Do I Work for Pandora?

Ok. Last post about Pandora, I promise.
As useful as the service may seem for finding new music, the trade-offs should be highlighted, especially as the site gains interest from companies looking to profit from it. Just recently, links to both Amazon and iTunes have appeared on the interface of the Pandora player. These links may be harmless for now (if you want to buy the song, then surf to somewhere it is sold), but it is worth considering where this service could lead, as I'm sure other companies will be knocking on Pandora's box soon enough.

While I generally enjoy cookies of the Oreo or Fudge-o variety, cookie-driven programs such as Pandora have strings attached to their deliciousness. Through cookies and other tracking software, Pandora serves up such tasty recommendations because it is tracking exactly what you have said you enjoyed or didn't. Their database is filled with hundreds of thousands of songs but each time you add a parameter, it provides Pandora with another clue as to your listening habits. The more clues you give them, the better (as in more accurate) a listening experience it will be for you. However, you have also voluntarily provided the service with valuable information about consumer preferences (i.e. users who liked this, also liked this). If Pandora's plans for that data is simply to refine the service's musical offerings, fine. But think of how valuable that information would be for any of the major music companies, and many other consumer goods companies.

Data such as this could provide interested parties with new ideas for how to market their artists/products and new ways to extract greater profits from their consumers. As of yet, I can't find anywhere in Pandora's privacy policy that indicates they make this information available to third parties. But, as the site's popularity increases, other companies will be looking to access/purchase this information from Pandora. The question that arises is whether the trade-off is an equal one. Companies get information, Pandora gets dollars, consumers get free music. Win Win Win? The answer will likely differ depending on who you ask. Either way, all should be aware of who's getting what and who's "working" for who.

It's hard to deny the excitement that surrounds many of these new online digitized services, but increased digitization also means increased data tracking abilities for corporations. Individual consumers shouldn't necessarily be incensed at this kind of data collection, but they should at least be informed about it.