Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a problem or question not answered on this page, please contact us
Q: What is Pandora?
Pandora is a music discovery service designed to help you enjoy music you already know, and to help you discover new music you'll love.
It's powered by the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken, the Music Genome Project: a crazy project started back in early 2000 to capture the complex musical DNA of songs using a large team of highly-trained musicians.
Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we'll launch a streaming station to explore that part of the musical universe.
You can listen to Pandora on the Web, Pandora on the Go, or Pandora in the Home.
Q: What is a Pandora station?
A Pandora station is a personalized stream of music, based on one or more artist names or song titles of your choice. Working from the massive collection of music analyzed in the Music Genome Project, your Pandora station will explore a particular corner of the musical universe based on your station's starting points.
Each Pandora station is completely unique to you-- no two Pandora stations are ever exactly alike, even if they're based on the exact same artist or song.
This is because you can further customize each of your stations in several ways. You can give direct feedback in the form of a "Thumbs Up" or a "Thumbs Down," which will tell Pandora to play that song more often-- or not to play it again. Also, you can add more artist names or song titles to broaden your station and explore a theme, such as different styles, subgenres and eras of music.
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For more information on how to create a Pandora station, click here.
Q: How many Pandora stations am I allowed to have?
You can have up to 100 stations at any one time [plus one QuickMix].
Once you reach the maximum number of stations you have to delete a station before you can add another one.
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For more information on on how to create a Pandora station, please click here.
Q: Can I hear a specific song right away? Can I hear only one artist on a station? Can I create a playlist of specific songs or artists? Can I rewind or replay a song?
Our music licenses do not allow us to play a specific song immediately, or "on demand."
We cannot play more than four songs by an artist in a three-hour period, and each artist may play even less often than that. Also, our music licenses do not permit limiting a Pandora station to only certain songs or artists: we must include other similar songs and artists on each Pandora station.
Finally, you cannot rewind, or immediately replay, any song played by Pandora.
On the plus side, these very restrictions have helped shape what we believe to be one of the finest music discovery and exploration services in existence.
Q: Can I "skip" as many songs as I like?
Due to the terms of our music licenses, we must constrain the number of "skips" -- the number of times you move on to a new song in any of these ways:
* giving a song "Thumbs Down,"
* using the "skip" button, or
* choosing "Don't play this song for a month".
There are two types of skip limits:
* All Pandora listeners are limited to 6 skips per hour, per station.
* Listeners to the free Pandora service are limited to 12 total skips per day, across all stations.
To conserve skips, you may give a song "Thumbs Down" or "Don't play this song for a month" status after it has finished playing. You only use up a skip if you use these features on a song that is still playing.
You can upgrade to Pandora One to remove the daily skip limit (although the hourly six-skip-per-station limit remains in place).
Q: What type of Internet Connection do I need?
Pandora streams music at up to 128 Kbps. You will need a broadband connection (e.g. DSL or Cable) of at least 150 Kbps to run Pandora. (Dial-up is not supported.)
If you're not sure of the speed of your internet connection, you can test your connection speed at any of these sites:
* http://www.speedtest.net
* http://www.dslreports.com/stest
* http://us.mcafee.com/root/speedometer
Q: What software do I need on my computer?
Pandora on the Web works entirely through your web browser, so you do not need any separate software. You do, however, need Flash Player for your browser, which is often already installed. If not, you can get the latest Flash Player plug-in for your browser here:
http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer
Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers are both supported for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.
Firefox and Safari web browsers are both supported for Mac OS X 10.3+.
Other browsers and platforms are not officially supported.
Q: What hardware do I need?
For both PC and Macintosh computers, we recommend a machine with at least a 1Ghz processor and at least 256M of RAM.
A sound card (usually already installed) and either headphones or speakers for your computer are also required.
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If you're interested in listening to Pandora away from your computer, please see:
http://www.pandora.com/on-the-go
http://www.pandora.com/in-the-home
Q: What else do I need?
A valid, active email address is required.
For more information on this requirement, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#68
For information on how to change or update your Pandora email address, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#491
Q: Why do you need to know my age?
In keeping with the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we must verify that all Pandora users are at least 13 years of age.
Q: Why do you need to know my gender?
The free version of Pandora is completely supported by advertisements, and we want to be able to show the most relevant ads to our listeners.
For this reason we require listeners to specify a gender with their registration information. Since this means that you're more likely to see an ad that's relevant to you, we hope it's a good thing both for our listeners and for our advertisers, and therefore for us.
Note that the music you hear on Pandora is never affected by your gender selection, only the advertisements. If you subscribe to Pandora, thus removing all advertisements, then your gender selection will have no effect at all.
Thanks for your understanding, and thanks for your support!
Q: Why do you require a United States Zip Code when registering?
Our music licenses require our listeners to be within the United States, which is why we require your current US zip code during registration.
We fervently hope one day we can legally make Pandora available internationally. For more information about international licensing issues, please click here.
Q: Why do you need my e-mail address?
Email addresses make ideal user names, as they are unique and generally easy to remember.
Also, we require you to provide us with a valid, active email address to facilitate communication regarding your Pandora account. If you ever need assistance beyond what you find here in the FAQ, please contact Pandora Listener Support from the email address you used to register with Pandora.
We'll never send you unsolicited email and we'll never share your email address with another company without your explicit consent-- ever! For more information, please see our Pandora privacy policy.
For information about receiving or opting out of our occasional 'Inside The Genome' emails, please see:
click here.
Q: Is my personal information secure on Pandora?
Yes, very.
Your sign-in, registration and (for subscribers) subscription information is sent securely using SSL encryption (the same kind banking websites use).
[You can verify this by clicking the VeriSign logo on the registration and account areas of our site.]
Q: How do I enable Parental Controls to lock the explicit content filter setting with a PIN number?
Pandora offers an explicit-lyrics filter.
As per our terms of use, listeners between the age of 13-17 should listen to Pandora with parental guidance (please see the Parental Advisory in the 4th paragraph of our Terms of Use for more information). Therefore, we have provided an option to lock the explicit-lyrics filter in place on Pandora listener accounts held by minors.
To activate this feature, you must be signed in to the minor's Pandora account. Then, click the blue "account" link in the upper right of the page, to the right of the minor's account name.
At the bottom of the "Your account settings" screen, to the right of the "Allow explicit content?" text, click "edit." Then click the "NO. Do not allow explicit content" button. Next, on the "Explicit Content Filter" screen, click the "YES. Create a PIN" button, enter your desired alphanumeric PIN and enter your own separate personal, valid email address. Finally, in the lower right of the screen, click the "Set PIN" button, and then the "ok" button.
