I'm Not a DeeJay, I Just Play One Online

As someone who does the brunt of her music listening online, I'm always looking for new sources of streaming music. Stalwarts Last.fm  and Pandora are good places to start, don't require an invite, don't necessarily require downloading additional software (though in Last.fm's case, you will need to download their client if you plan on scrobbling music from your hard drive), and are generally stable, reliable services. But what about newcomers like the much blogged-about Turntable.fm and the new-to-the-US Spotify ? The latter, like Last.fm, requires downloading and comes in a paid, commercial-free version  and a premium versions with unlimited streaming. (You can also use the service for free.)

Turntable.fm, the newest, and currently most gushed-over, online radio service literally lets you be a deejay. The Frisky breaks it down:

So, how does it work? When you log in to the site, you have a choice of either entering an existing "room" or creating a "room" yourself. Each room can have a max of five DJs playing music that fits with the room's theme at one time, but even if you're not DJing, you can sit and listen. If you do want to DJ, you upload songs into the queue and when it's your turn, your top song will play. Users can then vote if the song choice is Awesome or Lame—for each "Awesome" vote, the DJ gets a point which can then be put towards other site privileges, like fancy avatars. I haven't had the balls to play DJ yet—users can chat online while the songs play and sometimes their assessment of a DJ's picks can be harsh—but I have been hanging out in various "rooms" all weekend, listening to a mix of songs that I either haven't heard in awhile or wasn't privy to before.

The downside is you do need an invite, or a Facebook friend already on Turntable.fm. Generally, I'm not a fan of exclusive, invite-only services, but it's getting rave reviews and looks like a ton of fun. Being able to chat with other music fans is a plus, too.