Pandora is an internet radio service that uses the music genome project to give you personalized radio stations based on songs and artists that you like. You aren’t able to pick songs specifically but you can fine tune what the radio station plays by giving each song a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Pandora has also released an application for the iPhone that lets you listen to those internet radio stations on the go. The app is considered by many (and I) to be the best iPhone app out there.
But, even with its 1 million plus users Tim Westergren (founder) has stated that the service is approaching a “pull-the-plug kind of decision.” All of this is happening because last year internet radio stations were hit with incredibly high fees by a federal panel for every song played on their stations. At that time many internet radio stations just shut down, Pandora however has been able to hold on until now but who know what the future will hold for the service.
Rep. Howard L. Berman has been leading a fight that would arrange a few last minute deals between web radio stations and SoundExchange (the company that represents artists and record companies) that would reduce the fees and hopefully keep these internet radio stations in business. Westergren isn’t waiting forever though, saying “the moment we think this problem in Washington is not going to get solved, we have to pull the plug because all we’re doing is wasting money.”
There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot that we can do, the only things I would suggest one do to save Pandora, is visit SaveNetRadio.org (where they list several things you can do to help) and subscribe to Pandora, it only costs $36 a year and it will help them out immensely.