This should be an excellent experiment.
I personally go back and forth on whether or not the music discovery service Pandora actually accomplishes its' goal of introducing users to great new music. In case you're not familiar, Pandora has music analysts working with the Music Genome Project listen to tracks (they have over a half million in their directly) to qualify musical details such as tempo, instrumentation and vocal style. Users identify songs or artists that they love in order to create 'radio stations' that combine the music you already know with lesser known music of similar style, with the assumption that you will like some or all of the new music.
But does it work? Yes and no.
It really depends on exactly what music is to you. My theory is that if your musical tastes are closely tied to a particular genre or genres-- for example, if you're a metal head-- Pandora could work for you. If music is more about a mood or an experience, this may be for you. If you still purchase full albums and listen to them from beginning to end, it may be for you.
Pandora may not be for you (or your fans) if your musical tastes are more closely tied to an individual story or situation; the 'soundtrack to your life' model, as I like to call it. If you associate the music and lyrics of your favorite songs with a certain time and place in your life. If you know every word of the song and you're positive that the artist is singing about you and your ex-boyfriend, you fall into this category. If you just purchased 5 new songs on Itunes but could care less about the associated artist or full album. Since Pandora doesn't analyze lyrics, you're out of luck.
Music listening is a complex, aesthetic interaction with a piece of art and it's hard for me to believe that even an advanced and thoughtful system will accurately predict the music that I will love. In fairness, however, I have been listening to 'Fall Out Boy Radio' on Pandora for the past hour and given just about every song in queue a thumbs up. I guess I can see both sides of it.
I am working with an independent artist and will be submitting her album to Pandora shortly. I would encourage all independent artists to do the same, but check to make sure they don't have your music in their catalog already. They require you to send a CD and your CD must be for sale on Amazon, as this is where they pull the artwork. You can read full instructions on submitting your music here. Not all music is accepted, but if it is you should see it live in 6-10 weeks. Wish me luck!
