# what does Spotify do that Pandora doesn't? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662 "2013-03-11T22:53:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/1 "2013-03-11T22:53:42Z")
I’m an off-and-on Pandora user, and when Spotify released a WP8 app I thought I’d give it a try. after installing the desktop app on Windows, I’m not sure what to do with it. I see it found my music library (and god help them if it messed up any of my tags) but other than the radio portion which suggested me an artist I can’t stand, I’m lost. Any pointers? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/2 "2013-03-11T22:54:56Z")
I mostly use it to build my own playlist. Also, once you get your radio calibrated you can then listen to the same song a million times in a row, if you so choose. ---
**Author:** ![GovernmentMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/3 "2013-03-11T23:14:43Z")
Type in artist you like’s name. Go to artist’s page. Listen to artist’s albums and songs. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/4 "2013-03-11T23:46:09Z")
You can listen to a complete album instead of having the software pick what to hear next. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/5 "2013-03-12T00:22:22Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > You can listen to a complete album instead of having the software pick what to hear next. I’m quite clueless, but that does sound cool. So, basically, if you have an internet connection, you have all the music in the world(so to speak) at your fingertips? Free? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/6 "2013-03-12T01:15:03Z")
All the songs of musicians who’ve licensed their songs to Spotify, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/7 "2013-03-12T01:15:31Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > All the songs of musicians who’ve licensed their songs to Spotify, anyway. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/8 "2013-03-12T02:08:48Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > So, basically, if you have an internet connection, you have all the music in the world(so to speak) at your fingertips? Free? If you pay for the mobile version, it also lets you store playlists for offline listening. There’s also Rdio and MOG, if you’re looking to compare services. All broadly similar. The paid versions are a steal. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/9 "2013-03-12T02:24:54Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > There’s also Rdio and MOG, if you’re looking to compare services. All broadly similar. The paid versions are a steal. I use Pandora and my own MP3’s. My wife uses Myspace, which relaunched recently as a music site. Anyone else like the new myspace? My life loves it. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/10 "2013-03-12T03:17:30Z")
I use Rhapsody for $10 a month. So much more music than I could ever afford to buy. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/11 "2013-03-13T21:43:44Z")
[Here, have a chart that compares the two](http://cheezburger.com/7111418368?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+graphjam+%28GraphJam%3A+Pop+culture+for+people+in+cubicles.%29) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/12 "2013-03-15T00:18:24Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#): > > [Here, have a chart that compares the two](http://cheezburger.com/7111418368?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+graphjam+%28GraphJam%3A+Pop+culture+for+people+in+cubicles.%29) so, basically little other than Facebook integration which is completely worthless to me. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/13 "2013-03-15T00:35:24Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > so, basically little other than Facebook integration You might want to go back and re-read. They’re fundamentally different and have few features in common. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/14 "2013-03-15T02:17:16Z")
IME, Pandora does not understand the concept of ‘genre’. If you request a genre radio station, it just plays whatever the fuck wanders by. Spotify does not have this issue. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/15 "2013-03-15T03:24:12Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > so, basically little other than Facebook integration which is completely worthless to me. Dude, what? I don’t even use Spotify and I can tell the difference now. Whahuh? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/16 "2013-03-15T03:38:14Z")
They’re both exactly the same to me: “Not available in your country.” ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/17 "2013-03-15T05:02:59Z")
**Leaffan** Try rdio ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/18 "2013-03-15T07:16:39Z")
> [@K364](#): > > **Leaffan** Try rdio Hey thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/19 "2013-03-15T09:02:09Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > They’re both exactly the same to me: “Not available in your country.” Can you use last.fm? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662/20 "2013-03-15T10:54:59Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Can you use last.fm? Not sure. I’m on the road with a work laptop at the moment. It looks like I need to download an app, which I’m reluctant to do. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-spotify-do-that-pandora-doesnt/652662.md?page=2)