[Note: Should you ever forget your PIN, a reminder can be sent from the "Explicit Content Filter" screen within the minor's account to your own personal email address.]
Q: Is Pandora free?
Yes.
Registering for Pandora will provide you with a free, advertising-supported Pandora account.
We do also offer paid Pandora One subscription accounts, but upgrading to Pandora One is entirely optional. There are never any surprises-- you have to specifically choose to upgrade.
For more information about the benefits of upgrading to Pandora One, please click here.
Q: Why are there ads on the free version of Pandora?
The free version of Pandora is supported by advertising, including visual and audio advertisements.
Pandora strives to uphold community standards when selecting advertisements. Pandora is committed to offering a much better ratio of music to advertising than that available on traditional terrestrial radio.
[Note: The Pandora One subscription account option removes all forms of advertising from Pandora, no matter where or how you choose to listen.]
Q: What are the benefits of upgrading to Pandora One? How much does upgrading to Pandora One cost?
When you upgrade to Pandora One, you receive the following benefits:
* Pandora One is free from advertising everywhere you already may choose to listen, including
- Pandora on the Web,
- Pandora on the Go (Pandora Mobile), and
- Pandora in the Home (Pandora Devices).
* High Quality 192Kbps audio streams, the highest quality streaming audio available on the internet, currently available for:
- Pandora on the Web (on your computer via www.Pandora.com and the Mini Tuner),
- Pandora One Desktop Application
Note: Pandora Mobile and Pandora Devices do not currently support 192Kbps streams, although we're very interested in expanding High Quality audio options at some point in the future.
* A sleek new Pandora One Desktop Application to free Pandora One from your web browser, giving you all of Pandora's best features in a small form factor.
* Custom skins to personalize your Pandora One page.
* The Pandora Mini Tuner in a much smaller web browser window for listeners who want a small form factor but not a separate application.
* No daily "skip" limit (although the hourly skip limit still applies).
* A five-hour time-out value between listener interactions for Pandora One on the Web.
Pandora One is $36 for a one-year subscription (credit card required). Click here for instructions on how to upgrade to Pandora One.
Note: Upgrading to Pandora One does not change our licensing restrictions. The inability to hear a song "on demand," the hourly "skip" limit of six skips per hour on a particular Pandora station, the absence of a rewind or replay button, and the requirement to play no more than four songs by a particular artist in a three-hour time period are identical in all types of Pandora accounts.
NOTE: Certain mobile devices on the AT&T network require a separate subscription through your cellular carrier for access to Pandora. Rates are set by your cellular carrier, and are billed directly through your carrier. However, you will still receive all of the Pandora One features should you choose to participate in these carrier-billed subscription services. Note that the iPhone and BlackBerry are fully covered by Pandora One, and no additional fees or subscriptions are required.
Q: How do I upgrade to Pandora One?
You can upgrade to Pandora One directly through our website. Upgrading to Pandora One requires a credit card and is $36 for one year. Please click here for a list of Pandora One features.
To upgrade to Pandora One, click on the blue "upgrade" link in the upper right of the Pandora homepage, to the right of your Pandora account email address and the "account" and "sign out" links. A window-shade panel will drop down over the Pandora controls where you can click the "Upgrade" button to proceed.
Enter information into each required field, and then click "Pay Now" to complete the transaction. Click here for information on using your new Pandora One features!
Note: The setting to automatically renew your Pandora One subscription is enabled by default, but you can choose to disable that by unchecking 'auto-renew.' You may also disable auto-renew at any time afterward, as described here.
NOTE: Certain mobile devices on the AT&T network require a separate subscription through your cellular carrier for access to Pandora. Rates are set by your cellular carrier, and are billed directly through your carrier. However, you will still receive all of the Pandora One features should you choose to participate in these carrier-billed subscription services. Note that the iPhone and BlackBerry are fully covered by Pandora One, and no additional fees or subscriptions are required.
Q: How do I start using my new Pandora One features?
Thanks for upgrading to Pandora One!
You'll notice there's a new "Pandora One" pull-down menu available in the top-level navigation bar above the main Pandora controls, just to the left of the "Help" button.
* To select a custom 'skin' that will fill the Pandora homepage around the Pandora controls, select the first option from the Pandora One pull-down menu, "Custom Skins," then choose the skin you'd like to try. You can switch to another skin as often as you like.
* To launch the Pandora Mini browser window, which has a smaller form factor and takes up less space on your screen, select the second option from the Pandora One pull-down menu, "Launch Pandora Mini." A new browser window will open, correctly sized for Pandora Mini. (You will need to allow pop-ups to use this feature.) You can revert to the standard Pandora view from the original browser window, by clicking "Bring Back the Music Player."
* To select between normal-quality audio and 192Kbps high-quality audio, choose the third option, "Audio Quality." Pandora One subscribers receive High Quality 192Kbps audio streams by default. You can select "Normal Quality" audio whenever bandwidth is a concern. Changes to Audio Quality settings may not take effect for a few songs.
Note: High Quality audio is currently available only for Pandora on your computer (via www.Pandora.com and the Pandora One Desktop Application). Pandora Mobile and Pandora Devices do not yet support 192Kbps streams.
* To install the Pandora Desktop Application for Macs and PCs, select the final option, "Install Pandora Desktop." The Pandora One Desktop Application runs without the need for a web browser, and packs most of Pandora's best features into an elegant interface. For more information about installing and using Pandora One Desktop, please click here.
NOTE: If you are experiencing intermittent audio (music stopping and starting within the same song) since your upgrade to Pandora One, try setting "Audio Quality" to "Normal Quality," as above.
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If you have any questions or issues with your Pandora One features or account, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: How do I download and use the Pandora One Desktop Application?
To install the Pandora One Desktop Application for Macs and PCs, click the "Pandora One" button and select the final option, "Install Desktop App." A new window or tab will open displaying the Pandora One Desktop page.
The simplest way to install is to click the "Install Now" button. You will have to confirm installation of Adobe Air, a necessary helper program, and the Pandora Desktop Application by clicking "Yes," "Install," "Continue," and "I Agree," in that order.
Then sign in to the Pandora One Desktop Application with the registered email address and password for your Pandora One account. From the initial station screen you can create a new station, or select any of your existing stations.
What are the features of the Pandora One Desktop Application? How do I use them?
Once you've selected a station, you'll see the 'Now Playing' screen. There are controls for "Thumbs Up," "Thumbs Down," "Pause/Resume," "Skip," and Volume.
The "Menu" (triangular icon) located between the "Thumbs" allows you to select any of the following options:
*) "Why this Song?" which will give a brief summary of the song's analysis within the Music Genome Project.
*) "Don't play this song for one month" which will prevent that song from playing on any of your stations for thirty days.
