Introduction
Contents
- Introduction
- Editor’s Choice
- What is Pandora?
- General Pandora Statistics
- Pandora Music Revenue Statistics
- Pandora Radio Demographics Statistics
- Pandora Users Statistics
- Pandora B Device Subscriber Statistics
- Pandora Data Usage Statistics
- Pandora Radio Fun Facts
- Spotify Vs Pandora Statistics
- Pandora Advertising Statistics
- Conclusion
Pandora Statistics: Music brings joy to people everywhere, and with the growth of technology, music streaming services have made it easy to listen to tunes whenever and wherever we want. One of these services is Pandora, which has been a big name in online radio since it started in 2005.
It began as an internet radio service, attracting listeners by letting them create personalized stations based on their musical preferences. Pandora has always made most of its money from ads. This approach helps it compete in the crowded music streaming market. Our Pandora Statistics covers the platform’s features, the devices users use, audience demographics, and traffic data by country.
Editor’s Choice
- Pandora had more than 47 million active users in 2023.
- The platform has a total of over 250 million registered users.
- On average, users spend 5 hours and 41 minutes listening to Pandora each month.
- Pandora Statistics stated that almost 89% of Pandora listeners are from the United States.
- Pandora users have an average of 43 listening sessions per month.
- In 2022, Pandora earned $6.45 million in revenue from the Google Play Store.
- For the second quarter of 2023, Pandora made $528 million in revenue.
- 59% of Pandora listeners are female, while 41% are male.
- Pandora pays $2.10 per 1,000 ad-supported streams and $2.60 per 1,000 subscription-based streams.
What is Pandora?
Pandora is a music streaming service based in Oakland, California, owned by SiriusXM, a major broadcasting company in the US. It offers a subscription-based service that provides personalized music recommendations using something called the “Music Genome Project.” This project sorts songs based on their musical traits, such as genre and instruments used. Pandora was first launched as an internet radio platform that created customized stations for users based on the songs and artists they liked. It offers both a free version with ads and a paid version without ads.
General Pandora Statistics
- Pandora Statistics stated that Pandora currently has 390,838 active sessions on its platform.
- By 2023, Pandora’s active users are expected to reach 51.8 million. As of 2021, Pandora had 52.3 million active users monthly. Right now, there are 48.77 million active users.
- Pandora’s website has a bounce rate of 74.61%, which means that many visitors leave the site after viewing just one page.
- Pandora’s website has 17.5 million backlinks, showing a 1.3% increase in the total number of links pointing to the site.
- Users spend an average of 7 minutes and 57 seconds listening to Pandora per session.
- Pandora pays $2.1 in royalties to artists for each song played.
- In 2021, Pandora had just 1% of the global market share for music streaming, while Spotify had 32% and Apple Music had 16%.
(Reference: toneisland.com)
- In the third quarter of 2023, Pandora had 48.77 million active users in the US.
- 38% of Pandora users say they like the platform, and 89% of people are familiar with it.
- Pandora users listened for 2.84 billion hours in the second quarter of 2022, including ads. This was slightly lower than the 3.03 billion ad-supported listening hours in Q2 2023.
- Pandora has a total of 250 million registered users.
- The average Pandora user spends 2 hours and 15 minutes each day on the platform.
- Pandora has 7.4 million paying subscribers, according to Pandora Statistics.
Pandora Music Revenue Statistics
- In the first three quarters of 2022, Pandora earned $1.539 billion in total revenue.
- Of the total revenue in the first nine months of 2022, $1.146 billion came from ads, while $393 million came from subscriptions.
- Pandora’s revenue in 2021 was $2.072 billion, which is higher than the $1.698 billion it made in 2020. This was the highest revenue Pandora has ever had.
