Last.fm versus Pandora.com
I’ve been going back and forth between last.fm and pandora.com over the last month or two and have reached a verdict on these two free internet radio stations.
Last.fm is superior at:
Initial station setup when creating account – basically a comma separated list of band names in one box. Very easy.
- Commenting the song you are listening too.
- Introducing you to possible friends and telling you how closely your musical preferences match
- Showing your most listened to songs and artist (and other users)
- Recommending other artists I might like
- Integrating with your devices (pc to mobile to website)
- Introducing you to a wider range of artists faster due to scrobbling
- More to look at, interact with and do on the site
- Promoting their paid users with the little black square
Pandora.com is superior at:
- Music on initial site load
- Playing the song quickly without buffering or queuing
- 99.99% never a “my station wont load” experience
- Providing a simplified user experience
- Providing entertaining ads and skins and stations based on advertisers
Despite a longer list for last.fm, I see pandora.com as the clear winner if what you care about is a reliable online radio player that’s usable, loads well and efficient.
I’m also more connected to my Pandora experience because of the thumbs up thumbs down option and the ability to change stations and get information easily within the Pandora interface. To me, as far as an internet radio player goes, Pandora.com is the best.
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