My addiction with Last.FM

A few years ago I was heavily into Battlefield 1942, a first person shooter for the PC. As I played more and became much more competitive, I joined the High Plains Strike Force gaming clan. The clan had a forum for everyone to make use of. In the general section I came across a link to a social music service posted by one of the members.

The name of the site was Last.FM and it was geared towards streaming music while tracking your history. I started off using the service to pump music to my stereo so that I would have something commercial free to listen to while playing pool. Over time I found myself using it more and more.

Some time later I landed a desk job which gave me access to unrestricted internet. Not having much interest in the local radio station, I opted to use my Last.FM account to set the mood of my day. Using the service for roughly nine hours per day, I really got to see what it had to offer.

When I started using Last.FM for hours throughout the day, I decided to sign up for $3.00 per month and take advantage of the bonus features offered. Being able to browse other peoples loved tracks and libraries made for a wide mixture of content that held my attention. On the days when i just hit play, I quickly found that there was alot of repetition, even with over one-hundred artists programmed into my stream.

Even with the repetitiveness at times, it was much better than hearing the same twenty-five song played over the radio all day long. The lack of commercial interruptions made for an even more enjoyable listening experience.

Since signing up for the service back in 2006, I have racked up a startling 95,300+ streamed tracks. Over the years Last.FM has had its hiccups, but I’ve been happy with it and continue to use it on a regular basis. After purchasing my iPod Touch, I was pleasantly surprised to find a mobile client available.

If you haven’t tried Last.FM yet, I’d recommend giving it a try. The free service gives you access to lots of features that are sure to keep you entertained.