About mikemusick2

mikemusick2 · ‎06-13-2024

@AdamPandora wrote: @ardennes The next time this happens, please give the out of place track that plays a thumbs down and write us back with the following: ... This canned response to this issue - I received it possibly three times - is unreasonable and impractical. We are not all sitting around with notepad or open doc poised to capture the precise detail of the inappropriate selection. We have the Pandora station in the background, and are possibly, even likely, playing Pandora on a non-computing device like a Roku TV. And, I may mention, we are probably doing something else much more important at that moment. What I find especially annoying now, is that I have several “radios” of various soft ambient artists that, after a few weeks of use, are being melded into each other because of these thumbs crossovers. Artist preference goes out the window, and there is no simple way to reset the “radio” to start over. This thread has been active for five years, which means but one thing: Pandora’s management knows full-well that this is happening because they have authorized their AI system to function in this way. It’s unlikely to change, and if it does change, it’ll only happen when subscription non-renewals are measurably impacting the bottom line. Very frustrating. But that said, “It is what it is,” and I’m continuing to put up with it. The only viable competing option requires too much hand-holding to get an equivalent mix. I have other things to do. …mike Moderator Edit: Format

mikemusick2 · ‎04-03-2024

Now that you mention it, I noticed that problem with a couple of new stations I added recently - they're all blending together. If there were only a simple fix, like deleting a station and then adding it back to reset it... nah, obviously too much to ask. 🙄

mikemusick2 · ‎03-06-2024

This genre crossover problem is longstanding and getting very, very old: HOW DO WE MAKE IT STOP? We can assume at this late date that Pandora, as a policy, has no interest in fixing this problem, and, in fact, this "feature" has to be a key component of their business model. Lack of ability to "reset" a station is a clue, as well. I just re-upped our paid account mostly because my wife has problems with technology changes. But what is the alternative here? "The Other Service" isn't a solution - I find their UI hopelessly cluttered. But if I were one of those tech billionaires looking for someplace to drop coin on "the next big thing", it would be an ambient music service that actually respected its customers. 😠

mikemusick2 · ‎03-11-2023

This is still a big problem. I added a new-to-me station to my list a couple of days ago, and after the first "appropriate" selection played, there were at least six or seven subsequent selections that were clearly my thumbs from other stations of unrelated and inappropriate genre. I shouldn't have to sit at my computer or Roku with my finger on the keyboard/remote to decline song after song I do not want to play on the selected station, but that seems to be required given the way it's currently working. Paid subscriptions, IMO, should expect a certain amount of human-assisted curation, and that doesn't appear to factor in the algorithms at all. Pandora's AI seems to be all 'A' and very little 'I'. Fix it! Moderator Edit: Format

mikemusick2 · ‎08-21-2022

I have about a dozen stations in my list (on a paid account, not this one), and in the past month or so have noticed that selections I have "thumbsed-up" on one station are showing up on others. They are all within the same general genre - "Classical" in this case - but the other stations are of distinct sub-genres. I don't care for this. I have to run for the "thumbs-down" every time, say, a "Film Scores" selection, loud and bombastic in some cases, shows-up when I have the "Choral" station selected for the day's mellow listening. Is there a way to prevent this? When I "thumbs-up" I expect to hear more of that selection within the context of the station currently playing, not someplace else. Thanks.

mikemusick2 · ‎07-14-2022

To Pandora's evidently new classical music curator: My God, Thank You! I was very pleasantly surprised in surfing for new stations and discovering the new "20th Century Classical" station. Selections are wonderful, although I sometimes have to keep my thumb poised on the Roku remote to thumbs-down what I call "academic modern" - atonal noise that is not pleasant general listening. It's serious music, alright, but can drive you right out of the room with its dissonance. Philip Glass gets a thumbs-up, however. So does Stravinsky! Better yet, I was astounded by the "Romantic Era" station. It is everything the previous classical stations are not. Curation is wonderful and the very wide range of presentation is wonderful. I didn't ever think I was going to hear Berlioz, Bruckner, Mahler, Richard Strauss or any other of the late-19th and early 20th century composers on Pandora, but, my gosh, there they are. Wonderful. I very rarely have to reject selections. Some of the violin concertos are a bit tedious, and the operatic vocals aren't my cup of tea, but the rest? Wow. Till Eulenspiegel is on at this very minute, and is bringing a big smile to my face. And kudos for featuring female composers such as Ethel Smyth and Florence Price! This is underperformed repertoire, and many of their works are amazing in depth and scope. Any chance of a classical organ channel? Obviously it's not everybody's cup o' tea, but it is a serious genre covering all eras, and many works are breathtaking when performed on the many famous instruments. One suggestion FWIW: the older classical "relaxation" and "romance" stations could stand some attention. There is more to life with early classical than Italian Baroque. And if I heard the Pachelbel Kanon one more time I was going to throw up. It has its place, but not twenty-plus recordings of it, and without the Gigue? Really? <chuckle> Thanks again. ...mike

Re: Thumbs left on one station will play on others

Re: Thumbs left on one station will play on others

Re: Thumbs left on one station will play on others

Re: Thumbs left on one station will play on others

Frustrated by Sub-genre Crossovers

Thank you for the new classical stations!