Why Pandora Trumps Spotify in Discovering New Artists
Pandora and Spotify have undoubtably taken over as the top forms of online music streaming. While both possess their varying features, they do share one vital commonality: accessibility to an immense music library. What makes these sites so popular is the instant access to a countless number of artists and genres that are preferred by the listener. Pandora and Spotify allow their listeners to specify their musical preferences, and enjoy accordingly. These forms of music streaming have transformed into “personal radio stations,” playing only the music the listener wants to hear.
However, one distinct difference I have noticed between Pandora and Spotify is the level of variety within a listener`s personal account. What users love about Spotify is the ability to listen to any particular song, album, or artist at that moment. The problem with this? Users are more likely to seek out a song, album, or artist that they are familiar with. They establish playlists consisting of their favorite songs by their favorite artists, rarely seeking out the work of those undiscovered artists that may suit their taste just as well (if not better).
It is for this reason specifically why I believe Pandora trumps Spotify in the discovering of new artists.
While Pandora does not allow you to access a specific song, it does create a playlist it feels is “best suited” for that particular listener based upon favored stations and artists. Pandora plays not only songs of artists specified by the listener, but songs of similar style and character to the listeners` “favorites.” This allows for a more diverse playlist consisting of a wider range of artists, while remaining loyal to the preferences of the listener. In my experience with Pandora, this wider range of artists has included “up and coming” artists who otherwise would have been unknown to me. While some of these artists are present on Spotify, they often go undetected because most listeners do not make an effort to search for artists they have never heard of.
That is the beauty of Pandora, the artist is presented to you. And if you like the artist, great! Give the song a thumbs up and Pandora will keep in mind that you enjoy this particular artists and/or the genre itself. If you do not like the artist, no harm done. Give the song a thumbs down and Pandora will adjust your personalized playlist accordingly.
According to a study by eMarketer, more than 51% of internet users listen to Pandora, compared with 14% for Spotify.
eMarketer estimates that adults within the United States spent more time daily with Pandora than not only Spotify, but all other digital radio as well. Averaging at 25 minutes vs. 14 minutes.
I have been a loyal Pandora member for many years now, and have discovered countless new artists simply through listening to the stations of artists I currently enjoy. One of my favorite bands is The Black Keys. While listening to their station on Pandora, I actually came across a song by the group Milky Chance.
I had never even heard of the band prior to their song popping up on my Pandora playlist, and now they have become one of my favorites. Spotify is indeed a great way to customize playlists based upon your favorite songs. However, I believe this feature constructs a boundary between the listener and artists they may be unfamiliar with. The suggested song algorithm embedded within Pandora makes discovering new artists simple and effortless.
