“I didn’t know if it was day or night…I started kissing everything in sight…but when I kissed on the cop down on 34th and vine, he broke my little bottle of love potion number 9”.
We all love a good song and the internet is great place to both discover new tunes and rediscover old, long-lost favorites. There are two main ways one can enjoy music on the net…radio-style and playlist-style. One plays a random sampling of songs (radio) and the other plays exact songs that you pick. (playlist)
Radio
Here are some radio stations that will tickle your ears and make your browsing experience more enjoyable…
Pandora
Probably the most famous of the online radio stations; Pandora allows forty hours a month for free…after that you have to pony up the dough. Pandora allows you to create stations based on artists or songs that you like. It will subsequently play songs based upon your selections…you can like or dislike these songs to create a personal station with only songs you enjoy. You can create other stations and then mix and match them using the “QuickMix” feature. Check it out.
Last.FM
Very similar to Pandora with a few minor changes. You can check it out here.
ShoutCast
ShoutCast is not in and of itself a radio station, but more of a listing or database of thousands and thousands of radio stations. While Shout Cast is not as customizable as the above two options, it does offer one of the largest selections of free radio stations I have ever seen. It is worth a look.
Soma.FM
A quirky little radio company with several very unique and unusual radio stations. If you are into the unique and unusual, check it out. I enjoy it!
PlayLists
Looking to build your own online music playlist?
Playlist.com
Probably the most famous of the online playlist websites. You can build your own playlists and check out other featured playlists as you travel the inter-webs. Check it out.
Rhapsody ( $9.99 a month)
Pretty much every other playlist software out there is the same, so I am not going to bother listing them all. You simply create a playlist and listen. RealPlayer’s Rhapsody is nice but it costs money and with all the free options out there…I don’t see the need.
In Conclusion
There are a ton of ways to find and listen to music on the web. I prefer “radio” over “playlists” because it helps me discover new songs that are similar to tunes I already enjoy. Despite the ads, Pandora is a good option. If you are looking for a quick play and go option, ShoutCast.com is your best bet.
