The new payola?
Performers get paid a small royalty each time one of their songs is played on Internet radio, at a rate set by a Royalty Court at the Library of Congress. But Internet radio and labels can strike individual deals, as Pandora did with Merlin. The Internet service will recommend Merlin artists over those not affiliated with the consortium in exchange for paying Merlin’s musicians a lower royalty rate.
Merlin artists get more spins, and Pandora winds up paying less in royalties than it would if were giving those same spins to non-Merlin artists. Plus, consortium labels will get to suggest favorite tracks.
READ OR LISTEN TO THE FULL STORY AT NPR:
http://www.npr.org/2014/11/26/366339553/pandoras-new-deal-different-pay-different-play
The Trichordist 
Since Pandora uses the term “genome”, isn’t this some sort of genetic mutation? What Pandora thinks I want to listen to from their entire catalog based upon my selection of an artist has been manipulated into what Merlin artists Pandora thinks I want to listen to, Not the same thing and not what listeners expect.
And we think the Wall street bastards and insurance companies are sleazy. Same old same old greed greed greed.