Comments on: LAUNCHcast a treat for serendipitous listening http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/ Technology, music, video, art, news, reviews and muse on the web Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:32:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Recommending music iLike » Make You Go Hmm http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-328307 Recommending music iLike » Make You Go Hmm Fri, 27 Oct 2006 00:06:25 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-328307 [...] This week I’ve been checking out the music recommendation and sharing service iLike beta by the folks behind Garageband. If you use iTunes then iLike will analyze your iTunes song database and recommend free songs from Garageband you can download as well as recommend other similar songs you might like. This is similar to services like last.fm formerly known as audioscrobbler or Launchcast that was reviewed last Halloween. You can optionally download from iLike a free sidebar utility for iTunes (Mac and Windows versions) that will related music to songs as they are played, show what your friends are listening to and provide a quick link to your profile. You can listen to a short sample of some songs you don’t own but a few seconds of a song is rarely enough to know for sure if it’s good. [...] […] This week I’ve been checking out the music recommendation and sharing service iLike beta by the folks behind Garageband. If you use iTunes then iLike will analyze your iTunes song database and recommend free songs from Garageband you can download as well as recommend other similar songs you might like. This is similar to services like last.fm formerly known as audioscrobbler or Launchcast that was reviewed last Halloween. You can optionally download from iLike a free sidebar utility for iTunes (Mac and Windows versions) that will related music to songs as they are played, show what your friends are listening to and provide a quick link to your profile. You can listen to a short sample of some songs you don’t own but a few seconds of a song is rarely enough to know for sure if it’s good. […]

]]> By: Make You Go Hmm: » CES 2006 Bill Gates keynote http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-47379 Make You Go Hmm: » CES 2006 Bill Gates keynote Thu, 05 Jan 2006 03:26:40 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-47379 [...] Subscribers will drive this program. It sounded somewhat like LAUNCHcast and Pandora. [...] […] Subscribers will drive this program. It sounded somewhat like LAUNCHcast and Pandora. […]

]]> By: TDavid http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-43053 TDavid Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:34:19 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-43053 Hi Mel, since I'm still paying for it, I try and listen to it <i>every day</i>. Listened to it all yesterday and my LC station is still playing primarily the music I like. It is possible that the loss of artists you cite are artists I don't like anyway, so I've not been noticeably impacted. My station is linked on the front page under my picture (as of this writing) and my preference is primarily 60s-80s rock and classic rock. In fact, through LC, I became motivated recently to buy a couple CDs I might not otherwise have bought. If it stops suggesting and playing music it thinks I might like (that I actually don't like) then I'll stop paying the 3 bones a month. Otherwise, it's a good way to sample the music without having to go with a full online subscription for $7 or more a month. I do this by marking any song with five stars that I want to hear again and sure enough if I listen long enough, LC will play that song again. And again. After a few listens I can decide whether to go out and buy the CD or buy it online. Glad to hear you like Pandora. I might switch to that if I start seeing LC suck like you have, but so far it's been good. I'm listening to it now and it just played one of my favorite Scorpions song. Hi Mel, since I’m still paying for it, I try and listen to it every day. Listened to it all yesterday and my LC station is still playing primarily the music I like. It is possible that the loss of artists you cite are artists I don’t like anyway, so I’ve not been noticeably impacted. My station is linked on the front page under my picture (as of this writing) and my preference is primarily 60s-80s rock and classic rock.

In fact, through LC, I became motivated recently to buy a couple CDs I might not otherwise have bought. If it stops suggesting and playing music it thinks I might like (that I actually don’t like) then I’ll stop paying the 3 bones a month. Otherwise, it’s a good way to sample the music without having to go with a full online subscription for $7 or more a month. I do this by marking any song with five stars that I want to hear again and sure enough if I listen long enough, LC will play that song again. And again. After a few listens I can decide whether to go out and buy the CD or buy it online.

Glad to hear you like Pandora. I might switch to that if I start seeing LC suck like you have, but so far it’s been good. I’m listening to it now and it just played one of my favorite Scorpions song.

]]> By: Mel Barasso http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-43037 Mel Barasso Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:42:37 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-43037 TDavid. I'm not sure if you've listened to Launchcast recently but it's been severely changed with the loss of tons of artists. Maybe it's just my music tastes that happen to have a majority of artists reduced but I can't imagine that's the case.The problem isn't so much that I hear stuff I don't like (although that does bother me), what really sucks is my playlist has been cut in half! It's probably even more than that and that makes the station almost unlistenable. I did try Pandora and although I did hear an artist repeated in the first hour, it sounded much better than my current Launcast station.I think I might be making the switch soon. Thanks for the tip. TDavid.
I’m not sure if you’ve listened to Launchcast recently but it’s been severely changed with the loss of tons of artists. Maybe it’s just my music tastes that happen to have a majority of artists reduced but I can’t imagine that’s the case.The problem isn’t so much that I hear stuff I don’t like (although that does bother me), what really sucks is my playlist has been cut in half! It’s probably even more than that and that makes the station almost unlistenable. I did try Pandora and although I did hear an artist repeated in the first hour, it sounded much better than my current Launcast station.I think I might be making the switch soon. Thanks for the tip.