*) "Bookmark..." which will let you Bookmark either a song or an artist (and either one will open a browser window displaying your new Bookmark on your Pandora Profile Page).
*) "Buy..." which will let you purchase music from our partner sites iTunes and Amazon.
*) "View Bookmarks" will open a browser window displaying your Bookmarks on your Pandora Profile Page.
*) "About this station" will open a browser window displaying your Station Page for that station, where you can add to and edit your station.
*) "Email to friend" will open a browser window with options to send a link to your current Pandora station to one or more friends.
*) "Delete this station" will permanently remove your current Pandora station from your Pandora account.
*) "Preferences" will permit you to:
- Turn 'notifications' off or on. By default notifications will appear in the upper right corner of your screen for several seconds when a new song starts, displaying album art, song title, artist name and album title, along with an indication of that song's "Thumbs Up" status, if applicable.
- On Windows machines, determine if the Pandora icon remains in the "taskbar tray" in the lower right corner of your screen (also known as the 'system tray') even when not running. You can right-click this icon for quick access to the Pandora One Desktop features.
- Set Audio Quality to High Quality, or to Normal Quality. The Pandora One Desktop Application is set to "High Quality" by default. You can choose "Normal Quality" whenever bandwidth is a concern, or if you experience intermittent audio during songs.
If at any time you wish to change stations, click "Stations" in the upper right of the 'Now Playing' screen. You can sort stations by date added, or alphabetically, using the buttons at the bottom of the Stations screen.
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If you have questions or issues not addressed here, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: Can I purchase a Pandora One subscription as a gift?
Currently there is no formal way to upgrade another listener's Pandora account to Pandora One, but it is definitely on our feature request list!
Q: Can I use Pandora on multiple computers?
Yes. To use Pandora on any computer that meets our technical requirements [http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#40], you just need to enter your Pandora account user name (email address) and password to sign in.
To ensure no one can make changes to your settings and stations without your permission, be sure to sign out when done listening, especially on a public or shared computer. (To do so, either click on the blue "sign out" link in the upper right of the page or, if unavailable, click the "Account" button on the top edge of the Pandora Tuner, then select "Sign out.")
For assistance with issues signing in or out, see the next section: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#80
Q: Can more than one person maintain Pandora accounts on the same computer?
Yes. To share a single computer with other Pandora listeners, as above, just be sure to sign out when done listening. (To do so, either click on the blue "sign out" link in the upper right of the page, or, if unavailable, click the "Account" button on the upper bar of the Pandora Tuner, then select "Sign out.")
Note that Flash Local Storage, which holds your Pandora account and sign-in information, is shared globally across all user accounts and browsers on a computer. This means that even if someone visits Pandora.com in another browser than the one you use (e.g. Internet Explorer vs. Firefox), or signs in as a different user on that computer, the last account left signed in to Pandora will appear the next time anyone visits Pandora.com on that computer.
For assistance with issues signing in or out, see the next section: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#80
Q: How do I change the email address or password I use for Pandora? How do I update my Pandora account info?
From the Pandora homepage, just click the blue "account" link in the upper right, just to the right of your currently registered email address.
Then, in the window-shade that will scroll down over the main Pandora controls, click the "Edit" button under the "Account Info:" section on the left.
Enter the new email address or password you'd like to use, and click "Save."
Note: If you've recently moved and want to get the most appropriate ads for your new location, or if you have encountered an error about account status, you can add or update your birth year, your gender, and your zip code, then click "Save."
Your Pandora stations, Bookmarked songs and artists, and all your other Pandora settings will remain unchanged.
Q: How can I receive 'Inside The Genome' emails updating me on new music added to my stations and new Pandora features? How can I opt out of these emails?
During registration, you are given the option to receive 'Inside The Genome' emails, which update you on newly analyzed music available for your Pandora stations, and on new Pandora features. If you wish not to receive such emails, simply uncheck the 'Inside The Genome' checkbox in the lower left of the "Register now" page.
Typically there will only be a few such emails per month (or fewer), and we promise they will always be relevant to your Pandora listening experience.
If you later change your mind, and decide you would like to receive these emails (or to opt out), click on the blue "account" link in the upper right of the page, (or, if unavailable, click the "Account" button on the upper bar of the Pandora Tuner, then select "Edit your account"). Next, click "edit" under "Profile Info," then in the "Email Preferences" section of the "Edit your profile" page, check (or uncheck) the 'Inside The Genome' checkbox, and click "Save Changes." You can then click the "close" button inside the Pandora Tuner.
Q: How do I cancel my free Pandora account?
Canceling an account is a manual process on our end. Please contact Pandora Listener Support from the email address currently associated with your Pandora account. (If you no longer have access to your registered email address, please include the birth year and zip code for that account.)
Note that if you are just concerned about your privacy, you can restrict public display of your Pandora Profile ("Your Profile"). For information on how to make your entire Pandora Profile Page private, please click here.
Also, if you are having a technical issue, canceling your account will not resolve the issue. Instead, please contact us and describe the issue you are having in as much detail as possible.
Finally, note that if you no longer want to receive our "Inside the Genome" emails, you can opt-out and still keep your Pandora account. For more information on how to avoid these emails, please click here.
Q: How do I cancel my paid subscription to Pandora One? How do I revert to a free, ad-supported Pandora account?
You will need to set your Pandora One subscription not to renew itself automatically in your account options.
To do this, go to the Pandora homepage (www.pandora.com) and click on the blue "account" link in the upper right of the page, then under "Billing Info" click "edit." Uncheck the "auto renew" checkbox in the lower right and click "save."
When your current Pandora One subscription period ends, your Pandora One subscription will expire automatically and you will receive an email notice which contains instructions on how to revert to the free ad-supported Pandora service.
Note: If you have recently upgraded to Pandora One and wish a refund, please contact Pandora Listener Support for assistance.
NOTE: If you are being billed monthly by your cellular carrier for separate subscription access to Pandora and you wish to cancel those services, please contact your mobile carrier directly.
Q: I forgot my password! What do I do?
No problem-- you can send yourself a password reminder.
From the "Sign in to Pandora" screen, click the blue "I forgot my password" link. You'll find it immediately below the "email" and "password" fields, on the left.
You will then be prompted to enter the email address associated with your Pandora account, and an automated reminder will be sent to that email address.
Please be sure to check your Spam and Junk folders, as our automated reminder email may arrive there.
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If you don't receive your reminder within a reasonable interval, please contact Pandora Listener Support for a password reset.
Q: Pandora reports that my email address was not found! What do I do?
You may have made a typo in your email address when you initially signed up. In this case, please contact Pandora Listener Support with all of your other email addresses that you might have used. To ensure we can find and verify your account, please also include your registered birth year and zip code when you write us.
