It talks a lot about how Pandora evaluates music based on features of the music itself (rhythm, intruments, voice-quality, etc.), as opposed to other music sites such as last.fm that are "socially-oriented", meaning they recommend music based on what other people like.
Does anyone know if Pandora has an Irish section? The article described how they added a section on Indian classical music, and had to invent a new matrix for the features of that genre. If they do have an Irish section, I would love to know how they categorized everything.
We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for listeners located outside of the U.S. We will continue to work diligently to realize the vision of a truly global Pandora, but for the time being we are required to restrict its use. We are very sad to have to do this, but there is no other alternative.'
So you won't be getting any responses from non-US residents then!
The site first asks for the name of a band or artist. I tried Lunasa, and first got a message, something about "minor key, with Irish roots" then a couple Lunasa tunes (minor-ish ones, of course). Followed by something by Wagtail (never heard of) that sounded modal (mixolydian, maybe) which did sound Irish-y (plus bongo drums) then another Lunasa, then Nat McMaster, then "Aureole Trio" (hmmm... that's WTSTB? sounds very classical to me).... then Tony Furtado (good banjo player, sounds like).
I suppose I might listen to it some, at least you can skip the tjunes--oops, you can only skip so many, then you have to make a new "radio station."
Interesting--I knew of it, but assumed it made use of listener patterns, not "music genome." I'm hearing another classical-ish number now... I wouldn't trust it to lead you to the Pure Drop. I'll try to create a "Denis Murphy" or "Joe Cooley" radio station next.
I have the same problem here in Canada when I try to watch RTE's Full Set. It would be great if someone put up a torrent of the recent Full Set episode that featured Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny. I've seen parts of it on YouTube but would love to watch the full program, start to finish.
Well, rats, you only get one visit for free--now it wants me to register, and I don't feel like it. Some other Yank will have to try a more obscure artist/band, see what happens.
After my friends tried so very hard to insist I would like it, I submitted my first Pandora search which was Bothy band and
had zero results. It's definitely very limited (more than youtube) despite people saying that it has so much music...
Well, I'm home now and had a chance to give it a go, and I started with Dervish, and so far it's picked Danu, Altan, and the House Band. Not bad. No hardcore 50 year old field recordings, of course, but it's a decent selection, and they have a lot of information on every artist and track. This would be excellent for someone who didn't know anything about this music.
Then you missed the point. It remembers your choices for your stations and they get better with time. It makes better guesses based on previous input.
"excellent for a completely ignorant tool"
Pandora just plays stuff it has. It's not going to have that out of production Bobby Casey LP. Also, really, you folks listen to only Irish music? I find that hard to believe. Pandora is all right for trad stuff - I don't hate my Danu station - but it's excellent for a wide variety of other things. My Yonder Mountain, Rammstein, Sufjan, and Taraf de Haidouks stations are really good. It's been an excellent music discovery tour for me.
If you really want to hear Joe Cooley streaming over the Internet, perhaps someone enterprising would like to make a Shoutcast (etc) station. I bet the folks here would be glad to inundate them with old recordings.
Or just keep whining that it doesn't have Micheal Coleman on it. That's slightly better reading.
I currently listen to enough trad to qualify as only listening to trad.
The only times I don't always listen to trad are:
A: when I'm in a car
B: when I'm at a bar
C: when I'm at somebody's house
D: when I'm at work and somebody has their ipod playing
E: when trad artists put non-trad tracks on their albums
F: when I leave windows media player going and it eventually reaches one of the 4 or 5 non trad albums in my library
Pandora
Pandora
Very detailed article on Pandora:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/magazine/18Pandora-t.html?pagewanted=1&em
It talks a lot about how Pandora evaluates music based on features of the music itself (rhythm, intruments, voice-quality, etc.), as opposed to other music sites such as last.fm that are "socially-oriented", meaning they recommend music based on what other people like.
Does anyone know if Pandora has an Irish section? The article described how they added a section on Indian classical music, and had to invent a new matrix for the features of that genre. If they do have an Irish section, I would love to know how they categorized everything.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by kennedy
Re: Pandora
'Dear Pandora Visitor,
We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for listeners located outside of the U.S. We will continue to work diligently to realize the vision of a truly global Pandora, but for the time being we are required to restrict its use. We are very sad to have to do this, but there is no other alternative.'
