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April 13, 2009
Tim answers Viewer Mail, #7
You guys have a lot of questions for us, and here is Tim answering a few of those:
WHY DO YOU CONSIDER PANDORA TO BE RADIO?
CAN I LISTEN TO SONGS BY ONLY ONE ARTIST?
WHAT CAN I DO IF I HEAR A SONG TOO OFTEN?
If you have any questions that you'd like to see Tim answer, then flip on your webcam and record yourself asking the question. We would like to meet you, so please introduce yourself. Then, just send it on in and we'll do our best to answer it for you.
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Here are some of the previous Viewer Mail videos: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Posted by Kevin Seal at April 13, 2009 11:36 AM
Comments
I'm new to Pandora and I haven't familiarized myself with everything yet but, I just wanted you to know I'm THRILLED with the stations. I can't believe I can listen only to what I like without commercials. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
Posted by: KarenSpils at April 13, 2009 06:26 PM
Just wanted to say thanks!!! I love the fact that I can listen to what I am in the mood for without having to listen to songs I don't like. I am, and continue to tell my friends about your station.
Posted by: Kathi at April 14, 2009 12:30 AM
Thanks for this interesting topic, i want to ask the answers of your own questions
WHY DO YOU CONSIDER PANDORA TO BE RADIO?
CAN I LISTEN TO SONGS BY ONLY ONE ARTIST?
WHAT CAN I DO IF I HEAR A SONG TOO OFTEN?
Posted by: RealVampires at April 14, 2009 08:51 AM
I must say this service is pretty cool. I will spread the word for sure.
Wood Splitter Mike
Posted by: Log Splitter at April 14, 2009 11:18 AM
I'm fairly new to Pandora and a steady listener to classical music. One major irritation is that the station plays single movements from classical works that actually consist of several movements, thereby taking them out of context. Not hearing a complete work in its entirety is often unfortunate, as movements are almost invariably related, sometimes thematically, often harmonically, and certainly balanced in mood. Check out the Brahms Third Symphony and you'll see what I'm getting at. The work makes little sense unless you can listen to the whole thing at one hearing.
Posted by: Robert Arenz at April 14, 2009 11:27 AM
The station on here a fantastic! Please keep up the good work, I love this place.
Posted by: Shotzki at April 14, 2009 12:23 PM
I am happy with this music venture and wonder if this will cost me.
Posted by: pat at April 14, 2009 07:21 PM
I love the website its awsome, the only downside to you having sprint is the fact that I can't get it on my phone. :( which is a rumor so if you can make it available for my phone that would be SUPER! haha I just found out about this site today its the shit period.
Posted by: Andrew at April 14, 2009 08:23 PM
I love digital music but everyone make sure they hit up a independent record store for Record Store Day.
Posted by: JoFresh at April 14, 2009 08:52 PM
This past weekend I signed up for the paid version after over a year of FREE status. (got tired of getting out of the pool to tell it i was still listening every hour... :-) ) Which leads me to another request that I hope you are working on. I have a MAC and Iphone which is awesome away from my house, but when I am at the house it would be great to be able to use my iphone as a remote to the music streaming on the computer, as I have my computer playing thruout the house and pool area. Keep up the good work guys...
Posted by: John Wilkerson at April 15, 2009 10:08 AM
I'm also wondering why its considered a radio.
Posted by: sbk at April 15, 2009 11:36 PM
I am really loving Pandora... but I think what would be really cool is going beyond the strict "thumbs up/thumbs down" option for a song. What would be great would be a 1-10 scale. I don't always love a song, but might want to hear it again (a 7). I may not want to hear a song or artist ever again (a 1). I may love a song/artist beyond all compare (a 10). There's so much in music that is beyong simple like/dislike.
Posted by: Diane F at April 16, 2009 07:51 AM
this website is brilliant (thats alot coming from me) and i'm just amazed because it seems to always find songs that i like or even introduce me to songs i didn't know i would like. i really can't complain.
Posted by: sozen at April 16, 2009 03:21 PM
A friend mentioned to me quite a few months ago about Pandora, but this is the first time I've actually visited. I think what you have here is excellent. I've found songs that I can't stop listening to, but that I'd never heard before.
I think Diane's suggestion is a good one...a more detailed rating option would be useful.
I'll be looking to upgrade to the paid version soon. Keep up the good work.
Tim
Posted by: Tim Dries at April 17, 2009 06:29 AM
Pandora is second to none and the station selection is awesome. Definitely one of the best sites out there.
It's always on in the background when I'm at work.
Posted by: rizrat123 at April 17, 2009 08:37 AM
Pandora is awesome as a matter of fact I listen to it every morning while I am working online.
