Pandora 2012 Annual Report Download - page 17

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Table of Contents
Our Technologies
Music Genome Project
The Music Genome Project is the foundation of our personalized playlist generating system and has been built by our music analysts to select songs
tailored to an individual's music tastes. The Music Genome Project database was developed one song at a time, by evaluating and cataloging each song's
particular attributes. Our music catalog currently consists of over 900,000 uniquely analyzed songs from over 90,000 artists, spanning over 350 genres and
sub-genres ranging from classical, jazz, rock, pop, and hip hop to post punk, Celtic and flamenco. Our musical catalog includes both well-known and little-
known music and incorporates listener suggestions and independent submissions. Music is assessed on the basis of value to our catalog and we do not accept
money or any form of consideration from artists or their representatives for inclusion in the Music Genome Project.
Once we select music to become part of our catalog, our music analysts genotype it by examining up to 450 attributes including objectively observable
metrics such as tone and tempo, as well as subjective characteristics, such as lyrics, vocal texture, and emotional intensity. We employ rigorous hiring and
training standards for selecting our music analysts, who typically have four-year degrees in music theory, composition or performance, and we provide them
with intensive training in the Music Genome Project's precise methodology.
Comedy Genome Project
Our Comedy Genome Project leverages similar technology to the technology underlying the Music Genome Project, allowing a listener to choose a
favorite comedian or a genre as a seed to start a station and then give feedback to personalize that station. Our comedy collection includes content from more
than 1,000 comedians with more than 15,000 tracks.
Our Other Core Innovations
In addition to the Music Genome Project, we have developed other proprietary technologies to improve delivery of the Pandora service, enhance the
listener experience and expand our reach. Our other core innovations include:
Playlist Generating Algorithms. We have developed complex algorithms that determine which songs play and in what order on each personalized
station. Developed since 2004, these algorithms combine the Music Genome Project with the individual and collective feedback we receive from our listeners
in order to deliver a personalized listening experience.
Pandora User Experience. We have invested in ways to enable our listeners to play music they love as quickly as possible. To this end, we have
developed a number of innovative approaches, including our autocomplete station creation feature, which predicts and generates a list of the most likely
musical starting points as a listener begins to enter a favorite station, song or artist.
Pandora Streaming Network. We have developed our own infrastructure for streaming music content to a diverse network of devices and destinations.
Our streaming network is hosted from Pandora owned and operated infrastructure in data centers across the country. This network has allowed us to deliver a
high quality streaming experience to a broad collection of devices at significant cost savings relative to outsourced third-party solutions.
Pandora Mobile Streaming. We have designed a sophisticated system for streaming music content to mobile devices. This system involves a
combination of music coding programs that are optimized for mobile devices as well as algorithms designed to address the intricacies of reliable delivery over
diverse mobile network technologies. For example, these algorithms are designed to maintain a continuous stream to a listener even in circumstances where
the mobile data network may be unreliable.
Automotive Protocol. We have developed an automotive protocol to facilitate increased availability of the Pandora service in automobiles. Through the
automotive protocol, automobile manufacturers, their suppliers and makers of aftermarket audio systems can easily connect dash-mounted interface elements
to the Pandora app running on a smartphone. This allows us to deliver the Pandora service to listeners via their existing smartphone, while leveraging the
automobile itself for application command, display and control functionalities.
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