Here’s a breakdown of Pandora’s annual revenue from 2016 to 2024:
(Reference: statista.com)
Year | Advertising | Subscription services and other | Ticketing Service |
Feb 2006 to Jan 2007 |
3.25 | 0.93 | – |
Feb 2007 to Jan 2008 | 13.31 | 0.99 |
– |
Feb 2008 to Jan 2009 |
18.25 | 1.09 | – |
Feb 2009 to Jan 2010 | 50.15 | 5.04 |
– |
Feb 2010 to Jan 2011 |
119.33 | 18.43 | – |
Feb 2011 to Jan 2012 | 239.96 | 34.38 |
– |
Feb 2012 to Jan 2013 |
375.22 | 51.93 | – |
Feb 2013 to Jan 2014 | 489.34 | 110.89 |
– |
2014 |
732.34 | 188.46 | – |
2015 | 933.31 | 220.57 |
10.17 |
2016 |
1,072.49 | 225.79 | 86.55 |
2017 | 1,074 | 315.85 |
76.03 |
2018 |
1,092 | 478 | – |
2019 | 1,200 | 527 |
– |
2020 |
1,183 | 515 | – |
2021 | 1,542 | 530 |
– |
2022 |
1,576 | 522 | – |
2023 | 1,589 | 524 |
– |
- In the fiscal year ending 2023, Pandora earned $1.6 billion from ads. However, its revenue from subscriptions dropped slightly to $524 million.
- Pandora is an internet radio service that launched on July 21, 2005. It lets users stream music and get personalized recommendations based on their preferences.
- By Q1 2020, Pandora had over 60 million active users.
(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)
- Pandora’s revenue has grown significantly since its founding. In 2007, the company made $4.18 million.
- By the end of 2019, Pandora’s total revenue reached $1.72 billion, with $1.2 billion coming from ads. Since only about 6.92 million people paid for subscriptions in 2018 (most users were on the free plan), it’s clear that ads made up a much bigger share of Pandora’s revenue than subscriptions.
Pandora Radio Demographics Statistics
- As of January 2021, 83% of teenagers in the United States were familiar with Pandora, making it the most recognized music streaming service among them. Here’s a comparison with other popular streaming platforms:
#1. Pandora: 83% of US teens knew about it.
#2. Spotify: Spotify had a good level of awareness but less than Pandora.
#3. Apple Music: Apple Music was less recognized than Pandora and Spotify.
Music/Podcast Streaming Brand | Brand Awareness |
AccuRadio |
5% |
LiveXLive |
8% |
Tidal |
12% |
TuneIn |
16% |
Radio.com |
16% |
NPR One |
25% |
SoundCloud |
46% |
Google Play Music/YouTube |
68% |
Amazon Music |
70% |
iHeartRadio |
72% |
Apple Music |
72% |
Spotify |
76% |
Pandora |
83% |
(Reference: vpnalert.com)
- Website Traffic Demographics (February 2023):
#1. Gender Breakdown:
– 53.95% of Pandora’s website visitors were men.
– 46.05% were women.
(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)
#2. Age Breakdown:
- The biggest group of users were aged 25-34, making up 23.08% of the traffic.
- 35–44-year-olds made up 18.41% of the visitors.
- 45–54-year-olds represented 17.13%.
- Other age groups included 18-24 (16.74%), 55-64 (13.63%), and 65+ (10.29%).
#3. Number of Employees:
- In 2022, Pandora employed 26,986 people, up from 22,441 in 2023, as per Pandora Statistics.
#4. Gender of Employees:
- 72% of Pandora’s employees were women.
- 28% were men.
#5. Age of Employees:
- 63% of Pandora’s employees were aged between 20-30.
- 21% were between 18-20.
- 10% were between 30-40.
- 3% of employees were over 40 years old.
- Only 2% were under 18.
- As of February 2023, most of Pandora’s employees were White, making up 57.7% of the workforce. Other groups included:
- 20% Hispanic or Latino
- 10.9% Black or African American
- 7.8% Asian
- 3.6% were of unknown ethnicity.