Posted by: Karen at April 18, 2009 01:53 PM
@Andrew -- but we are on several Sprint phones! Check out this page for more information on that: http://www.pandora.com/sprint
@Robert Arenz -- true, we play certain movements in the playlist rather than entire symphonies, in most cases. It isn't ideal, but it is linked to our licensing constraints, as we can't play successive tracks from the same CD in order. Anyhow, it's an issue we are aware of and are working on. Thanks for listening, and please keep up the suggestions.
Posted by: Kevin Seal at April 18, 2009 03:59 PM
Dear Pandora, Tim, Kevin et al.,
You must always think, that your users, be it free or paid, should not suffer.
The users can suffer in two ways:
1. Receiving the contents REALLY they do not want to
2. Fumbling with bad UI
Number 1 can be at least partially achieved by introducing global ban list where existing entries on various stations can be merged into, and names can be added manually.
Number 2 is about managing the lists of thumbs. When it gets around 300+ entries, the browsers can't handle them well. I think all this metadata (and the backstage in general) just needs a good API, and then the users will themselves write neat applications and add-ons.
Also, I think you need an interface that would allow users easily to submit corrections about entries, such as typoes in song data and artist, album and song aliasing. Sometimes I get to hear a song twice in a row (same recording!) because once it was released by Artist X, and afterwards by Artist X and Group Y, maybe users could get useful credits for submitting such corrections.
And also, links across song and melody covers would be a great addition.
Posted by: Roman at April 19, 2009 12:15 AM
I really like Pandora and appreciate the answer about the classical music question. I too would love to hear a whole symphony. Now I know that the problem has to do with licensing rules.
Deb
Posted by: Deb at April 19, 2009 02:35 PM
I have noticed the Lyrics option on the bottom screen toolbox, are you guys still working on getting some lyrics? I would be happy to help dig up lyrics for Metal and heavier songs(I won't even ask for a pay check :)
Posted by: Undying666 at April 20, 2009 10:22 AM
Hey! I just had this thought and I don't know how it might work because of copyrights and such, but I play the fiddle/violin and I would really love it if I could order an arrangement for violin (or any other instrument for that matter!) for songs I want to play. If music CDs can be sold, why not sheet music?
Posted by: Bonnie Anglin at April 27, 2009 11:57 AM
Dear Tim,
I agree with all the comments sent to you. The Station is fantastic. I've only been listening for a week and have told all my friends and family. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I just love it. I'm in heaven when I'm listening to Pandora.
Ann Morini
Posted by: Ann at April 27, 2009 05:52 PM
I have used Pandora radio for some time now and I couldn't ask for a better service. It makes work so much less hectic and more enjoyable. Thank You
Posted by: Jared at April 28, 2009 11:35 AM
@Undying666 - Our Lyrics all come in via an agreement with Gracenote; we don't have listener-submitted lyrics at this point, but thanks for offering to do that. More Lyrics will come in over time.
@Roman - Interesting idea about the global ban list. We like to think that songs have different lives on different stations, and that even though you don't like the way Song A sounds on Station #6, it might go quite well on Station #39 in another context. Could you explain what you mean by "links across song and melody covers"? I'm intrigued by that suggestion, but I don't think I understand what that would refer to.
Posted by: Kevin Seal at April 28, 2009 11:56 AM
Kevin, you missed a question that is effecting me, When you add a lot of seeds or have a lot of thumbs up for a station it does effect performance a lot. So much so it can lock up other browser windows when I add a song. Are you working of a fix for this, I thought it was just me cus my computer is a few years old but a person above said "When it gets around 300+ entries, the browsers can't handle them well." So it seems it's not just me.
Posted by: Lawrence at April 29, 2009 05:21 AM
I love Pandora, its an invaluable way of finding new music! Thanks to Pandora, I discovered Patrick Watson - total addict!
Derrick
Posted by: Derrick at April 29, 2009 11:42 AM
Thanks for pointing out the option to "put the song to bed" for a month. I hate giving a song a thumbs down because it's gone, but I do get tired of certain ones. This is a much better option.
Posted by: gcb at April 29, 2009 03:30 PM
I like Pandora a lot. I have one minor complaint: It kicks me off with the annoying little message "We don't like playing to an empty room." I like to work with the background music and a screen saver on and I don't see that message in time.
Posted by: Dale at May 8, 2009 08:01 AM
I have used Pandora radio for some time now and I couldn't ask for a better service. Thanks for pointing out the option to "put the song to bed" for a month. It makes work so much less hectic and more enjoyable. Thank You!
Posted by: Dan B. at October 8, 2009 12:35 PM
I have one minor complaint: It kicks me off with the annoying little message "We don't like playing to an empty room." I like to work with the background music and a screen saver on and I don't see that message in time.
Posted by: ClubPenguinCheats at October 26, 2009 12:32 AM
That is brilliant idea!
Posted by: Colon Cleanse at November 5, 2009 10:50 PM
That is brilliant idea!
Posted by: Medyum at November 9, 2009 05:07 AM