Pandora has how launched its on-demand music streaming service, competing with Apple Music and Spotify. It costs the same $9.99/month as existing services (a price dictated by the labels, which receive most of the revenue). Anyone can get a free trial of either 30 or 60 days, and there’s a special deal for existing Pandora Plus subscribers …
Pandora Premium has so far been available on an invitation-only basis, but the company announced last week that it would be available to all from today.
If you currently subscribe to Pandora Plus – the ad-free version of the existing service – then you’ll get six months of Premium for whatever rate you currently pay, before reverting to the standard $9.99 rate. However, you need to sign up directly at Pandora’s website to get that deal, rather than through the app.
If you aren’t currently a paid subscriber, you can get a 60-day free trial by subscribing to Premium on the website, or 30 days if you switch or sign up within the app.
Premium is currently limited to the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, with other countries to follow. Pandora is a free download from iTunes, and the streaming radio service remains free to use.
Apple Music is increasingly adding video content to increase the appeal of its own service, including House of Strombo and Carpool Karaoke. Apple also tries to keep artists happy by paying higher rates than competing services.
