# Pandora. Strategy, Thumbprint, Algorithm questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-strategy-thumbprint-algorithm-questions/750536 "2016-03-29T16:55:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-strategy-thumbprint-algorithm-questions/750536/1 "2016-03-29T16:55:10Z")
I use Pandora Radio, paying monthly so I don’t have to hear ads. I’ve played around and created a few stations I really enjoy, but I have a few questions maybe someone could help me with. 1. Strategy. I “like” (thumbsup) stuff that I like. A friend told me that is not a good thing to do, as they’ll overplay any song that you thumbup. He, instead, _assumes_ he will like anything they play on a station. He _never_ thumbsup, instead he thumbs_down_ anything he hates. That way, per him, each station has more variety. Is this correct? 2. Thumbprint OK, a relatively new offering is the Thumbprint Station, which is made up of all the thumbsups you’ve given on all your stations, plus related songs. I **love** this station. Obviously, my friend who never thumbsups does not have a thumbprint station. His loss. I occasionally find that the thumbprint station gets stuck in a certain genre. Anyone else have this problem? I just switch stations, come back, and all is well. 1. Algorithm So, I have a Dusty Springfield station. Please don’t hate me. I have consistently thumbsdowned anything that doesn’t fit perfectly and thumbsupped everything that embodies Dusty Springfield’s work. For those times when I need some Dusty Springfield. It works. I love the station. But one day I felt like some Dusty Springfield. After a few _very_ fitting songs there was a song that absolutely **did not fit**. I was surprised. Then I looked to see who the band was. **Buffalo Springfield.** Was Pandora trying to be cute, or does the algorithm work like that? 1. Interesting weirdness I was playing around with a comedy station. Just to see what would happen, I intentionally thumbed down any non-Caucasian or female comedian, curious to see how the algorithm would respond. In a short time I created a horrid comedy station that was all red-neck southern humor. Interesting. I deleted the station. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-strategy-thumbprint-algorithm-questions/750536/2 "2016-03-30T05:32:24Z")
From what I understand, giving a thumbs up basically just adds that song to the list of seeds. If you never thumbs-up anything, your station will be entirely seeded by whatever it started with. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your goal with the station. I generally like Pandora because it provides means of letting me know about music that I might like, so I generally am liberal with the thumbs-up, as it allows the station to grow organically into different subgenres. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2016, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-strategy-thumbprint-algorithm-questions/750536/3 "2016-03-30T06:13:13Z")
Pandora’s algorithm sucks. I’ve gotten so good at figuring it out, I pretty much know what band will be playing next before the previous song is over. And if you put it on shuffle. It does a good job shuffling between stations. But it keeps playing the same 4 or 5 songs from each station. Ironically, you get more variety if you just leave it on one station. Also, would really love a “No live music” option.