Music On The Go
Posted: January 29, 2013
Double Click
Every so often, I receive questions about listening to music online: On listening with a computer or a phone, free or paid music, rock or classical, etc.
There are many options for streaming music, so you can listen to your favorite group or genre of music. Some of the popular sites are Slacker Radio (slacker.com), Spotify (spotify.com), Maestro (maestro.fm), Last.fm and my favorite, Pandora (pandora.com).
Visit each site to see the differences; some are more social, meaning that they have designs that allow you to more easily share music and/or playlists with others.
Though each one offers free streaming, there are also paid versions with more options and features. The sites are also compatible with smartphones and tablets.
I have had a free Pandora account for several years. You add a few favorite songs or artists, which you then rate and Pandora finds similar music. Grade the songs it selects with thumbs up or down: Thumbs up will allow the song to play more often, while a down vote will remove the song from the account.
Next, you can then create stations from your music choices.
Though Pandora is my personal favorite, the others are good as well. Try out a few and see which you like best. You may discover new artists and purchase songs, if you wish.
Now, the question comes up: How can I store my music online if I already own MP3s?
If you already have music you enjoy, how can you listen to it online without your MP3 player?
The answer, once again, is Google. Google Play offers Google Play Music (music.google.com), which helps bring your iTunes library or any music to your Android devices. There are also applications that make Google Play Music compatible with iPhones, too.
After installing it on the computer holding music files and specifying the location, the program will upload the files to the side over time.
I had 2,500 songs in my library; it took over a day to upload it all. Since the cap is 20,000 for free uploads, it could take much longer.
Once you have uploaded your music, it is instantly available at music.google.com on the web and your Android phone or tablet.
There are many options. Pick more than one to enjoy whenever or check out new music, since most of these sides host “unpublished” musicians.
You may help discover the next new thing.
There are many options for streaming music, so you can listen to your favorite group or genre of music. Some of the popular sites are Slacker Radio (slacker.com), Spotify (spotify.com), Maestro (maestro.fm), Last.fm and my favorite, Pandora (pandora.com).
Visit each site to see the differences; some are more social, meaning that they have designs that allow you to more easily share music and/or playlists with others.
Though each one offers free streaming, there are also paid versions with more options and features. The sites are also compatible with smartphones and tablets.
I have had a free Pandora account for several years. You add a few favorite songs or artists, which you then rate and Pandora finds similar music. Grade the songs it selects with thumbs up or down: Thumbs up will allow the song to play more often, while a down vote will remove the song from the account.
Next, you can then create stations from your music choices.
Though Pandora is my personal favorite, the others are good as well. Try out a few and see which you like best. You may discover new artists and purchase songs, if you wish.
Now, the question comes up: How can I store my music online if I already own MP3s?
If you already have music you enjoy, how can you listen to it online without your MP3 player?
The answer, once again, is Google. Google Play offers Google Play Music (music.google.com), which helps bring your iTunes library or any music to your Android devices. There are also applications that make Google Play Music compatible with iPhones, too.
After installing it on the computer holding music files and specifying the location, the program will upload the files to the side over time.
I had 2,500 songs in my library; it took over a day to upload it all. Since the cap is 20,000 for free uploads, it could take much longer.
Once you have uploaded your music, it is instantly available at music.google.com on the web and your Android phone or tablet.
There are many options. Pick more than one to enjoy whenever or check out new music, since most of these sides host “unpublished” musicians.
You may help discover the next new thing.
Contact Ron Doyle at ron@doubleclicks.info