Aplus.net Blog

It wasn’t so long ago that new Internet radio stations like Radio Io and Radio Paradise took the WWW by storm. Suddenly, you could stream your favorite music genres and sub-genres (“Alt Rock”, “Acid Jazz”, “Hairbands”) all day long, or all weekend if you wanted. No longer was your listening limited to FM radio and those annoying DJs or “three in row” playlists before a commercial interruption.

Then came Pandora, an Internet radio/media player hybrid based on the Music Genome Project. This breakthrough music service uses a complex mathematical algorithm to organize music types according to the attributes (over 400 traits or ‘genes’) of each song. It sounds complicated, but the result is that you create your own radio station based on your likes, dislikes, moods and other preferences. Create as many mixes as you like, as often as you like – and share them with friends or post to your Facebook page.

My personal Pandora stations include “Big Easy Radio” (New Orleans and only New Orleans music), “Secret World Radio” (international artists) and a few others where I throw Led Zeppelin together with Pink Floyd and other classic bands. I come up with new combinations all the time. And Pandora’s easy-to-use interface prompts me to give a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” for any song, move it to another station, or let it sleep for a month. It can be addicting, but I mostly use it as background when I’m working.

Last.fm and Yahoo! Music’s LaunchCast also let you rate and further customize your radio stations. Both are also big on social networking. Newer entrants to Internet radio include Jango, SpiralFrog, and MeeMix. Each has a slightly different spin or interface you can try out. For example, MeeMix offers you “Mood Control”, where you can not only change volume but also adjust “Atmosphere” (from dark to light), “Pulse” or the “Surprize Me” factor.

Slacker Radio has been gaining a lot of fans lately, too. Like Pandora, it has a free app available so you can listen to music on your iPhone (and Blackberry). And you can upgrade to a Plus or Premium version of the player. But there are also some important enhancements with Slacker that let you better refine the mix of music on your station(s). If you really like David Byrne, click the “Heart” button to play more of him; but if you hate the songs from his first solo album, click the “Banned” button and the music player adjusts accordingly. Like any of these free music services, the more you rate songs, the more personalized your station becomes.

Try one or more of these Internet radio/players out, add to your Web site or blog. Connect with your customers and readers in new ways. I bet you - and they - will keep coming back.

Have any ideas for your favorite ‘killer Web apps’? Please share!