The world of Internet radio offers a dizzying array of options and choices, and Pandora is a prime example of this burgeoning new method of media delivery. Unlike traditional radio, Pandora allows users to create their very own stations that only play songs they like. The whole process is both streamlined and intuitive, and it makes use of the Music Genome Project to come up with new artists and songs that match the unique musical tastes of each user.
While a new user can listen to music on Pandora by simply signing up and typing in the name of a song or artist he likes, that’s just the beginning. In order to get the most out of Pandora, it’s vital to understand the process of building and curating custom stations. It’s also important to remember that Pandora is accessible on all kinds of devices, so it can be used just about anywhere that Internet service is available.
Take It on the Road
One of the best things about Internet radio is that it isn’t just limited to laptops and desktop computers. Pandora can be accessed from smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, and the only prerequisite is some type of wireless Internet connection. It’s even possible to access Pandora directly through some car radios.
Pandora does work with 3G wireless connections, but the higher speed of 4G Internet provides a much better experience. Internet service providers like CLEAR Internet offer the types of connections that are necessary in order to take Pandora on the road. Check out http://www.clearwirelessinternet.com/ to see how you can take Pandora with you with CLEAR mobile Internet.
Build Better Playlists
Pandora’s biggest strength is the way it fashions custom playlists based on an initial seed. The service can accomplish that with no additional input from the user, but a little extra effort will help Pandora find more music and produce better station playlists.
Some tips for creating better playlists on Pandora include:
- Don’t forget to rate songs.
- Don’t be afraid to use the thumbs down option.
- Add songs or artists that fit the theme of a station.
- Manually edit a station for better control.
Rating songs is the key to building robust playlists, so it’s a good idea to go through and rate every few hours. Since using the thumbs down option on an inappropriate song will prevent it from playing in the future, that’s the most effective way to curate a station. Those songs can still show up in other playlists, so it’s perfectly fine to give a good song a thumbs down just because it doesn’t fit the theme. Giving a thumbs up to appropriate songs, and manually adding others, is also important because those actions can add hundreds of new songs to a station.