So I started using launch.com again a couple weeks ago. It's been pretty cool -- I like not knowing what song is coming next, but knowing it's likely to be something good. But lately I've been getting annoyed with a) the commercials, and b) its tendency to play a song for no reason -- it says it matches my genre preferences (which I have none), not that it was recommended by fans of another band I've rated.

I'm tempted to scrap the whole thing, but I've put a lot of thought into building a process to help me determine how I rank every band (you can rank an artist, album or song from 1-100, but I only do artists), and I'd like to see that get used -- if not on launch, some other site.

Does anyone know any other sites that play music based on how you rank artists?

last.fm

Forgot about that one. I already ahve an account there, and am apparently a member of the FOFC group!

I'm still not sure how to rank artists on it, though. At this point, all I can figure out how to do is find a station of similar artists to a band. I see when I roll over a band's name, it says drag to tag/recommend that band, but I don't see where I'm supposed to drag it to.

Honestly I haven't used it all that much, but "your station" should be based on the artists you like/dislike. Mine get "rated" by my listening habits in itunes and on my ipod.

Is Pandora.com still around for US visitors?

Is Pandora.com still around for US visitors?

It looks like it is still around -- still only available in the US, but they say they're working on it. So far I like that more as a radio station -- last.fm is cool, but it seems like it's more of an add-on to the experience of listening to music that I already have, while Pandora plays music like a radio station (but without the annoying commercials of launchcast). I've been listening to it for a couple hours now, and it seems like it's been giving me good stuff.

It took me quite a while to get my station dialed in the way I wanted it in Pandora, but after that got straightened out I love it.

It took me quite a while to get my station dialed in the way I wanted it in Pandora, but after that got straightened out I love it.

How many artists and songs did you say that you liked? How did you determine whether you liked something enough to put it in as a like?

How many artists and songs did you say that you liked? How did you determine whether you liked something enough to put it in as a like?


I started basic and added groups or songs one at a time based on either my whim at the moment or a sound I wanted to try and add. Currently the list is (alphabetically):

Artists: Air, Arctic Monkeys, Art of Noise, Camper Van Beethoven, Gomez, Lemon Jelly, Moby, Silversun Pickups, Spoon and Thievery Corporation.

Songs:
Bhindi Bhagee -- Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
Down on the Corner -- Johnny Marr
Frontier Psychiatrist -- The Avalanches
Our Swords -- Band of Horses
32nd of December -- Babyshambles
Your Blood -- Destroyer
Mr. Magic -- Twink
Your Little Hoodrat Friend -- Hold Steady

Thumbed up songs:
No Time Flat -- Kevin Devine
Get Your Love Stole -- Seth Kaufman

Nice for work background, and eclectic enough that I don't get too bored. I've been tweaking it here and there for about five months.

Thievery Corporation

Cool.

I've got 8 artists listed now -- some favorites, and some bands I've just recently heard of, and am starting to get into: Architecture in Helsinki, Au Revoir Simone, Belle & Sebastian, Cocteau Twins, David Byrne, Innocence Mission, Smiths, Thelonious Monk.

I've heard everything at least once except Thelonious Monk, which kinda bugs me -- maybe I need to put in another jazz musician to get more jazz in there. When I used launch, I had 300 artists ranked, but since I could rank them from 1 to 100, I was able to list some artists without feeling like they were on the same par with some of those I like much more -- but without that, it's tricker for a dork like me. I'll probably add a few more, but it's tough to decide where to draw the line.

I find that Pandora almost takes the last song as the selection point for the next one.....for instance, I'll get an hour of electronica, but at other times it's strictly alternative or off on a tangent. Monk will show up eventually.

Also, artists can really throw a lot of things into the mix that you might not expect. I had Beck in but he's so idiosyncratic that the various elements of his music ends up putting songs on that I have no desire to hear. Modest Mouse brought a bunch of Creed-ness to the mix somehow so I had to kick that off also. Individual songs don't broaden the mix quite as much, I find.

Thievery Corporation gets a bit old if you live in D.C. :)

I find that Pandora almost takes the last song as the selection point for the next one.....for instance, I'll get an hour of electronica, but at other times it's strictly alternative or off on a tangent. Monk will show up eventually.

Also, artists can really throw a lot of things into the mix that you might not expect. I had Beck in but he's so idiosyncratic that the various elements of his music ends up putting songs on that I have no desire to hear. Modest Mouse brought a bunch of Creed-ness to the mix somehow so I had to kick that off also. Individual songs don't broaden the mix quite as much, I find.

That's interesting -- I wonder if I want an extra emphasis placed on one artist, I should take them off, then add them again.

I actually haven't heard much of Thievery Corporation -- a few odd songs here and there, plus the song they did with David Byrne. I like what I've heard, though.

Pandora runs in 4 song sets, each of which is seeded by an artist or song you have on the station. If you thumbs up a song the next set is seeded based on that song, which is why you can see it veer away from what would normally play on the station. If you thumbs down a song it chooses a completely new set and if you thumbs down the same artist twice they never get played on the station again. So make liberal use of the thumbs down button if an artist you want on there keeps generating music you don't like.

Pandora runs in 4 song sets, each of which is seeded by an artist or song you have on the station. If you thumbs up a song the next set is seeded based on that song, which is why you can see it veer away from what would normally play on the station. If you thumbs down a song it chooses a completely new set and if you thumbs down the same artist twice they never get played on the station again. So make liberal use of the thumbs down button if an artist you want on there keeps generating music you don't like.

That's interesting. Explains why occasionally it seems like the same songs seem to follow each other in sequence, though I don't keep close enough track to know for sure.

I have used the thumbs down button frequently, for the likes of Mellencamp, Train, Jimmy Buffett, etc.

I finally heard some Monk.

Rhapsody lets you rate songs too, but i dont know if you can do that in their free version. I have a rhapsody to go subscription, and the new mp3 player from best buy (Insignia Pilot) that works with rhapsody. It lets me download albums and rhapsody channels to my mp3 player (channels are 3-4 hours of music)..and the player lets you rate the music on the player itself. then, when you synch to rhapsody, it also uploads your ratings. After voting on songs for 2 weeks now, I am really starting to get some good recommendations on the my rhapsody page, as well as the my rhapsody channel. I really like being able to rate songs while driving around in the car (instead of always having to be at the desk to do it).

Pandora runs in 4 song sets, each of which is seeded by an artist or song you have on the station. If you thumbs up a song the next set is seeded based on that song, which is why you can see it veer away from what would normally play on the station. If you thumbs down a song it chooses a completely new set and if you thumbs down the same artist twice they never get played on the station again. So make liberal use of the thumbs down button if an artist you want on there keeps generating music you don't like.

Does that mean that every song is played because of just one artist or song I have listed, rather than a combination of what I have listed?