Q: Pandora reports, "Your account already exists." What do I do?
Make sure that you "sign in" with your existing account and that you're not trying to register a new account under the same name. If you have already created an account, you do not need to make another one.
When prompted, enter your e-mail and password and then click "sign in"
Q: How do I sign out of Pandora?
Click the blue "sign out" link in the upper right of the page, to the right of your account name and "account." (In certain views of the Pandora Tuner, you must first click the "Account" button which will appear along the top edge of the Pandora Tuner in order to reach the "sign out" option.)
Signing out at the end of each listening session will keep anyone from making changes to your Pandora account or stations on that computer while you are away.
[Notes: After you sign out, you will see the "Sign in to Pandora:" screen, which will allow you to either "sign in" again or to create a new Pandora account.
If when you try to sign out, the player automatically loads the same Pandora account again, then click this link for troubleshooting instructions: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#51]
Q: Why did you choose the name "Pandora"?
The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the Gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, insatiably curious.
Unlike those Gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery.
It's also important to note that at the bottom of Pandora's box was Hope...
Q: How are artists paid when Pandora plays their music?
At Pandora we believe strongly that artists and songwriters deserve to be compensated whenever their music is performed. We pay licensing fees to SoundExchange, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for all music that is played on Pandora. These payments ultimately go to the performing artists, songwriters, and record labels.
If you are an artist whose music is played on Pandora, you'll want to make sure that you register with SoundExchange so that you'll be paid for the performance of your songs on Pandora and all other Internet radio services.
Similarly, make sure you're properly registered with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC as appropriate.
Finally, on a related note, we would suggest contacting Amazon.com to arrange for your music to be sold on their site. We get our album art from Amazon, so this will allow Pandora to display your unique album art when we play your music. And as a side benefit, your sales are likely to increase.
For more information about selling your music on Amazon, please see the Amazon.com Labels and Artists Guide.
Q: Can I listen to Pandora outside of the United States?
Unfortunately, no: we can only stream Pandora to listeners within the United States.
Delivery of Pandora is based on proper licensing from the content rights holders-- we have always believed strongly in honoring the guidelines as determined by the artists, labels and publishers. In the U.S. there is a federal statute called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that provides this license for all the music you hear on Pandora. At this time, there is no equivalent license outside the U.S.
If you visit the www.Pandora.com homepage and you see that your access has been restricted, you may enter your email address to be notified if and when Pandora becomes available legally in your country.
In all honesty, we don't have the resources to pursue licensing arrangements in many countries in the immediate term, but we do have the ultimate goal of being able to offer our service globally. We greatly appreciate your understanding and support.
Q: Can I invest in Pandora or buy stock in Pandora? Can I make a donation to Pandora?
Pandora is a privately funded company and we are not looking for additional investment money at this point. But thanks for the vote of confidence!
We are happy to encourage anyone who would like to help support Pandora to subscribe.
[For information on subscribing, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#64.]
Also, if you wish, feel free to click links within Pandora to make purchases from iTunes or Amazon, as we receive a small commission from those sales.
Q: Can I play Pandora in my business for my customers? Can I obtain a commercial license to play Pandora?
If you are playing Pandora for yourself while you work, that's great-- it's considered personal use even though you are at work. In fact, a large number of our listeners do this.
On the other hand, if you are playing Pandora over loudspeakers at your business for your clients or customers, this is considered commercial use and is not permitted by our music licenses or terms of use. Nor can we offer commercial licenses for Pandora for any purpose.
For more information, please see:
http://www.pandora.com/legal/
Q: If I'm outside the USA, can I still access my profile, bookmarks, and station feedback?
Yes, absolutely.
Go directly to http://www.pandora.com/backstage
From there, you can sign in using the link in the upper right hand corner of the window. Then you can click the "Your Profile" button to see your stations, bookmarks and previously entered feedback.
From the "About the Music" tab you can also search our Backstage area for information and recommendations about artists and songs that you are interested in and you can access the blog too.
We just can't play the music!
As for your station feedback, all your stations and "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" information will be kept safe for when we are able to come back to you.
[For more information on why we are not currently able to stream outside the USA, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#79]
Q: How can I help?
For now, the best thing you can do is input your email address here http://www.pandora.com so we can keep in touch with you.
Over the coming months we'll be looking at what else we can do to resolve this absurd licensing situation and we'd love to be able to reach you if we need your help. We can tell you from our experience in the US that you can make a HUGE difference when you all pull together!
Q: Why not switch to a subscription model/service?
Unfortunately, the market won't support it. We originally launched Pandora as a subscription-only service, but even at just $3 per month, we had very few people signing up. So it's clear that this has to be an advertising-supported, free service -- as radio has been for decades.
Q: How come other services are not blocked?
We can only really speak for ourselves on this one. There are two rules we follow: to abide by standing copyright laws, and to pay artists fairly.
In the UK, to be a licensed service for all the music we want to play on Pandora, we are being asked to pay per track/stream rates which equate to over 80% of our gross revenues. This licensing framework does not enable any entity to grow an economically viable ad-supported Internet radio business. These rates apply to all Internet radio, or so we have been told. You would have to ask those other companies about how they are still streaming to the UK.
Q: Why not just use indie and public-domain music?
We have a lot of indie and even unsigned music in the Music Genome and we want to play all of it, major and indie, old and new-- no barriers, no prejudice against one or the other so we need licenses for both indie and major-label music.
Q: Why not set up shop in where the laws are different?
This is a very common misconception.
The relevant law is determined by the country where the LISTENER resides, not where the webcaster is located.
Relocating our business to another country would have no effect on the situation.
Q: How can I get around this? Perhaps a proxy server?
We only have the right to stream music to people located in the U.S. We can't condone the use of any technique that deprives performers and songwriters of just payments or exposes us to the threat of legal action.
Q: How do I create a station?
The simplest way to create a new station is to click the "Create a New Station" button in the upper left of the Pandora Tuner, then enter the name of an artist, or the title of a song.
[Note: If there are multiple search results in the Music Genome, Pandora will list the available options and you can click the correct listing. If Pandora fails to match your search at all, please double-check spelling. Failed searches are automatically added to a list for our music-buyers to research.
We have optimized our station-creation process so that common artist names create an artist-based station even if there is also a song title by that name in the Music Genome. If you are trying to start a station based on a song named after a famous artist, click the "Hey! That's not what I wanted" button as the station is being launched. Next, click the "Song" button, and this will instead create a song-based station.]
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If you have trouble creating a station, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#295
---
For information on creating a new station from a song that plays on one of your existing stations, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#477
For information on creating a new station directly from Pandora Backstage, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#512
Q: When should I give a song "Thumbs Up?" What happens when I give "Thumbs Up" to a song?
