Popular Science: “…Why online radio is the answer to an algorithmic rut – Algorithmic playlists aren’t all bad—we’ve talked about finding the best Spotify playlists, for example, and the results can be great. But there’s something about a good radio station that even the best automated playlist can’t give you. A few things stand out:

• Discovering music algorithms won’t show you. This is the key point for me. Radio stations play stuff I wouldn’t choose, and that Spotify wouldn’t choose for me. It’s refreshing.
• The little human touches. The best DJs talk between segments, introducing an artist and giving you background. They’ll also just talk about… whatever. I work from home, alone, and it’s nice when a little bit of spontaneous conversation breaks up a killer playlist.
• A better connection to your local community. If you find a local radio station you’ll learn about up-and-coming artists in your area and possibly hear them talk about their music. You’ll also hear about upcoming concerts.
• Learning more about other places. I’ve taken road trips abroad multiple times, and a small pleasure is scanning the local radio stations. I learned about The Great British Bake Off because rock DJs on three different stations were talking about cakes while I was driving from Liverpool to Glasgow—I was confused at the time, but I wouldn’t trade this memory for the world. Listening to radio stations from other places can bring this small part of travel to your life, even when you’re sitting at home…”