Save Pandora and Internet Radio

I'm a huge fan of Pandora, It's a new kind of radio - stations that play only the music [I] like.

I've been listening to it for the past 1-2 years. I'm always dazzled. It's either the music selection, its ease of use, the constant tiny steps of improvement that surprise me every time I visit, the depth of knowledge on a song or artist it provides, the easy links to buy the music, how it opens my eyes to other artists even in the same genres I"ve listened to my whole life.

Oh and it's free advertising for artists known and unknown, yet-to-be-discovered and yet-to-be-remembered. By free advertising I mean free and productive advertising. I buy music after I've heard it on Pandora.

Traditional radio doesn't offer anything interesting. If interesting is anything but canned playlists. It is interesting that is their only business model...

And music companies seem to want to quash this business model for internet radio. For the life of me, I would NEVER want to quash anyone's efforts who offered free advertising to qualified and motivated customers. As a music buyer on Pandora, I'm motivated after I'm surprised with some of their offerings. I'm delighted by some of the surprises on the playlists Pandora offers based on my listening preferences. And that translates into..motivation to buy the entire CD from that artist.

And the music industry for some reason...wants to favor everyone BUT internet radio. According to Savenetradio,

In the last 12 months, deals have been cut between SoundExchange and Internet radio’s closest competitors – satellite and cable radio – that set their royalty rates at less than half of what webcasters pay.

Half...Eddie Murphy! That's what you're charged in a divorce. It seems A. SoundExchange is divorced from reality, the reality of the power of internet radio to inspire purchases from its listeners; B. they want a divorce from that free and qualified advertising for their product.

In a fair world, one that is based on truly free-market principles...the music industry would PAY internet radio to advertise their wares and create sites and communities for fans to share their passions. And the music industry would be glad to partner with this innovative technology to insure its product reached its audience....

Ahhhh. But only the poor and unorganized live in that world of free-market competition. Those others,  like the music industry, have lobbyists and corporate donations to keep innovative business models at bay as well as the reality of their own gun pointing at their own foot, until they themselves pull that trigger.

Regardless, we can't expect adults to always behave accordingly. Visit Savenetradio. Subscribe to Pandora. Remind your congressperson to not subsidize dinosaurs while squelching innovation and job creation.

Link from Jake McKee. 

Comments

[Skip Reardon]

Couldn't agree with your arguments more, Zane!

While Napster is long gone, Pandora and Last.fm are the next wave

Long live Pandora!

Skip

[Lucia @ Pandora]

Wow, thanks for the great post, Zane!
We're honored to have you as a Pandora fan. :)

Cheers,
Lucia, from Pandora