When you especially like a song, and want to hear it play a bit more often on that particular station, click the "Thumbs Up" icon in the lower right corner of the song tile, below the album art.
A thumbs-up vote has several effects:
* The very next set of songs for this station will be directly generated using the song which received the thumbs-up vote as a musical starting point.
* Future sets of songs are slightly more likely to have similar musical traits. Multiple "Thumbs Up" votes on this station for other similar songs will have a cumulative effect.
* This song will play somewhat more often than other songs on this station's potential playlist, and will play about as often as other songs that have received a "Thumbs Up" on this station.
---
For more information about station tuning, please see the next entry, as well as FAQ Section 4C:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
Q: When should I give a song "Thumbs Down?" What happens when I give "Thumbs Down" to a song?
When you don't want to hear a song on a particular station, regardless of whether or not you like it in general, click the "Thumbs Down" icon in the lower left corner of the song tile, below the album art.
A thumbs-down vote has several effects:
* The song will stop playing, if there are any of the remaining "six skips per hour" available on that particular station (this limit is per station, one a rolling per-hour basis). [For more information on this licensing requirement, please see: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#23 ]
* The song will be deleted permanently from that particular station's playlist.
* If this is the second "Thumbs Down" given to that specific artist on that particular station, the artist will be banned from playing on this station in the future. [For more information about banning an artist from a station, please see: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#82 ]
* A new set of songs with a different musical emphasis will begin to play.
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For more information about station tuning, please see the rest of this section, as well as FAQ Section 4C, beginning with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
Q: What happens when I skip a song? How many skips do I get per hour?
When you don't want to hear a song, but are undecided whether to ban it permanently (by voting "Thumbs Down"), you can simply click the "Skip" button in the extreme upper right of the Pandora Tuner. This is a neutral action; Pandora does not assume that you like or dislike the song.
A "skip" has two effects:
* The song will stop playing, if there are any "skips" remaining on this station (6 per hour, per station, or per QuickMix) [For more information about the QuickMix feature, please see: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#478 ]
* The song will not play again within 4 hours on any of your stations.
Q: How do I pause a song?
You can pause any song by clicking the "pause" button in the upper right corner of the Pandora Tuner. This will have no other effect on any of your stations.
Note: "Pause" and "Play/Resume" functions share one button in the upper right of the Pandora tuner.
Q: How do I ban an artist from a station?
Just give a "Thumbs Down" vote to any two songs by that artist on a particular station. However, the artist will not be banned, even with two "Thumbs Down" votes on one station under either of the following conditions:
* If at any time you gave a song by this artist a "Thumbs Up" vote on this station.
* If that artist was used to define that station.
Note: for more information on how to edit a station (remove an artist from your station's definition, or remove a song previously given "Thumbs Up"), please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#67
Q: How do I keep from banning an artist on a station (but still vote "Thumbs Down" on as many of their songs as I choose)?
Add that artist name to your station's definition, by clicking the little triangle next to the station's name, then select "Add more music to this station."
As above, once the artist has been added as a station seed, regardless of the number of "Thumbs Down" votes an artist's individual songs may receive on this particular station, that artist will not be banned from that station.
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For more information about station tuning, please see FAQ Section 4C, beginning with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
Q: How do I put a song to sleep? How do I temporarily keep a song from playing on a station without banning that song permanently?
Click the triangular menu arrow between the "Thumbs," directly below the album art. Then select the top menu option, "Don't play this song for a month."
This will prevent the song from playing on any of your stations for 30 days. This is one of the very few Pandora features that exerts a musical effect on all of your stations at once.
There will be no other effects on your stations other than this one song being removed from all of your playlists for the next 30 days. That being said, this feature, if used heavily, can be very effective at helping your stations dig further into their potential playlists for 'deep cuts' and some less obvious musical matches.
If you have any issues with this feature, please write to pandora-support@pandora.com with as much information as possible (the name of the affected station, the song/album/artist notation for that song, the approximate date and time you put it to sleep, and the date and time it played again on that station).
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For more information about station tuning, please see FAQ Section 4C, beginning with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
Q: Why is there no rewind button or replay button?
Our music licenses do not allow us to let you replay or rewind a specific song, or to play a particular song or artist on demand.
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For more information about licensing, please see FAQ section 2B, starting with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#25
Q: How can I add more songs or artists to a station?
Find the station's name in the list on the left of the main Pandora Tuner that plays the music. Click the little triangle to the right of the station's name, then select "Add Variety to this Station," and type the name of the song or artist you would like to add. You can repeat this process as many times as you like.
You can add music to any of your stations, even while you're listening to a different station.
For a faster way to add several artists or songs to your station, use the "Station Page" for that station. To use this feature, again click the little triangle to the right of the station's name, but this time instead select "Edit Station Details." When the "Station Page" pops up, look in the upper right of either the "Artist Seeds" and the "Song Seeds" sections, and click the "Add" button. You will be prompted to enter an artist name or song title. Click "Quick Add" or just hit the "Enter" key on your keyboard. You can then continue to enter multiple artists or songs to that same station.
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For more information about adding to your station or editing your station's definition, please see: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#67
Q: What happens when I add more music to a station?
Adding music to a station expands the possible range of that station. Each entry within a station's definition, either song or artist, is called a "seed," and each "seed" is equally likely to generate a new set of songs on that station.
[Note that songs you give a "Thumbs Up" vote to are collectively used as one invisible "seed" for that station.]
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For more information about station tuning, please see FAQ Section 4C, beginning with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
Q: How can I edit a station?
Click the triangle next to the station name in the station list to the left of the Pandora Tuner, and select "Edit Your Station." This will pull up that particular station's Station Page in a separate window. (To use this feature, you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from Pandora.com).
On this Station Page you will see the title of the station and the option to add a brief description of that station. Below this is the list of "Artist Seeds."
* To delete an artist seed from your station's definition, just put a check in the checkbox to the right of the artist name and then click on the "Remove checked" button at the bottom of the list.
You can also add more artists to the definition of your station here by clicking the "Add" button to the upper right of the list and then typing in the artist name.
* In order to delete song seeds, just put a check in the checkbox to the right of the artist name and then click on the "Remove checked" button at the bottom of the list.
You can also add more songs to the definition of your station here by clicking the "Add" button to the upper right of the list and then typing in the song name.
* Further down the page you will see lists of songs to which you have given "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down." Again, to edit the "Thumbs" feedback, put a check in the checkbox to the right of the song title and artist name and then click on the "Remove checked" button at the bottom of each list. These songs will return to the station's potential playlist as though they had never played on that station.
