Category | Arts & Living

Internets: Finding new music

Published on February 27, 2007 by The Sentinel

    We all get tired of our music. Every once in a while, we need to
look around and find more artists to get into. This can be a daunting
task. There’s so much music out there, and sorting through it all to
find one good song can be an absolute hassle. Thankfully, there are
various databases and sources on the internet where anyone can find
something he or she likes.

Last.FM
Last.fm is a social network focused on music. Users download software
that tracks what music they’ve listened to and uploads the information
to their profiles. The songs appear for others to see. Last.fm follows
the listening trends of its users to put together charts and promote
new music.

Pandora
Pandora is an interactive internet radio station like no other. The
service is the result of the Music Genome Project, which for the last
six years has been analyzing music and relating songs to one another.
On Pandora, all the user needs to do is enter an artist’s name or the
title of a song. The database finds the traits the song or artist
exhibits. It then finds songs based on these factors, and lets the user
rate the song with either a thumb up or thumb down. By rating these
songs, the system narrows down the user’s musical tastes and exposes
listeners to new artists.

Amie Street
Amie Street does more than help its visitors discover new music. It
helps them make some money too. The site is better described as a
social music store. Unknown, small-time bands post their music on the
site for sale by digital download. At first, the song is free. As more
people find the song and recommend or buy it, the price steadily
increases. If a user recommends a song while it is at a lower price,
when the price increases, their account is credited with the amount of
increase. All songs range between free and 98 cents, so this site makes
finding and buying quality bargain music a breeze.