# Better Pandora **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369 "2015-11-23T17:02:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/21 "2015-11-24T02:00:56Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Sometimes, they hardly play ANY songs by the artist in question. When I listen to Tom Waits radio, there are hardly any songs by Waits in the mix. It’s worse than that. Pandora allows you to create stations for artists they don’t even have any licensing agreements to. Seriously, WTF? ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/22 "2015-11-25T21:34:40Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Even worse is… > > Artist: [Song] > …three songs later… > Artist: [Song (Remix)] > …three songs later… > Artist: [Song (Demo)] > > I have one or two artists that I’ve made a station for and they do this _all the time_ for that person. There’s no filter that Song = Song (Remix) = Song (Whatever) and maybe they don’t all need to be played in a 45min period. Heh. I have a station built around a children’s music artist for my daughter, and one time we got to listen to 3 different versions of wheels on the bus in 4 songs. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/23 "2015-11-27T09:00:30Z")
If there’s a don’t want to hear it again button, is there a skip button? Because that’s what I would use. I know that whatever Internet radio my sister used on her phone let you do that. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/24 "2015-11-27T13:12:58Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Songza seems intensely promising, thanks TroutMan! Good luck with that. I just loaded it, then went to choose a playlist. None of the options seemed remotely enjoyable. _Delete app_ ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/25 "2015-11-27T13:18:05Z")
I wish there was a music app that did the following playlists: 1. Play more songs from the artists I seed. 2. Ban all live tracks (IMO, it’s a rare thing when a live track is better than a studio track). 3. Keep the playlist fluid and keep bringing in new music. These days, I only use Pandora, and it does none of the above. I tried Apple Music when it came out. That was just God awful. It was like someone was playing a trick and purposely creating pretentious playlists with only stuff I’d hate. I guess we just can’t have nice things. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/26 "2015-11-27T14:35:29Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > Good luck with that. > > I just loaded it, then went to choose a playlist. None of the options seemed remotely enjoyable. > > _Delete app_ I’m still enjoying it, the curated lists I’ve listened to so far have been pretty incredible. There’s a couple issues with it, though. One is just the nature of the product, I have to know what genre I want to listen to. It’s a bit trifling, but I really want to only have to make one choice, whether or not to listen to music. Pandora gave that to me, but then had the other problem – sometimes I’d use up all of my skips trying to get past it’s “breathy indie female folk artists” phase, which I sometimes but not always enjoy, just so I can get to something with a beat. The other problem is that the playlists seem to be sequential. I haven’t played with it much, but I was listening to a playlist on my computer signed into my Songza account, of course), went into my kitchen and plugged my phone into the speakers in there, and fired off the same playlist. It started from the first song in the list, which I’d just listened to like 10 minute ago. I kinda wish it would either keep track of which songs I’d listened to in that list, or at least randomize them. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/27 "2015-11-27T14:39:42Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If there’s a don’t want to hear it again button, is there a skip button? Because that’s what I would use. I know that whatever Internet radio my sister used on her phone let you do that. Pandora allows you to skip a limited number of times per hour. Disliking a song automatically skips it, up to your limit, or else there’s a skip button for stuff you just don’t want right then. Skips are pretty limited though with six per hour and subscribing doesn’t get you more. Also, if you’re listening for free, each skip includes a commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/28 "2015-11-27T14:40:37Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > There’s a couple issues with it, though. One is just the nature of the product, I have to know what genre I want to listen to. It’s a bit trifling, but I really want to only have to make one choice, whether or not to listen to music. Pandora gave that to me, but then had the other problem – sometimes I’d use up all of my skips trying to get past it’s “breathy indie female folk artists” phase, which I sometimes but not always enjoy, just so I can get to something with a beat. So, obviously you do want to choose what kind of music to listen to. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/29 "2015-11-27T15:39:10Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > So, obviously you do want to choose what kind of music to listen to. More accurately, I sometimes want to choose what kind of music I don’t want to listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369/30 "2015-11-27T18:39:29Z")
You might also want to check out Rhapsody. [They have a full subscription service for $10, and a radio option for $5.](http://www.rhapsody.com/pricing) with a free trial. You can make your own stations, or they have a lot of stations based on genres. Also, if you have the subscription service, they have a list of featured playlists that are updated frequently. And if you don’t like their playlists, it’s easy to create your own. edit: you also might want to check out Slacker radio. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-pandora/738369.md?page=1)