[Note: You can only edit one section at a time. Clicking the "Remove checked" button under a particular section of the Station Page will affect that section only. Changes to checkboxes you have made in other sections will be discarded.]
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For more information about station tuning, please see FAQ Section 4C, beginning with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
For more information about the other features available on the Station Pages, please see http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#433
Q: How do I rename a station?
To rename a station, first click the little triangle next to the station's name, then click "Rename This Station." Then type in your preferred name, and confirm by clicking "rename."
Note: You can also rename your station from its Station Page.
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For more information about station pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#432
For more information about rearranging your station list, including sorting by name, or your own customization scheme, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#476
Q: How do I delete a station?
To delete a station, first click the little triangle next to the station's name in the station list on the left of the Pandora Tuner, then click "Delete this station." Then confirm by clicking "delete." Note: deleting a station created by your own Pandora account is permanent.
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If you have trouble deleting a station, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#517
Q: Can I minimize the Pandora into a smaller separate window?
To access the Pandora Mini Tuner feature, you must upgrade to Pandora One.
Q: How do I purchase music I've heard on Pandora?
To purchase music that plays on your Pandora stations, click "menu," directly between the thumbs below the album art, and hover over "Buy...", then click "Buy from iTunes," "Buy Amazon CD" or "Buy Amazon MP3."
Selecting "Buy from iTunes" will search the iTunes Music Store, and you can then purchase any or all of the tracks from that album if available.
Selecting "Buy Amazon CD" will search the Amazon Music Department for that album name, and you can purchase that album on CD if available.
Selecting "Buy Amazon MP3" will take you to the Amazon MP3 store, where you can finalize your purchase. The Amazon MP3 option will only be present when the song is available at the Amazon MP3 store.
You can also purchase music from the Pandora Extras area directly below the Pandora Tuner. Select the 'About This Music' tab on the left, then hover your mouse over the "Buy" button in the lower left to choose a purchase option as above.
If a song or album is unavailable through both Amazon and iTunes, we suggest searching the internet for that artist name, album name, or song title. Some independent artists have their music available for sale only on their own website.
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For information on purchasing from Pandora Backstage song and album pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#512
For information on Bookmarking songs to purchase later, please see the below entry:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#65
Q: How do I make a note of a song I want to buy later? How do I Bookmark a song?
To Bookmark a song for later purchase, click "menu," directly between the thumbs below the album art, and hover over "Bookmark...", then click either "Bookmark this song" or "Bookmark this artist." A new browser window or tab will open displaying your Profile Page, including lists of your Pandora Stations, Bookmarked Songs, and Bookmarked Artists.
Each entry for a song within your Bookmarked Songs on your Profile Page ends with icon buttons which link to Amazon and iTunes.
If that song is available from the Amazon MP3 store, hovering your mouse over the Amazon icon will show 'Buy From Amazon MP3.' Clicking the icon will then take you to the Amazon MP3 store, where you can finalize your purchase.
On the other hand, if the song is not available from the Amazon MP3 store, hovering your mouse over the Amazon icon will show 'Buy CD From Amazon.' Clicking the icon will then search the Amazon Music Department for that album name, and you can purchase it on CD if available.
As an additional feature, if more than one of your Bookmarked Songs is available from the Amazon MP3 store, a special 'Buy all' button with an Amazon icon will appear above the upper right corner of your Bookmarked Songs. Clicking this 'Buy all' button will then allow you to purchase from a list of all your Bookmarked songs available from the Amazon MP3 store.
You can also click the iTunes icon to search the iTunes Music Store, and you can purchase any or all of the tracks from that album if available on iTunes.
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For more information about purchasing music on Pandora, please see the above entry:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#28
Q: How do I remove a Bookmarked Song or Artist from my user Profile page?
On your Profile Page, check the square white box at the extreme right of the listing for that song or artist, then click the words "remove checked" to the lower right of the list.
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For more information on your listener Profile page, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#514.
Q: What is Backstage? How do I use it?
Pandora Backstage provides information about artists, their music, their albums, and about our listeners and their stations. [Some of the artist information comes from Allmusic.com (a.k.a. AMG).]
Click on the album art of the song you like, and to the right of "Backstage:" click "Song," "Artist," or "Album." This will take you to the appropriate Backstage page, featuring our Selected Discographies, biographical information, and other information.
You can also click the artist name or song title link directly above the album art for any song that plays on your station.
Finally, you also have the option at any time to click the "About The Music" button above the Pandora Tuner and to select the "Find a Song" or the "Find an Artist" options.
* You can create a new station from any Backstage Artist Page or Song Page by clicking the "Create A Station" button in the upper left.
* You can purchase music from the Backstage Song Pages and Album Pages by clicking the "Buy From iTunes" or "Buy From Amazon" buttons in the upper right.
Q: What is my listener Profile Page? How can I access it?
The Profile Page allows you to share with other Pandora listeners your Bookmarked songs and artists [the links to iTunes and Amazon make them handy for holiday and birthday hints!] as well as a bit of biographical information about yourself if you wish, including your hometown, school, and employer, as well as your Pandora stations, including the one you are currently listening to.
You can access "Your Profile" either by Bookmarking a song or artist, or by clicking the "Your Profile" button above the Pandora Tuner.
(In certain views, you must access your Profile page by clicking on "Account" on the upper bar of the Pandora Tuner, then selecting "View Your Profile.")
[Note: you can copy the link (URL) of your Profile Page either from the address bar of your web browser or from the text above the comment field in the upper right of your Profile Page. You can share this link with a friend so they can read your bio information, leave you comments, or visit some of your station pages.]
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For more information about adding to and editing your Profile page, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#526
For more information about comments, please see the next entry.
Q: How can I comment on Pandora content? What are the content guidelines?
A comment is a short statement you can post on several areas of the Pandora website. These areas include Artist Pages, Album Pages, Song Pages, Station Pages, and Listener Profile pages. Comments are intended to enable discussion among listeners about their favorite music and related interests.
When you click the name of an artist, album or song you hear on Pandora, you can scroll down to the bottom of that page and leave a comment in the provided field. When you find your way to a Station Page or Profile Page of another Pandora listener, there will be a comment field on the right. (Comments on Station and Profile Pages can be made private, in which case only that Listener can read them.)
We encourage you to converse via comments -- feel free to post responses to the comments you read whenever you have something to add.
We do ask, though, that you be respectful and thoughtful whenever you post a comment. Please read our community guidelines carefully before you begin commenting:
http://www.pandora.com/community_guidelines/
Comments that do not fall within our guidelines may be removed. If you come across a comment that clearly does not fit these community guidelines, please notify Pandora Listener Support:
http://www.pandora.com/customer_service
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For more information about Pandora Backstage, which is where you'll find Artist Pages, Album Pages, Song Pages, Station Pages and Listener Profiles, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#512
Q: How do I create a station from an artist or song that Pandora plays for me?