]]> By: TDavid http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-42991 TDavid Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:05:34 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-42991 Mel - I was a Rhapsody subscriber for over a year, then tried Napster for awhile, then Y! Music. I get a few songs that I don't like, but I just skip past them with LC. Have you tried Pandora? http://www.pandora.com/ Mel - I was a Rhapsody subscriber for over a year, then tried Napster for awhile, then Y! Music. I get a few songs that I don’t like, but I just skip past them with LC. Have you tried Pandora? http://www.pandora.com/

]]> By: Mel Barasso http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-42990 Mel Barasso Sun, 11 Dec 2005 20:50:23 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-42990 Launchcast BLOWS! I have been a subscriber to Launchcast Plus for several years. I had rated alot of music and I had a station that sounded great ( at least for my tastes). Recently the sound of my station changed. I was hearing way too many artists repeat and alot of crap music that never should have been appearing on my station. When I asked Yahoo about it, they informed me that they were in negotiations with some record companies for the licensing of certain artists. The bottom line is their catalog has been cut almost in half and they never bothered to inform me. It's insane that they would eliminate that much product and think that no one would notice! I once praised Launchcast but they continue to be unresponsive and disrespectful to their paying subscribers. I will longer recommend them until they shape up. Try Rhapsody instead. Launchcast BLOWS!
I have been a subscriber to Launchcast Plus for several years. I had rated alot of music and I had a station that sounded great ( at least for my tastes). Recently the sound of my station changed. I was hearing way too many artists repeat and alot of crap music that never should have been appearing on my station. When I asked Yahoo about it, they informed me that they were in negotiations with some record companies for the licensing of certain artists. The bottom line is their catalog has been cut almost in half and they never bothered to inform me. It’s insane that they would eliminate that much product and think that no one would notice!
I once praised Launchcast but they continue to be unresponsive and disrespectful to their paying subscribers.
I will longer recommend them until they shape up. Try Rhapsody instead.

]]> By: Make You Go Hmm: » Checking out Shoposphere http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-39476 Make You Go Hmm: » Checking out Shoposphere Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:26:27 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-39476 [...] Pick List The object is to search around and save products to a list. You can create your own list or use one of the pre-defined lists: My Wish List and Stuff I Own. I added a few CDs [see my Yahoo Shopping Wish List] I’ve been enjoying listening to tracks on LAUNCHcast [Hmm review]. CDs I’d like to own. One of which we already ordered through Amazon that wasn’t available in any retail stores (a Quiet Riot CD from 2001). [...] […] Pick List The object is to search around and save products to a list. You can create your own list or use one of the pre-defined lists: My Wish List and Stuff I Own. I added a few CDs [see my Yahoo Shopping Wish List] I’ve been enjoying listening to tracks on LAUNCHcast [Hmm review]. CDs I’d like to own. One of which we already ordered through Amazon that wasn’t available in any retail stores (a Quiet Riot CD from 2001). […]

]]> By: Make You Go Hmm: » Free ad-supported version of Pandora available http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-39123 Make You Go Hmm: » Free ad-supported version of Pandora available Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:51:48 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-39123 [...] Similar to Yahoo LAUNCHcast’s learning and selection engine, I missed the first wave checking out 10 free hours of Pandora when it was in beta. Then they left beta and started charging and most of their buzz dissipated. Funny, how charging for something can kill momentum, isn’t it? [...] […] Similar to Yahoo LAUNCHcast’s learning and selection engine, I missed the first wave checking out 10 free hours of Pandora when it was in beta. Then they left beta and started charging and most of their buzz dissipated. Funny, how charging for something can kill momentum, isn’t it? […]

]]> By: Matt Wardlaw http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-35536 Matt Wardlaw Tue, 01 Nov 2005 14:17:58 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-35536 Halloween fun show online now - yeah yeah, it's the day after, but still just as much fun! http://www.themetalshow.com/blog/?p=189 Halloween fun show online now - yeah yeah, it’s the day after, but still just as much fun!

http://www.themetalshow.com/blog/?p=189

]]> By: TDavid http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-35094 TDavid Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:40:19 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20051031/2557/#comment-35094 Awesome, post back here or trackback when you get that haunting up, Matt! :) Awesome, post back here or trackback when you get that haunting up, Matt! :)

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