On: Ask YC: What are you working on these days?

[maryrosecook]

http://theperceptron.com - astute music recommendations

And a site where you create your audio autobiography by uploading mp3s. Hello, RIAA.

[truebosko → maryrosecook]

Not bad, got some good recommendations. The UI needs a lot of work but I'm sure you're working on that ;)

What do you use to fetch your library of artists/etc? Or is it selt built?

[maryrosecook → truebosko]

Excellent! Glad to hear the recommendations are good.

I find links between artists and recommend based upon that. These links include: being recommended by a human, being on the same record label, being mutual admirers, playing gigs together, being posted to the same mp3 blog, being on the same mixtapes and so on.

I wrote a post on my blog that gives a comprehensive account of how the recommendation system works: http://www.maryrosecook.com/post/show/130

And, yes, I know the UI is horrible.

[hhm → maryrosecook]

Great site, thank you. It will be useful for me (I know nothing about music, so my musical variety is very limited... a good recommendation engine that goes out of the typical genres is like gold for me).

[maryrosecook → hhm]

Fantastic. Do let me know how you get on with the site.

[lliiffee → maryrosecook]

I got: Radiohead -> The Beach Boys

You should remove that my any means necessary.

I think the UI is pretty nice, actually. Very functional, feels like a "tool". Don't lose that when you make it more fancy.

[jfornear → lliiffee]

I would disagree, Pet Sounds is one of the greatest, earliest experimental pop albums ever.

[maryrosecook → lliiffee]

The "tool" feel was exactly what I was going for. Kind of the Google of music recommendations.

However, I am desperately in need of someone who can work with me to make things both more functional and more attractive.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

[JMiao → maryrosecook]

typed in "frank sinatra" and got, among others: queen, bob dylan, and coldplay. one issue with music recommendation is how people (subjective creatures!) usually demonstrate low-tolerance for "bad" recommendations.

nevertheless, i love your vibe.

[maryrosecook → JMiao]

Yep, that is a stinker.

I'm trying to skew the site towards unusualness and away from genres. Thus, the ways I link artists can produce some weirdness like the above. However, users can give feedback to help reduce the insanity quotient.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

[JMiao → maryrosecook]

i'm with you on genres -- they're an anachronism invented by the record and retail companies back when music something you put on a shelf, but most ppl still seem to adhere vehemently to genre preferences.