If you hear an artist or a song that you would like to use to start a station, click the "Create a New Station" button in the upper left of the main Pandora Tuner that plays the music, then enter that artist name or song title.
The new station will begin playing immediately. If you're unsure, you can Bookmark that artist or song for later consideration.
For information on troubleshooting station creation, please see: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#295
Q: How do I move a song to another one of my stations where it would be a better fit?
If you hear a song that would be better suited to another one of your stations, just click the album art, then select the second option, "Move this song to a different station."
The song will stop playing, and receive a "Thumbs Down" in the current station. The song that was moved will now appear in the list of 'Songs you liked' for the station you moved it to.
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For more information about how to edit lists of songs given "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down," please see: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#67.
Q: How do I change the order in which my stations appear?
Click "Your Stations" (or the triangle to the right of "Your Stations") and select under 'Sort stations by:' either "Date added" or "Name."
You can also customize the order in which your stations appear as explained in the entry below.
Q: How can I customize the order in which my stations appear?
Once you've ordered your stations by "Name," as above in http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#476, you can then re-name your stations starting "1)," "2)," "3)" or "A)," "B)," "C)" and so on.
Q: How do my Pandora stations generate their playlists?
The Music Genome picks "sets" of four songs at a time to play on a station based on similarities in their musical 'DNA.' The starting point for each set will be one of the songs or artists which are part of the station's definition. The selected songs will share some characteristics with this starting point, but will be even more closely linked to each other.
[Note: a starting point could also be a song you've previously given "Thumbs Up."]
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For information on how to optimize your stations, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#88
Q: How does the feedback ("Thumbs Up"/"Thumbs Down") I give affect playlist generation?
Giving a "Thumbs Up" to any of the four songs within a set will cause the station to generate its next set based on the most recent "Thumbs Up" given during the four-song set, independent of the station's starting points. This process can be repeated indefinitely. If you want to hear a set based on your station's starting points, then you may need to allow four songs to play without voting.
Giving a "Thumbs Down" to any of the four songs within a set will cause the station to cancel any remaining songs within that four-song set, and load an entirely new set based on different musical characteristics.
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For more information on the other effects of "Thumbs" feedback, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#18
For information on how to change "Thumbs" feedback, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#520
For more information on how to optimize your stations, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#36
Q: How can I change my previous "Thumbs Down" or "Thumbs Up" feedback?
When you want to change your "Thumbs" feedback, you should click on the triangle next to the station name in the station list to the left of the Pandora Tuner. This will pull up that particular station's Station Page in a separate window (if it is not appearing, turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from Pandora.com).
Next, on the Station Page, you'll see the title of the station, the description of that station (if you wish to add one), the list of "Artist Seeds," and the list of "Song Seeds."
To edit the "Thumbs" feedback for previously played songs, scroll further down the page until you see lists of "Thumbs-up Songs," and of "Thumbs-down Songs."
By putting a check in the checkbox to the right of the song title and the artist name and then clicking on the "Remove checked" button at the bottom of each list, you can remove the selected songs from the liked/disliked lists. These songs will once return to the potential playlist as though they had never played on that station.
[Note: You can only edit one section at a time. Clicking the "remove checked" button under a particular section of the Station Page will affect that section only. Changes to checkboxes you have made in other sections will be discarded.]
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For more information about editing a station, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#67
Q: How can I increase variety on the playlist for my station?
First, we recommend that you add a lot of musical starting points (or 'seeds') to your stations. Your Pandora stations will play a wider range of styles, and have access to a greater number of songs, if each station is based on more than a single artist name or song title.
Adding artist names ('artist seeds') to your station's definition is the best place to start. Since the Music Genome will respond to an artist name by choosing music similar to selections from the artist's entire repertoire, this increases the chances of different musical styles playing on your station. Adding more artist names increases this effect.
You can also add song titles ('song seeds') to increase the amount of music played on your station, but for best results you may want to include some artist seeds as well.
When adding both artist seeds and song seeds, make sure your seeds aren't too similar to each other in style and tone. A range of seeds that are loosely related will encourage more diversity than seeds that are very closely related.
Also, in order to avoid over-using "Thumbs Down," consider using "Don't play this song for a month" instead. This is the first option available from the menu button located between the "Thumbs," directly below the album art.
Finally, if a song which you've previously given "Thumbs Up" consistently plays more than you'd like, just remove its "Thumbs Up" status, as per the previous entry. This will return that song to neutral status.
Q: How can I create a station with a very specific sound?
The most exacting way to define a station is to start with a single song title ('song seed') to define that station. The Music Genome will get very specific information about the musical elements that you want to hear.
We recommend you never use artist names ('artist seeds') to define stations which you would like to have a very focused playlist. Including even a single artist name will introduce elements-- live music, variation in the gender of the lead vocalist, different lead instruments-- you may want to avoid. Also, even when starting from song seeds, go slowly. You may want to listen to and tune your station for a while, as below, before adding additional song titles to that station.
Next, once your station has been created, consider how you will give "Thumbs Up" to songs on that station. One good strategy is to only give "Thumbs Up" when you like almost every aspect of a song, not merely when you think a song is an acceptable fit that station. In this way the songs that play the most often will be those that best exemplify your ideas for that station, and those which you won't mind hearing more often.
No matter how you choose to handle giving "Thumbs Up," on these kinds of narrowly-defined stations, you should generally be ruthless with giving "Thumbs Down." If a song doesn't fit your ideas for that station, it's out. Don't worry, the "Thumbs Down" you give never affect your other stations. And as long as you've given a particular artist at least one "Thumbs Up," you can give their songs as many "Thumbs Down" as you like without actually banning them from that station entirely. Note, though, that after you give a great many "Thumbs Down," and the playlist is pruned a bit, it's probably time to add another song seed to the station.
Finally, don't give "Thumbs Down" unless you actually never want to hear that song on that station. If a song is simply overplayed or you would just like not to hear it for a while, use "Don't play this song for a month" instead. This option is available from the triangular menu button between the "Thumbs," directly below the album art. It's the first option on that menu.
For more information about putting a song to sleep, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#17
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For information on how to remove "Thumbs" feedback to return your station to a previous state, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#520
Q: How many songs are in one station at a time?
Based on your current station definition, your ongoing station feedback, and the addition of newly analyzed songs to the Music Genome, this number is always changing, and can range from hundreds to tens of thousands.
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For information about increasing station variety, or creating a station with a specific sound, see above:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#36
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#523
Q: What are station pages? How can I access them?
