Pandora's New Station: Social Media

0 Comment(s) | Posted Oct 28, 2009 by Pat Morrell

Patrick Morrell

The music genome project has evolved again.  TechCrunch reported this morning that Pandora has incorporated social media-based music-sharing capability directly into its user toolbar.  Pandora is ready to make a splash in the social Web, as it's utilizing social features such as the Twitter API, Facebook Connect, a simple email share, and a more unique “gift” function.

“It’s sort of our version of making a mix tape for someone,” Pandora CTO Tom Conrad

I gave it a whirl this morning, and was impressed with its seamlessness.  In posting to Twitter and Facebook, I was able to link to specific songs and entire channels and draft personalized messages to accompany the links.  The Facebook feature also allows for a 30-second teaser of the chosen song/channel to run within your feed or profile page. 

Sharing via email – as MG Siegler deemed it, a very “1994” thing to do – is nonetheless equally simple and perfect for those Baby Boomers not quite on the Twitter bandwagon just yet. 

But it’s the gifting feature that really sets this social endeavor apart.  Pandora lets listeners create a mix of songs and/or stations, package it in a stylized skin, and email it out to as many folks as they like.  The kicker is, Pandora is monetizing the process, as users “wrap” and “open” these gifts on sponsored pages (when I sent a gift to myself this morning (I think I deserved it…) my page was sponsored by the American Cancer Society (a worthwhile sponsor, indeed).

Listeners still have to contend with a few banner ads throughout the process, but it’s a small musical price to pay.  Overall, Pandora’s efforts here reflect a well-executed expansion into social media, and another fine case study for how to make that expansion a brand-building and profitable experience. 

Filed under: Emerging Media, Old World Changing