Os serviços de música on line, tipo Pandora

«The radio landscape is clearly evolving, but what do listeners ultimately want? Consumers now have access to virtually unlimited collections of music – both on-demand and through streaming formats. Outlets like Rhapsody deliver on-demand access to thousands of albums, while providers like XM Satellite Radio offer just as many niche genres. But somehow, having everything is only part of the puzzle, and listeners usually want someone else to sift through the barrage of possibilities. "Just having access to a sea of material is not going to push the ball forward," said Tim Westergren, head of recommendation service Pandora, during a South by Southwest (SXSW) panel Tuesday. Westergren spoke of re-energizing listeners, many of whom stop discovering music after their teenage years.

Pandora offers streamed recommendations based on expressed listener preferences, and matches core musical attributes to serve up new gems. That system may appear brainy to some, especially those that are more comfortable with actual deejays and more traditional radio formats. Elise Nordling, music director at SomaFM, pointed to the important companion role that radio plays. Deejays do more than just pick songs, they often build a bond with listeners. "People want company," she said. Meanwhile, music industry consultant and KCRW commentator Celia Hirschman pointed to the importance of nurturing listener relationships, which are created by establishing trust and maintaining a high level of programming integrity. "The quality of the music is important," she said. Addressing the recent Eliot Spitzer payola probe, Hirschman wondered if big terrestrial giants will ever change. "Radio stations are less likely to work with independent promoters, but the net effect is unclear," she said. Pointing to a format that is focused on big advertising, Hirschman noted that mainstream radio "will probably still go with heavily powered major label stuff," mainly because they are fearful of alienating advertisers and listeners with unfamiliar, new sounds».

«Radio Morphs, Next-Generation Listener Emerges», Digital Music News, 15/3/06