[Music] Pandora keeps Hope in the box

[Isgrimnur]

I just noticed this when I brought up Pandora on my iPhone.  Best Buy and Beck's will be advertising through the mobile version for 30 days each.  Hitting the add will take you to the Best Buy website without interrupting the music.  There's a banner right above the control bar.  It has a marker to kill the ad, but it pops back up as soon as a new song starts. 

[Knightshade Dragon]

Nice!  I'll hit the ad for sure.  Pandora is a must-have app.

[Isgrimnur]

News from PC Magazine:

After two years of debate, Internet radio stations have finally reached a deal with copyright holders regarding royalty rates.  The price of the deal, however, will force Web radio station Pandora to limit the amount of free listening available each month, according to founder Tim Westergren.
...
The revised royalty rates, however, are "quite high" and will force Pandora to make some adjustments, he said. Users will now be limited to 40 hours of free listening per month. Those who go over 40 hours will be given the option to receive unlimited access for the remainder of the month for 99 cents. They can also upgrade to the subscription-based Pandora One.

"In essence, we're asking our heaviest users to put a dollar (well, almost a dollar) in the tip jar in any month in which they listen over 40 hours. We hope this is relatively painless and affordable--the same price as a single song download," Westergren wrote.

I've been pondering the Pandora One service for a while.  It suppresses the ads and opens up the time before the nag window comes up from one hour to five on the browser version.  And while it's not as cheap as $.99 per month, it is only $3/mo for a full year ($36).

[McNutt]

I can see paying an extra dollar a month.  Of course that would depend on whether or not there's a way to prevent Lonestar songs from butting into my station. 

[Isgrimnur]

Q: How do I ban an artist from a station?

Just give a "Thumbs Down" vote to any two songs by that artist on a particular station. However, the artist will not be banned, even with two "Thumbs Down" votes on one station under either of the following conditions:

* If at any time you gave a song by this artist a "Thumbs Up" vote on this station.

* If that artist was used to define that station.

Note: for more information on how to edit a station (remove an artist from your station's definition, or remove a song previously given "Thumbs Up"), please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#67

[Destructor]

Well, that bites - Pandora is like the #1 app (and then some) on the Sprint Pre. As of right now, there's no nag screen or anything, but the software hasn't been updated recently either.

Stupid music companies.

[rickfc]

I have been using Slacker more and more, rather than Pandora or last.fm.  I have more control over the stations, both on the desktop and iPhone versions.  I don't mind listening to a couple of ads every once in a while to keep things free.

[Isgrimnur]

Well, that bites - Pandora is like the #1 app (and then some) on the Sprint Pre. As of right now, there's no nag screen or anything, but the software hasn't been updated recently either.

Stupid music companies.

There's not one in the iPhone version either, just the web browser version, afaik.  I get banner ads that pop and refresh at every song.  They are relatively unobtrusive.  That, of course, may change to include the audio versions in the future with the new model, but again, I plan on rewarding Pandora.  And for about the price of a bargain video game per year, I can certainly afford it.

[Soulchilde]

I've switched from Pandora to last.fm I like this site as I don't get as many repeats. Only downside is sometimes I'll get some Balkan bands when I'm listening to hip-hop

[rickfc]

There's not one in the iPhone version either, just the web browser version, afaik.

Actually, there is an iPhone Pandora app

[Isgrimnur]

There's not one in the iPhone version either, just the web browser version, afaik.

Actually, there is an iPhone Pandora app

I was actually referring to the nag screen from Destructor's post.  The iPhone app is the only way I can get through my workday.

[rickfc]

There's not one in the iPhone version either, just the web browser version, afaik.

Actually, there is an iPhone Pandora app

I was actually referring to the nag screen from Destructor's post.  The iPhone app is the only way I can get through my workday.

oh...reading comprehension no es my friend... 

[Destructor]

I have been using Slacker more and more, rather than Pandora or last.fm.  I have more control over the stations, both on the desktop and iPhone versions.  I don't mind listening to a couple of ads every once in a while to keep things free.

True - at work, I listen to Slacker all the time (as I have a 'net connection that allows me access). On the road, my only options are Pandora (via my Pre) or Sirius Radio (I could've sworn my account was canned, but I can still connect to it...).

[WinoMcCougarstein]

Pandora on the iphone has been really bad for me lately.  I hear the same songs every day and artists that I give a thumbs down to constantly always seem to appear playing the same song I gave a thumbs down to.  I'm going to try slacker today.

[EngineNo9]

Pandora on the iphone has been really bad for me lately.  I hear the same songs every day and artists that I give a thumbs down to constantly always seem to appear playing the same song I gave a thumbs down to.  I'm going to try slacker today.

That's been happening to me as well.  I have given the same few artists thumbs down every time they show up and inevitably they pop up again.  It's as if they are some payola babies trying to work their way into my lists.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

I used Slacker Radio all day yesterday and I enjoyed the mix of music much more.  Definitely ok with the small commercial breaks.

[rickfc]

I used Slacker Radio all day yesterday and I enjoyed the mix of music much more.  Definitely ok with the small commercial breaks.

They have an awesome iPhone app as well.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

I used Slacker Radio all day yesterday and I enjoyed the mix of music much more.  Definitely ok with the small commercial breaks.

They have an awesome iPhone app as well.

That's what I'm using   Love it!

[rickfc]

I used Slacker Radio all day yesterday and I enjoyed the mix of music much more.  Definitely ok with the small commercial breaks.

They have an awesome iPhone app as well.

That's what I'm using   Love it!

oh, here I thought you were streaming over the webz... silly me

[Isgrimnur]

You might want to check the account link next time you pull up Pandora.  I was marked as having 29 hours left of my 40 for this month.  Looks like they've implemented the solution to the royalty issues and you'll be expected to pay $.99 to go to unlimited every month.  As much as I use it to get through work, I went ahead and sprung for the $36/year Pandora One solution.

[Caine]

i'll have to try slacker for music.  i swear i only hear the same artists and songs in a very small loop.  it's as if i only have 5 cd's worth of music to listen to at a time.  to make it worse, the last.fm app doesn't work for me.  can't log in with the damn thing at all.  possibly a firewall/permissions issue but i need to check it outside of work on a clear wi fi connection. 

last week it kept throwing in songs which had no place in the genre, like a 70's soft rock song in a hard rock channel. 

[Isgrimnur]

I tried Slacker a couple weeks ago, seeded with an artist that I have the same under Pandora, and didn't care for almost all of the songs that it chose.  I don't have those issues with Pandora. YMMV.