Pandora
A US music service known for personalised radio stations built on the Music Genome Project.
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About Pandora
Pandora is one of the oldest music streaming services in the US and pioneered personalised internet radio. You start a station from a song or artist and it plays similar music, guided by the Music Genome Project, which describes songs by hundreds of musical traits, combined with your thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback. The free tier is radio-style with ads and limited skips, Pandora Plus adds ad-free radio and unlimited skips, and Pandora Premium adds on-demand playback, playlists and downloads. Owned by SiriusXM since 2019, it is integrated with many cars and smart speakers in the US. The big limitation is availability: Pandora only operates in the United States, so it isn't an option elsewhere and doesn't work when travelling abroad. Its on-demand features also arrived late and feel secondary to the radio experience, and audio quality tops out below lossless rivals. It runs on the web, iOS and Android and on many US cars and connected devices.
Best for: US listeners who prefer lean-back personalised radio stations.
Pros and cons
What works
- Excellent personalised radio stations
- Free ad-supported tier
- Widely built into US cars and speakers
Why people leave
- Only available in the United States
- On-demand features feel secondary
- No lossless audio
Top Pandora alternatives
See all 5- 1
Spotify66.5Radio-style mixes plus full on-demand access, available worldwide.
- 2
iHeartRadio62.6Free live radio stations and artist radio with podcasts.
- 3
SiriusXM59.6Same owner, with curated live channels, talk and sports.
- 4
Deezer57.2Flow offers an endless personalised mix similar to a Pandora station.
- 5
TuneIn55.3Free internet radio from around the world.
Why people left Pandora
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Pandora: common questions
Is Pandora free?
Pandora has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Pandora open source?
No, Pandora is not open source.
What platforms does Pandora run on?
Pandora is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Pandora?
The highest-ranked Pandora alternatives right now are Spotify, iHeartRadio and SiriusXM. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.