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Pandora Loses 7 Million Listeners (siliconvalley.com)
An anonymous reader quotes the Bay Area Newsgroup:
So many listeners have turned off Pandora that Friday could have been called the day the music died for the internet radio streaming pioneer. Late Thursday, Pandora said it ended its third quarter with 73.7 million active listeners, a decline of more than 7 million listeners from the 81 million it had in the same quarter a year ago. Declining listener numbers, along with weaker-than-expected advertising revenue and a disappointing fourth-quarter forecast, had investors tuning Pandora out on Friday, as the company's shares fell by almost 25 percent, to close at $5.59.
Pandora still has more listeners than Apple Music, which has 27 million paying subscribers. But the Oakland-based music streaming business trails its other major rival, Spotify, which has 140 million active listeners, including 60 million who pay a monthly fee for on-demand streaming and to avoid listening to commercials with their music.
For comparision, Pandora now has just 5.19 million paying subscribers for its two ad-free streaming music services.
Pandora still has more listeners than Apple Music, which has 27 million paying subscribers. But the Oakland-based music streaming business trails its other major rival, Spotify, which has 140 million active listeners, including 60 million who pay a monthly fee for on-demand streaming and to avoid listening to commercials with their music.
For comparision, Pandora now has just 5.19 million paying subscribers for its two ad-free streaming music services.
The ads and the nag screens got to be too much. I barely use it anymore.
I used Pandora, for a while. I quit, for the same reasons I stopped listening to the radio. Too many ads, not enough of the music I like. Between a large(ish) music collection, two flea markets, and a half dozen second-hand music stores, nothing of value was lost.
I've been finding and streaming stations since the early 2000s. Any genre you could possibly want. Streams on almost any device. Streamripper still works great.
I thought Pandora was really spectacular at making playlists. I would set some qualities and it would make some surprising picks; a country music artist that did a cover of a song I like even though I don't like country music, that sort of thing. But yeah their library didn't seem to be extensive enough and it always seemed like the playlist algorithm could be awesome if it just kept doing new obscure picks instead of same repeats.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
So I paid for Pandora for years, and stopped. The final straw for me was when they decided to play in politics and "take a stand" with the "Black Lives Matter" thing. I was already unhappy with the lack of a music catalog, I couldn't listen for longer than an hour or so before songs would start to repeat. They just got passed up by everyone else, and I've been a happy Spotify subscriber ever since I left Pandora.
What world did all of you come from? How is having over 73 million active listeners considered "the day the music died for (Pandora)"?!??!!?
At this moment, every comment is critical of pandora in some way. WTF? How are people leaping to that conclusion from these numbers:
Spotify: 140 million active listeners (60 million paying)
Pandora: 73.7 million active listeners (5.19 million paying)
Apple: 27 million users (all paying)
Sure, Pandora took a loss of 7 million users over the past year, but if they had not lost those, they'd simply be at 80.7 million active listeners. Maybe they're not first place, but they're the only one of those three that offer a service like theirs, and they have MILLIONS of users, and MILLIONS of paying users.
These comparisons on that level are just stupid. They say nothing about whether the company can be successful or not. FWIW, I'm not arguing that they are, or have been, successful/profitable/etc, but these numbers don't spell the end in any language. They're top of their class, and in the top 3 for internet streaming music. That should still be impressive, not a death knell.
I feel like things weren't always this way, and this is an internet age thing, where people feel only one or two companies/products can be even considered, and everything else is garbage (or, on the low end, everything is garbage and just buy the cheapest shitty stuff you can get your hands on). It's depressing that 3rd place no longer counts for anything.
When they jumped on board the SJW crap and came out in support of Black Lives Matter, that's when I canceled my subscription and closed my account.
I just want music on my music program. Keep your politics to yourself. When you decide to alienate half of the country, don't be surprised when they decide to part ways with your product.
Moved over to Spotify. No idea how they lean politically, because they just play music.
He who laughs last is at 300 baud.
You know, that's strange, because I have several channels that I listen to on Pandora, and most of them have no rap.
A comedy channel - lots of Weird Al, vintage comedy sketches (Hope and Crosby, Marx Brothers, etc.).
Classic rock channel - no rap
Heavy metal channel - no rap
Tom Petty channel - no rap
It's almost like you either don't use Pandora or just want to complain about rap.
Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
There are other options out there free - I'm not sure if they play more, fewer, or comparable ads - and the paid service just keeps getting more and more expensive.
IIRC (it was a while ago) when we started paying for it, it was something like $20/year. Now it's what, either $6/mo or $10/mo?
That's nuts when there are tons of equally-tolerable options.
(Note: I'm not saying Pandora are evil greedy sonsabitches. I felt that they're terrifically screwed by their royalty contracts because they tried to do the right thing and compensate artists, but they're paying MULTIPLES of what radio stations have to pay, per song. I really like the company and think they're victims here, a little.)
-Styopa
They stream low-quality to high-end systems. You can pay the subscription fee, you still get crap on a high-end receiver or prepro.
They want my money, they have to fix that. And since they were told about it years ago and haven't lifted a finger to fix the quality of the music... to heck with 'em.
The place to spend money is with a service that takes care of its customers, not ignores them. Yeah, high end systems might be a niche market, but we spend money. I guess they don't want it. I'm okay with that, too. And gee, look at what's happening to them. Huh. :)
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.