Also today Pandora announced the launch of Pandora One. $36/year subscription based service with better quality audio, no ads and browserless playback option. http://mashable.com/2009/05/20/pandora-one/

Time to upgrade?

I’ve been listening for years and have over 3000 ratings. Most of the time when I need to interact it’s when Pandora asks me if I’m still listening. By now it pretty much never plays something I don’t like and often will play 20 songs in a row that I’ve thumbed up. And the songs it plays that I haven’t thumbed up I usually like but don’t necessarily want to thumb them up and get them into my rotation.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s so good that it doesn’t require me to interact with it but once every few hours.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/05/pandora-predicts-first-ever-profit-next-year/

Their overall ad model has some unique components. First they are able to offer very specific demographic targeting for those who want to run campaigns based upon the profile information you’ve entered when registering. Secondly, they can couple an audio ad with a visual ad for an even more powerful engagement. Additionally, they are able to serve up ads every time you take an action. Every time you thumb up, skip a song, read a band bio, or open a new station you may be served up a brand new visual ad. With each one of these interactions they know you are looking.

On average people engage with the site 6-7 times an hour. Think of all the Bose stereo systems, Nike sneakers, Sprint phone plans, Blu-ray Disc Players, and new Dave Matthew CDs you can be persuaded to buy during that time.

Has anyone else heard something like this on their stations?

It could have been that my I-Tunes cross-pollinated the feed. If not, I fear Pandora – which is brilliant, personal and otherwise awesome – may be, er, opening the commercial radio box :)