| Have you ever had the classic experience with a | | | | you create, where you list your favorite artists |
| close friend who tells you about a great song and | | | | and genres. Pandora uses a comprehensive |
| is very confident that you will love it just as much | | | | database known as the Music Genome Project, to |
| as he or she does? Upon listening to it, you begin | | | | find and match user music preferences with |
| to question the trust you have in them, and no | | | | related music. Just go to create a profile, and |
| longer have faith in their musical opinions. I've had | | | | start listening. |
| this experience one too many times and I say let | | | | Last.fm also has a unique way of gathering |
| modern technology succeed where friends have | | | | preferences to suggest new music to a listener. |
| failed! | | | | Users download a plug-in application that will make |
| Finding Music Online | | | | suggestions based on your listening history. It |
| There are several online resources available which | | | | keeps track of the music you listen to (your |
| are much more intuitive than a friend, and can | | | | current favorite artists) in a process called |
| "learn" your music preferences and make | | | | "scrobbling" and creates your individual music |
| suggestions for new music suited to your tastes. | | | | profile based off of that information. |
| These suggestions are tailored to your musical | | | | The profile is then compared with the music |
| preference history and are pulled from some of | | | | listening history of millions of other Last.fm users |
| the world's largest online collections of tagged | | | | to find listeners with similar tastes, and |
| music. Radio stations almost always have to play | | | | suggestions for new artists and bands are given |
| corporate-backed bands with label restriction | | | | based off of that comparison. Last.fm already has |
| which makes them a bad avenue to find more | | | | over 15 million+ active users to base suggestions |
| obscure music. | | | | from. Visit and let them expose you to the best |
| Online sources are you best bet for finding the | | | | new music. |
| best music available. Pulling from a huge | | | | Yahoo!'s LAUNCHcast has a similar structure to |
| compilation of online music, you have access to | | | | Last.fm, but lacks a comprehensive music profile |
| tons of new music in the genres you want and | | | | list because it has a smaller network of users. |
| based on your listening history rather than getting | | | | LAUNCHcast also seems to offer a more limited |
| a random suggestion from some weird friend | | | | library, with more mainstream music than Last.fm |
| who has an obsession with a local Rush tribute | | | | does. This seems quite similar to the way that |
| band who couldn't hit the right notes even if they | | | | corporate-owned radio stations provide music. |
| were sober. | | | | Another resource features unsigned or |
| The music-bots are smarter than your friends, | | | | independent artists that would not be able to |
| and have a slightly different learning capacity. | | | | reach their potential fan base unless they ended |
| Looking for indie music? Up and coming local and | | | | up getting a major record deal and/or corporate |
| underground musicians get suggested and listed | | | | sponsorship. Try to get into the online indie scene |
| every day and with good ratings from other | | | | and of course, MySpace always works too. |
| users, you can use these tools to be introduced | | | | Most of these sites also make it very easy to |
| to bands and musicians through a new avenue. | | | | purchase your recently discovered music once |
| What Are My Options? | | | | you decide you like it, so you can add it to your |
| Pandora is a free online radio project that | | | | ever-growing collection of music and turn it up! |
| generates music suggestions based on a profile | | | | |