fill out a profile, begin listening, or simply search for artists that you like. This will give you information about the music you already like and will allow you to view other bands and users that have similar sounds and taste. It also "scrobbles" your music and shows you what your top artists and songs are each week and cumulatively. It organizes your tracks into charts and even creates fun music "quilts" with images of the artists. Last.fm is, in essence, a personal music journal. In addition it connects you to people that like the tunes you like. Just when you thought you were the last person on earth to love Hanson, Bush, or MC Hammer, you will find hundreds of other people that share your passion.
Most radio play lists these days are unbreakable. Songs are repeated all day long, and the only new music you hear is by major label artists. The music industry is complacent, corrupt, and jaded. What about the indie bands, the foreign artists, and the underground acts? This is why last.fm and Pandora.com are a breath of fresh air. These sites have the potential to change your musical life. I mean it.
Last.fm is a streaming radio station out of London which automatically tailors the music it plays to individual listeners' fancy. Based on collaborative data gathered from 800,000 registered users, the station can compare your favorite music to other people's favorite music, giving you a personalized radio stream that considers every type of music you crave no matter how varied your tastes are. If there's an overlap between what you and others like, there is a great chance that you will like something they recommend to you. To get started, you can fill out a profile, begin listening, or simply search for artists that you like. This will give you information about the music you already like and will allow you to view other bands and users that have similar sounds and taste. It also "scrobbles" your music and shows you what your top artists and songs are each week and cumulatively. It organizes your tracks into charts and even creates fun music "quilts" with images of the artists. Last.fm is, in essence, a personal music journal. In addition it connects you to people that like the tunes you like. Just when you thought you were the last person on earth to love Hanson, Bush, or MC Hammer, you will find hundreds of other people that share your passion.
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