As we reported in October (here), Nokia's new Windows Phone 7 devices will include MixRadio -- a Pandora-like streaming radio service.
Now Nokia has announced the service will be powered by The Echo Nest (the same service that fuels iHeartRadio). The Echo Nest will provide "music intelligence" about which songs are similar to each other.
But unlike other streaming services, MixRadio will be able to scan the phone's hard drive to see what music the user has. That step will "constantly improve the listening experience over time," writes Billboard.
The MixRadio library contains about 15 million songs, Nokia says. MixRadio will also include around 100 stations programmed by "music experts," Billboard writes.
Billboard comments (here) that MixRadio shows "anyone can do personalized radio...Pandora may have built its personalized radio service on its proprietary Music Genome Project, but falling barriers to entry mean the company is going to have plenty of competitors. (Whether or not those competitors can create an equally satisfying experience is another matter, however.)"
Nokia's Windows Phone 7 devices -- which include the pictured flagship Lumia 800 -- will launch in the U.S. next year.
You can find more coverage from the Echo Nest's blog here and from Engadget here.
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