Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Pandora/Music Genome Project

Many of you might have already heard of the Music Genome Project. It was heavily advertised on many music specials over the last few years. For those not familiar with it: A group came together in early 2000 to attempt a deep study of music in an effort to break down all songs into their components - or GENES. These are categories for types of lyrics, instruments played, and harmonies used, just to name a few. Now, a huge catalog has been created to log these genes, and music artists' creations - from well-known to obscure - are continually being added to the project.

Another great result of this project is Pandora. Ever love a CD or an artist so much that you wish you knew where you could find others that are similar? Reap the benefits of this team's hard work by typing in an artist or song that you like...and the site will do the rest - leading you to music you may have long forgotten or music you may never have found otherwise. You can create station after station to satisfy your love for various styles, and this music will play on and on. But, don't think that the site will make all of the choices and lock you into music that you can't stand! Each time a new song/artist is suggested, you may choose if you like it or don't like it....and that will help the site make choices (based on the genes) that will better match your tastes in the future. This is a great site to visit right before you want to head out the CD store....or if you're going to be on your computer for hours. (It will keep running, even if you are using other programs.)

After creating a few stations, you'll be asked to create an account. You may join for free (with a few ads that will post every so often) or pay a small fee for an upgraded account. Either way, the process is extremely simple and well worth the small effort. If you're on the site and don't understand exactly what is going on, be sure to check out the FAQ page or contact me. Hope you enjoy the tunes!!!

2 comments:

Tim Cabell said...

Come check out the Pandora community at

http://pandorastations.crispynews.com

and

http://www.pandora-forum.com

Thanks,

Tim

Nardo said...

Sounds neat. I'll have to go check it out.