Pandora

Pandora is an internet radio website that I wanted to talk about today. Unlike more traditional radio stations that rely on human selection of music, Pandora is based on the Music Genome Project. This project assigns various attributes to songs (number of instruments, types of instruments, male vs female singer, etc) in order to create collections of similar songs. In my opinion it's a great example of intelligent software design. After you create a free account on the website, you can create your stations by typing in the name of a band you like. From there, Pandora selects songs that have similar genetic makeup. The best part about this design is that not only is it smart and free, it works really well. Song after song Pandora selects music that I like just from knowing the name of one band that I enjoy. In addition to having it setup play lists for you automatically it is a great way to discover new music. I like almost every song it chooses to play and the artists that I have never heard of before I place in a mental list to check out more of their music.

In addition to listening through your browser, Pandora has mobile apps so you can listen to it on your phone and in your car. It's truely a fantastic site and if you enjoy music (who doesn't?) I'd suggest checking it out.

While we're on topic of music, I just recently discovered Two Door Cinema Club (through Palladia, not Pandora). Their whole album is pretty good, though they are a bit hipster-like (I'm sure DePauw students like them). Unfortunately YouTube isn't letting me embed so I will have to settle with linking. Enjoy!