Pandora

The radio is dead. Satellite Radio has been put "on notice."

With the release of internet programs such as Pandora and Live Plasma, or sites created for the purpose of advertising bands, it is not a wonder that the internet has sparked a music revolution.

The internet is providing fast, easy, and cheap access to music of all genres. As a result, it could be damaging the corporate business.

A study released in December by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School and research firm Gartner predicts that, by 2010, one-quarter of online music sales will be driven by such "taste-sharing" applications" as Pandora.com and liveplasma.com.

Satellite radio is a recent invention, but it comes with a price and nobody wants to pay for another source of entertainment.

However, it seems that the demand for mainstream radio is declining.

That is where Pandora comes in. Pandora.com is the "brainchild" of the Music Genome Project.

At Pandora's offices in Oakland, CA, an estimated 40 musicians classify about 8,000 songs per month.

They identity a song's fundamental traits from among 400 possibilites which range from songwriting, to vocals, to guitar style.

After logging into Pandora, a user is asked for a band, artist or song title. Then, amazingly, the site creates a streaming radio station based on the structure of that song.

It is a great way to explore new bands that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.

Pandora is also accepting compact discs for consideration from local bands whose needs for exposure are not being met by the mainstream music industry.

When a user hears a song they like, they can click the link and buy it from Amazon.

However, it is hardly foolproof.

"Some of the automatic choices can get weird. A lot of the songs, though, fit really well," said sophomore Garrett Mull.

Pandora has a skip option if the selections get to weird. However, due to their music licenses, Pandora is only allowed to give a user a certain amount of skips per hour.

The recently released Pandora V2.0 includes a free, ad-supported version in addition to many new featuresnsuch as bookmarking, station editing, and playlist improvements.

Listeners have the choice to subscribe and stay clear of ads, or use their free service, which will slowly incorporate advertising.

A year's subscription is $36 or a subscriber could pay $12 for three months.

Why are the innovative music programs on the internet actually working?

Pandora founder Tim Westergren says, "People are so hungry to get reconnected with music. When you get into your 20's, music is just going to play a smaller role in your life."