Pandora: Profile of an Online Radio Station

Are you looking for an online radio station that plays your genre of music? Would you also like an online radio station that is free, without a lot of hassle? Then check out pandora.com, the internets answer to an online radio station that allows you to explore the artists, and songs you would like to hear.

You don't have to sign up to get a sampling of the music, just go to the web-site and plug in your favorite artist or song. Pandora will do the rest. They will create a unique online radio station with a play list of songs to match your taste. You cannot choose specific songs for them to play, but they will play similar music to the song or artist you chose.

You can guide your experience by pressing the "guide us" key and providing feedback. Let them know if you: like the songs, dislike them, want to hear more like this. You can also add other types of music to your custom online radio station for variety. Click on an individual song to move it to a different station, or purchase it. If you really like a song they add to your station, you can purchase it by clicking on the song and clicking on buy. When you click on this you have the choice of purchasing the song from either itunes, or Amazon. You can also find out additional information about the artist, song, or album by clicking on the selection.

If you like what you hear you can fill out a simple form, asking for your e-mail, age, gender, and zip code. You must be at least thirteen years old and a resident of the United States. Once you are registered you can maintain up to one hundred custom picked online radio stations for free. You can access your online radio stations from any computer with your login and listen to unlimited streaming music.

Pandora was created by The Music Genome Project. A group of musician and technical types came together to analyze music, and capture the essence and attributes of song. They have analyzed thousands of songs, by thousands of artists, in all different genres. This knowledge helps them guide you in selecting songs to match your individual musical palate.

You might wonder how Pandora does this for free? This online radio station relies on selling advertisements to sponsors for their income. If you see something interesting, while you are listening, click on the advertisement. This will help Pandora maintain their advertising and continue to supply free online radio stations for years to come. The advertisements are not in the way, or overbearing. If you don't like advertisements, you can go add free for $36 per year ($3 per month) or $12 for 3 months ($4 per month).

Pandora also has podcasts on different subjects related to creating music, such as how bands create their unique sounds. They have tried to make the podcasts interesting and informative even to novices, or people with only a little interest in music. If you want some insight into how music is created view one of their podcasts.

If you are looking for an online radio station as unique as you are, check out Pandora. The possibilities are endless, and there is truly something for everyone. While I typed up this article I listened to my own online radio station featuring Christmas songs by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and other wonderful Christmas music Pandora selected for me, such as The Bells, by Gary Hoey. My husband likes, rock, blues, and blue-grass. He created his online radio station with a mixture of these three genres to match his individual taste. What is your favorite song? Would you like Pandora to analyze it, and create a unique online radio station, with songs you will enjoy listening to?