Pandora is now serving ads in its stream. I haven’t heard them yet, even though I did listen to a good bit of music on Pandora today.
For what it’s worth, TechCrunch says the ads are “not that bad.” Audiophiles and anti-commercial activists may have other views.
If they choose, listeners can always sign up for the service’s $36/year premium membership and miss out on all the pitches.
Blip.fm is running ads too. Annoying is the cost of free I guess.
I’ve heard the Pandora ads. So far, just one for the American Idol premiere. They’re not bad, last 10-15 seconds and aren’t intrusive. I don’t think you’ll see a big stink about it. Their users know they have to make a buck somehow.
Now, if we start getting 2-3 minutes blocks of commercials, that’s a different story all together.