I am spoiled forever in no thanks to XM Satellite Radio. For those of you without one, you have no idea what you are missing. In short, you never have to guess who the artist is, and you never miss your favorite song when it comes on. I realized this little gem when I borrowed my parents car to return my tuxedo at the mall and tried to look at the stereo to see who the artist was on one of the local, and sadly pathetic FM stations.
I am not going to sway someone's choice of satellite radio or FM based radio frequencies, but there is strangely a new competitor to the FM, Satellite radio market that is going to be a tough act to follow, let alone catch up with. Last.FM is an internet based (and loosely labeled) radio station that customizes the music to your liking. I say loosely labeled because its a form of music swapping they claim is legal. RIAA and Metallica aren't going after them yet, so I am taking it they are telling the truth.
Similar to XM & Sirius channels, Last.FM features channels of music with themes, heavy rock, progressive, and some channels that are geared more towards playing all of your favorite songs. XM & Sirius cannot match that, but admittedly can offer more music on the go. Last.FM is internet based, so unless you have wiFI enabled laptops at hotspots around town or in the car with you, you cannot take it everywhere you go.
It doesn't mean XM & Sirius don't have their limitations. Freeway interchanges, downtown & high-rise buildings and also parking garages cause the satellite signals to drop. Cross country the signal is strong and weather has no effect on the signal. Driving home from Corpus Christi in March of this year, I drove thru a thunderstorm that flooded Houston & left me on the side of the road to wait out the storm. I had the XM radio on the entire time and had no loss of signal, the signal bars all read full strength.
I also think about how FM radio has deteriorated in the past decade. Corporations moved in and sucked the fun out of the joys and wonders of working in, and listening to radio. Companies like Clearchannel walked into the radio industry, bought up the most profitable and most appealing radio stations, learned little from them & created a stale and cookie-cutter approach to music radio. Subsequently, they have become the laughing stock of the industry and the model of board-meeting influenced radio. I personally love my job, I love my co-workers, but I miss the realism of radio. Radio that only had to worry about the FCC and not a regional Vice Manager of Pencils for the Southwest quadrant of the Klingon galaxy.
Recent breaks in technology, however, are showing us worlds of new music once thought to be lost & forgotten due to the frailty and deterioration of the media. Such so we will be utilizing the more sensible ways of music gathering, radio to hear these rare pieces of music. I cannot see Last.FM surviving in this market of iTunes & Napster, XM & Sirius. I can almost see Last.FM being incorporated into Napster or Music Match or even Real Player as a bonus feature.
Technology can be cruel at times. It can also be revolutionary. Whatever the outcome, its always a good thing.
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