We are quickly nearing the end of 2008 and what else would make this occasion better than some countdowns? Internet radio is something I use on a daily basis and of course, I have my favorites. Here is my list of the top 5 internet radio websites.
5. Slacker
Slacker works by starting the listener out with a radio station then the listener can decide if they like the music being played or not. You can ban songs from being played on a station or favorite them so those songs and other similar songs play more often. Slacker is completely customizable.
4. iTunes
iTunes has a variety of radio streams, most of which are created by actual radio stations. If you already have iTunes installed on your computer then just click on Radio section in the left sidebar. That will take you to a list of streaming radio stations sorted by genre. You can choose which one you want to stream and iTunes will do the rest. What makes iTunes so special? The fact that you can listen to real radio stations some which may actually be in your hometown.
3. Last.fm
Last.fm is like MySpace for music lovers. You can make an entire social profile as well as your own radio station to share with others. Last.fm keeps streaming RSS feeds of your most listened to tracks, recently played and top songs/artists every week. I love this feature because I can see who is getting spoiled and which bands and songs need a little more attention and play time.
2. Yahoo
Yahoo was one of the first radio websites I started listening to. You can create and customize a radio station to your specific tastes. Just tell Yahoo if you like a song and how much it will then play similar music. One of my favorite features of Yahoo radio is the video section. In case listening to radio just isn’t enough and you need visual aids you can do the same thing with Yahoo Videos.
1. Pandora
Pandora is by far my favorite internet radio website. The list of awesome features is far too long to actually write but here is a quick rundown. It is great if you want to hear new music. Pandora is always playing something that I’ve never heard before and I’m usually surprised. You can thumb up good songs and thumb down the bad one so they are never played again. Pandora will adjust settings and songs accordingly. Another great feature of this website is the lack of advertisements. With other internet radio websites you are likely to get advertisements played every half an hour. With Pandora, I’ve never actually heard an advertisement. They occasionally change the ads shown on the actual website but that is much less bothersome then interrupting my music streaming. Pandora is definitely my pick for best internet radio streaming website.
