These options are available for cellular, Wi-Fi, and offline streaming. For easy reference, please refer to the table below:. Pandora Plus users can download up to three most-listened-to stations for offline listening, while Premium users can download as much content as they want. What Pandora Free and Pandora Plus offer is basically an upgraded radio experience. It could also be a good option for those who are on a budget but still want an affordable streaming platform that allows them to listen to their favorite music and discover new songs.
Based on the subscription offerings alone, Pandora Premium may be a little lacking for some people in comparison to its rivals.
Many other platforms offer additional perks to sweeten the deal, whereas Pandora is pretty much a no-frills streaming app. For some, that may be perfectly fine as it is. Pandora Premium offers 3 levels of audio quality , whereas competitors like Youtube Music and Spotify offer 4 and 5 levels, respectively.
At its highest audio setting, Pandora Premium streams music at kbps. This value essentially determines how good your audio quality will sound. The higher the value is, the closer it is to the original recording. However, internet speed is also a factor in this.
Youtube Music and Apple Music, for example, stream at kbps. And Spotify streams at a maximum of kbps. Some streaming services, such as Tidal and Amazon Music, even provide CD-quality audio ranging from to kbps. Some say it amounts to about 30MB an hour , and other sources say it can be as much as 90MB per hour.
Despite that, there is an impossible-to-ignore lag when transitioning from song to song. Even with decent internet speeds of 95 Mbps, each song buffers for at least 3 seconds before playing, especially on the web player and desktop app.
Buffering is slightly better on the mobile app, but still noticeable. Needless to say, if you have a slower connection, you may experience longer interruptions. Both tracks have a very nice dynamic range that I thought would be telling of the quality of sound reproduction. Whereas on Spotify, I felt that I was getting better depth and clarity. But mind you, this was mostly the result of some intense and focused listening. These details may go unnoticed to the busy casual listener. All in all, Pandora Premium should be good enough for casual listeners, and those who just want a bit of background music to liven up the monotony of work, errands, or chores.
On the other hand, those with more discerning ears and who want better audio quality might prefer Spotify or even the hi-fi lossless quality offered by Tidal and Amazon Music HD. The team behind Pandora has purposefully not disclosed exactly how many songs it currently has in its library. A few estimates are circulating the internet, many of which are well into the millions, but none of these estimates are recent or definitive.
That said, Pandora Premium has a pretty respectable music collection. This is mostly due to licensing deals the streaming app has with Sony , UMG , and Warner Music , which ensure an extensive collection of mainstream hits.
In addition to licensing agreements with mainstream labels, Pandora has also inked a deal with Merlin , an independent music licensing company that handles over 20, independent labels and distributors from 63 countries. Thanks to this, you can expect a similarly comprehensive Indie music offering from Pandora. The category includes 57 different stations that focus on the different Indie sub-genres.
Pandora is cited as one of the top podcast platforms in the US, next to Spotify. As many as 25 different categories can be found in the Browse section that covers pretty much everything under the sun — from art to the unexplained. In addition to music and podcasts, listeners can also enjoy ambient non-music tracks, spoken word tracks, and live sessions taken from Pandora Live. Pandora specializes in podcasts and talk radio programming, which is great for those who enjoy a passive listening experience.
Video content, similar to what Apple Music and Youtube Music have going on, is also not available on the platform. A pressing issue that Pandora has been faced with over the years is on the subject of royalties. While this has little effect on the amount of music content you can get on the app, it does illustrate what kind of trade-offs artists are faced with when it comes to reaching a wider audience. As such, this information may be of value to those who prefer supporting streaming platforms that compensate artists better.
It looks simple at first glance, but the way some of the functions and controls are laid out makes navigating the app feel complicated once you start using it. This is especially true for the mobile app where certain functions are repeated throughout the interface. For example, on the main screen you have a pseudo navigation bar at the top, which contains My Collection , Browse , and the Search icon.
However, you also have a sidebar you can access by pressing the three lines in the upper left corner. This houses your Profile and Settings , and again, My Collection. On other apps, you can search for a song, tap on it, and it brings up the Now Playin g screen. And from there you can like, save, download, and add the song to your playlists. When you tap on More , it essentially repeats those exact functions, with the addition of a couple of new ones. Pandora Premium has recognized that explicit music isn't for everyone.
Because of this, it allows you to remove this content from Pandora Premium radio stations and search. Just toggle "Allow explicit content" to the Off position under your account settings.
The first is exclusive albums and content. That's not a focus for us. I don't really think that's a winning strategy for anybody -- either services or the artist or labels. Second is the unique Autoplay feature that made Rdio great. With Autoplay, you could keep the music playing by auto-starting a station based on what was recently played. That way, the music would never end unless and until you hit Pause. Luckily, Autoplay is scheduled to arrive in a future Pandora Premium update.
I'm pleasantly surprised by Pandora Premium and plan on continuing to use it through my free day trial. It offers a refreshing new way to listen to music legally. It provides a familiar setup with lots of new goodies. Subscribers to other premium services should also take Pandora's new service out for a test drive.
It might not provide the perfect fit, but, depending on your preferences, it could still be worth your time and consideration. Pandora Premium is being rolled out gradually.
To grab yourself an invite, be sure to visit the official Pandora Premium website. Existing Pandora Plus users will be offered six months of Pandora Premium for free. Non-Pandora Plus users will receive a two-month free trial.
Are you planning on trying Pandora Premium? Please let us know in the comments below. Here are the most amazing apps for Android that will change how you use and interact with your device on a daily basis. Bryan Wolfe loves new technology. His focus is on Apple and Windows-based products, as well as smart home gadgets.
Or test driving new cars. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
It often indicates a user profile. Log out. Smart Home. Social Media.
0コメント