So you won't be getting any responses from non-US residents then!
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Pandora
That's a shame. I had the same problem with the BBC when I tried to watch Phil Cunningham's series on Scottish music. It was for UK viewers only.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by kennedy
Re: Pandora
The site first asks for the name of a band or artist. I tried Lunasa, and first got a message, something about "minor key, with Irish roots" then a couple Lunasa tunes (minor-ish ones, of course). Followed by something by Wagtail (never heard of) that sounded modal (mixolydian, maybe) which did sound Irish-y (plus bongo drums) then another Lunasa, then Nat McMaster, then "Aureole Trio" (hmmm... that's WTSTB? sounds very classical to me).... then Tony Furtado (good banjo player, sounds like).
I suppose I might listen to it some, at least you can skip the tjunes--oops, you can only skip so many, then you have to make a new "radio station."
Interesting--I knew of it, but assumed it made use of listener patterns, not "music genome." I'm hearing another classical-ish number now... I wouldn't trust it to lead you to the Pure Drop. I'll try to create a "Denis Murphy" or "Joe Cooley" radio station next.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by tuckered out
Re: Pandora
I have the same problem here in Canada when I try to watch RTE's Full Set. It would be great if someone put up a torrent of the recent Full Set episode that featured Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny. I've seen parts of it on YouTube but would love to watch the full program, start to finish.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by jimtowat
Re: Pandora
Well, rats, you only get one visit for free--now it wants me to register, and I don't feel like it. Some other Yank will have to try a more obscure artist/band, see what happens.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by tuckered out
Re: Pandora
p.s. By "free" I mean anonymously--they don't charge a fee.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by tuckered out
Re: Pandora
They could put Tommy Potts in with the ragas, I suppose.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by nicholas
Re: Pandora
Isn't this what 'Genius' does on itunes
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by joemchugh
Re: Pandora
After my friends tried so very hard to insist I would like it, I submitted my first Pandora search which was Bothy band and
had zero results. It's definitely very limited (more than youtube) despite people saying that it has so much music...
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by Earl Cameron
Re: Pandora
I used to use Pandora when I lived in Durham (so 2006/7 but sometime during 07 they changed it so you couldn't get it in the UK. I wasn't impressed.
# Posted on October 19th 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Pandora
Well, I'm home now and had a chance to give it a go, and I started with Dervish, and so far it's picked Danu, Altan, and the House Band. Not bad. No hardcore 50 year old field recordings, of course, but it's a decent selection, and they have a lot of information on every artist and track. This would be excellent for someone who didn't know anything about this music.
# Posted on October 20th 2009 by kennedy
Re: Pandora
Haha you guys are ridiculous
"didn't feel like registering"
Then you missed the point. It remembers your choices for your stations and they get better with time. It makes better guesses based on previous input.
"excellent for a completely ignorant tool"
Pandora just plays stuff it has. It's not going to have that out of production Bobby Casey LP. Also, really, you folks listen to only Irish music? I find that hard to believe. Pandora is all right for trad stuff - I don't hate my Danu station - but it's excellent for a wide variety of other things. My Yonder Mountain, Rammstein, Sufjan, and Taraf de Haidouks stations are really good. It's been an excellent music discovery tour for me.
If you really want to hear Joe Cooley streaming over the Internet, perhaps someone enterprising would like to make a Shoutcast (etc) station. I bet the folks here would be glad to inundate them with old recordings.
Or just keep whining that it doesn't have Micheal Coleman on it. That's slightly better reading.
# Posted on October 20th 2009 by reenactor
Re: Pandora
I currently listen to enough trad to qualify as only listening to trad.
The only times I don't always listen to trad are:
A: when I'm in a car
B: when I'm at a bar
C: when I'm at somebody's house
D: when I'm at work and somebody has their ipod playing
E: when trad artists put non-trad tracks on their albums
F: when I leave windows media player going and it eventually reaches one of the 4 or 5 non trad albums in my library
# Posted on October 20th 2009 by Earl Cameron