Pandora Users Statistics
(Reference: statista.com)
- In the second quarter of 2024, Pandora had more than 45 million active users in the United States.
- However, the platform has been slowly losing users over the past few years, with over 10 million US users disappearing in the last two years.
- Pandora Internet Radio is based on the Music Genome Project, which provides both a music streaming service and personalized music recommendations.
- The Music Genome Project uses 450 characteristics to describe songs and an algorithm to organize different types of music.
- Right now, Pandora is only available in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Pandora Statistics stated that since it started in January 2000, Pandora has grown its number of active users.
- By December 31, 2023, the platform had 81 million active users.
- In comparison, Spotify reached 100 million users in June 2016, but Spotify is available in many countries around the world, including most of Europe, South America, and parts of Australasia.
- Pandora’s revenue has grown as its user base expanded.
- In 2024, the company earned $2.09 billion in total revenue, which was a significant increase from previous years.
- Most of Pandora’s income comes from advertisements, subscriptions, and directing users to buy music through platforms like Apple and Amazon.
- In 2024, Pandora earned more than $1.5 billion from ads alone.
Pandora B Device Subscriber Statistics
Country | All Devices | Desktop | Mobile | |
France |
0.33% | 38.9K | 69.39% | 30.61% |
United Kingdom | 0.39% | 46.1K | 41.23% |
58.77% |
Puerto Rico |
0.70% | 82.3K | 6.51% | 93.49% |
Canada | 0.84% | 98.7K | 91.52% |
8.48% |
United States |
96.60% | 11.2M | 74.42% |
27.58% |
- According to Pandora Statistics, 28.3% of Pandora users visited the site on mobile devices in recent months, while 71.7% used desktop computers.
United States: The US has the largest share of Pandora users, with 11.2 million visitors, making up 95.6% of the total traffic. Among these:
- 42% accessed Pandora via desktop.
- 58% used mobile devices.
Canada: Canada contributes 0.84%, with 98.7K users. Most of them are desktop users:
- 52% are on desktop.
- 48% use mobile devices.
Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico represents 0.7% of the total traffic, with 82.3K users. The split is:
- 51% use desktops.
- 49% use mobile.
United Kingdom: The U.K. accounts for 0.39% of the traffic, with 46.1K users. Here’s how it breaks down:
- 23% are desktop users.
- 77% are mobile users.
France: France makes up 0.33% of the traffic, with 38.9K users. Of these:
- 39% access Pandora via desktop.
- 61% use mobile devices.
Pandora Data Usage Statistics
When streaming Pandora, the amount of data you use depends on the sound quality:
- If you choose low-quality sound (32Kbps), it will use about 15 MB of data per hour.
- If you go for high-quality sound (192Kbps), it will use about 85 MB of data per hour.
Sound Quality Settings (Bitrate) | Data Usage Per Minute | Data Usage Per Hour |
High (192Kbps) – For Premium Users |
1.44MB | 86.4MB |
High (128Kbps) | 1.2MB |
58MB |
Standard (64Kbps) |
480KB | 22.8MB |
Low (32Kbps) | 240KB |
14.4MB |
- The average Pandora user listens to music for 2 hours and 15 minutes every day.
- Pandora’s total streaming hours grew a lot, from 0.9 billion in 2008 to over 20 billion in 2017.
- However, as fewer people use the platform, the overall listening hours have started to stabilize or even decrease.
Pandora Radio Fun Facts
- It wasn’t until 2005 that it officially launched, after purchasing the domain name “Pandora.com.”
- At the end of 2001, around 50 to 55 workers were unpaid because the company didn’t have enough money.
- SiriusXM acquired Pandora in a $3.5 billion deal, which took several years to complete.
- These are:
#1. Pandora Plus for $4.99 per month
#2. Pandora Premium for $9.99 per month
#3. Pandora Premium Family for $14.99 per month
- There is also a Free Pandora plan, which includes ads.
- An artist needs about 752 streams to earn $1 on Pandora, as per Pandora Statistics.
