Readers of Fiscal Zen probably know by now that I am a fan of Pandora. By using a system that analyzes the various components of a song (melody, rhythm, vocals, etc.), Pandora is able to automatically pick out songs that you may enjoy listening to, based upon your preferences.
Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a collection of MP3s that I’ve ripped from my CD collection. And while I’ve used iTunes, Windows Media Player and others like WinAmp, they have always struck me as fairly basic and uninspired.
Last week, I downloaded iTunes 8 and have been playing with the new “Genius” feature. Similar to the suggestion functionality available with Pandora, the Genius feature will automatically build a play-list from your existing music collection. It does not appear to be as robust as Pandora, but seems to work well in its initial incarnation. The biggest problem I have encountered is that it has issues with more obscure music. That being said, I have been happy with the results so far, as it has allowed me to rediscover music that is already in my collection.
If you have the opportunity, check it out.
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