Spotify Vs Pandora Statistics
(Source: headphonesaddict.com)
Spotify Overview:
- Available Worldwide: Spotify can be used anywhere, while Pandora is only available in a few countries.
- Pricing: Spotify’s subscription fees are higher than Pandora’s.
- Free Version: Spotify has a free version with ads and offers a 3-month trial for $1.
- Unlimited Skips: On Spotify, you can skip as many songs as you want on the free version.
- Radio Feature: Spotify includes both traditional radio and on-demand music streaming.
- Devices: Spotify works on iOS, Android, desktop apps, and smart devices.
- Parental Control: Spotify doesn’t have a built-in parental control option.
- Playlists: You can create unlimited playlists on Spotify.
- Music Library: Spotify has a much larger collection with over 82 million songs, while Pandora has about 50 million.
- Genres: Spotify has many different music genres from which to choose.
- Offline Listening: With Spotify Premium, you can download music and listen offline.
- Audio Quality: Spotify provides better sound quality than Pandora.
- Music Sharing: Spotify has more ways to share music than Pandora.
- Flexibility: Spotify is more flexible overall, offering more features and options like offline listening and unlimited skips.
- Market Share: Spotify has a much larger market share, especially in the United States, where it’s the leading music streaming service.
(Reference: headphonesaddict.com)
Pandora Overview:
- Limited Availability: Pandora is only available in a few countries, unlike Spotify, which is global.
- Song Skips: Pandora limits skips to 30 times per day, with six skips per hour.
- Playlists: Pandora doesn’t allow users to create custom playlists.
- Platforms: Pandora works on Android, iOS, desktops, and some smart TVs.
- Parental Control: Pandora does offer parental control features, which Spotify does not.
- Music Style: Pandora is more focused on personalized radio stations based on user preferences rather than on-demand music.
- Offline Listening: Pandora Premium allows offline listening, but only for paying users.
- Ad-Supported: Most of Pandora’s free service is supported by ads.
- Market Share: Pandora has a smaller market share than Spotify.
(Source: headphonesaddict.com)
Which One Is Better?
- Spotify is the better choice for people who want more music options, unlimited skips, the ability to create playlists, and better sound quality. It’s great if you want to download music to listen offline.
- Pandora is better for users who like personalized radio stations and don’t mind listening to ads. It’s a simpler platform, but its features are more limited compared to Spotify.
- In short, Spotify is the better option if you want more music control, variety, and better features. If you prefer personalized radio and don’t need all the extra features, Pandora might be the better choice.
Pandora Advertising Statistics
- A Nielsen study found that Pandora had the highest return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to other media platforms.
- The study, which looked at 63 ad campaigns for soft drink brands, showed that Pandora helped these companies earn more money for each dollar spent on ads than other media options.
- This suggests that advertising on Pandora is highly effective in boosting revenue.
(Reference: headphonesaddict.com)
- Pandora generated $1.90 in revenue for every $1 spent on ads, which was higher than the $1.69 return from printed ads, according to Pandora Statistics.
- Here’s a comparison of how much revenue was earned per $1 spent on ads in carbonated soft drink campaigns across Pandora and other media:
Media Type | Return on ad spent |
Spot radio |
$0.31 |
TV |
$0.45 |
Display |
$0.63 |
Network radio |
$0.71 |
Online video ads |
$1.20 |
Out-of-home ads |
$1.61 |
|
$1.69 |
Pandora |
$1.90 |
Conclusion
Pandora is known for its easy-to-use interface and affordable pricing, which have helped it grow over the years. Even though the number of users has been dropping, the company’s revenue is still increasing because of ads and new subscription plans.
The shift from traditional radio to digital streaming has made Pandora an affordable music platform, offering over 1 million songs and personalized recommendations. While its revenue decreased after SiriusXM acquired it, Pandora still provides a unique user experience and remains competitive with other leading music streaming services.