Every station that a Pandora listener creates has a corresponding Station Page, which can be viewed by both the station's creator, as well as by other Pandora listeners.
There are two ways to view your own Station Pages.
First, you can click the triangle next to the station name in the station list to the left of the Pandora Tuner, and select "Edit This Station." This will pull up that particular station's Station Page in a separate window. (For a shared station created by another listener, select "View This Station's Definition" instead.)
Second, you can also access Station Pages from your listener Profile Page. To do this, you can either Bookmark a song or artist by clicking the album art of a song, or by clicking the "Your Profile" button above the Pandora Tuner.
(In certain views, you must access your Profile page by clicking on "Account" on the upper bar of the Pandora Tuner, then selecting "View Your Profile.")
Next, from your Profile Page, click the name of the station from the list of stations at the left.
Note: To access Station Pages or your Profile Page, you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from Pandora.com.
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For information on how to use Station Pages, see below:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#433
Q: What other features are available on Station Pages?
On each Station Page are several features.
In the upper left will appear rotating images of the various artists who are part of that station's definition (or whose songs are part of that station's definition).
In the center, you can add a short explanation or commentary on your station. [Note: without such a description, your station will not appear in the search results shown to other listeners when they search for stations featuring those artists or songs.]
In the upper right is a comments field, where other listeners (or you) can leave comments about the station, your "Thumbs" feedback, and so on. These comments will only appear on this particular station page.
Note: The ability to leave comments on your Station Pages is determined by your global Comments Preferences, which are available from the button under this comment field, as well as from your Profile Page. Any changes to your Comments Preferences will apply both to your Profile Page and to all of your Station Pages.
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For information on how to edit station definitions (artist and song seeds) and edit station feedback ("Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down"), please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#67
For more information about your Profile Page and its settings, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#526
Q: How do I share one of my stations with a friend?
Click the "Share" button above the Pandora Tuner, and select "Share Current Station With a Friend." Type in their email address and add a short note about this station if you like, and we'll send an email to your friend with a one-click link that will let them hear the station you've created.
[Note: Your friend does not need to be registered with Pandora in order to start listening to your station.]
You will always maintain control of your original copy of this station. You will also retain control of your friend's copy of the station until or unless your friend chooses to give "Thumbs" feedback on the station. This will not affect your original station in any way, but a 'clone' of your station will then be added to their own station list, which they will control.
[Note: Even if your friend chooses to let you keep control of their copy of the shared station, each instance of the station will be unique-- your friend will not hear the same songs in the same order, even if you're both listening to that station at the same time.]
There is another, indirect way to share stations as well. You can email your Profile Page link (URL) to your friend, and allow them to review your list of stations, and look at each station's Station Page, before deciding which of your stations they wish to share.
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For more information about Profile Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#514
Q: How do I listen to a station one of my friends created?
Click the "Share" button above the Pandora Tuner, and select "Find a Shared Station."
Type in the email address of a registered Pandora listener, and you will be able to click on the name of any of their current stations, which will immediately load and begin playing in the Pandora Tuner.
Your friend will always retain control of the original station. They will also continue to control your copy of the shared station until or unless you choose to give "Thumbs" feedback on the shared station. Once you have given feedback, and confirmed you would like to make this station your own, your copy will be converted into a 'clone' of the shared station under your control. Any future changes your friend might make to the original station will not affect or appear on your 'clone' station, and vice versa. Conversely, if you never give feedback on your friend's shared station, it will always reflect the latest edits your friend has made to that station.
[Note: Even if you allow your friend to retain control of your copy of the shared station, each instance of the station will be unique-- you will not hear the same songs in the same order as your friend, even if you're both listening at the same time.]
You can also find and listen to your friends' stations from their listener Profile Page, by clicking the name of any of their stations from the list on the left. This will take you to the Station Page for that station, which will have a "Play Now" button in the upper left.
---
For more information about Profile Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#514
For more information about Station Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#432
For more information about sharing stations from other listeners, please see the next entry:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#21
Q: How do I listen to stations that other Pandora listeners have created?
Click the "Share" button above the Pandora Tuner, and select "Find a Shared Station."
Type in an artist name or a song title to find listener-created stations which include that artist or song as part of its definition. (Enclosing the artist name or song title in quotation marks [""] will give more exact results.)
Pandora Backstage will then list a short summary of stations which match your search criteria, including both station seeds and station descriptions.
The station's creator will always retain control of the original station. They will also continue to control your copy of the shared station until or unless you choose to give "Thumbs" feedback on the shared station. Once you have given feedback, and confirmed you would like to make this station your own, your copy will be converted into a 'clone' of the shared station under your control. Any future changes the creator might make to their original station will not affect or appear on your 'clone' station, and vice versa. Conversely, if you never give feedback on a shared station, it will always reflect the latest edits made to that station by its original creator.
[Note: Even if you allow the station creator to retain control of your copy of the shared station, each instance of the station will be unique-- you will not hear the same songs in the same order as other listeners hearing that station, even if you're both listening at the same time.]
You can also find and listen to other listeners' stations from their Profile Pages, by clicking the name of any of their stations from the list on the left of their Profile Page. This will take you to the Station Page for that station, which will have a "Play Now" button in the upper left.
---
For more information about Profile Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#514
For more information about Station Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#432
For more information about sharing stations from a friend, please see the previous entry:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#525
Q: Why doesn't my station's Station Page show up in search results?
The best way to be certain your station will show up in station search results is to provide a description of your station on its Station Page.
---
For information on how to access Station Pages and add a station description, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#432
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#433
Q: How can I make a shared station my own?
Shared stations are signified by a gray curved "up" arrow to the left of the station name in your station list. To make a shared station your own, simply drag the cursor over the album art of a song tile in the Pandora Tuner and click to rate the song, as you would with one of your own stations. Next, when the "Would you like to make this shared station your own?" screen pops up, click "make this station mine" on the bottom of the screen to confirm.
[Note: Some shared stations may not have this option.]
---
For more information about why you can't rate songs in a station, please see http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#296.
For more information about finding shared stations from your friends or other Pandora listeners, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#525
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#21
Q: What is QuickMix, and how do I use it?
QuickMix is a feature designed to allow you to listen to more than one of your stations at once. This offers several benefits.
For those who'd like to 'merge' two stations, QuickMix can give you that effect. A side benefit is you can still get six skips per hour on each of those stations when refining their playlists. Then you get another six skips per hour in QuickMix mode.
Also, unlike regular Pandora stations, QuickMix, when set to shuffle several stations, plays only one song at a time based on a particular musical influence, so the mood changes more often.
To use QuickMix, just click "QuickMix" in the lower left of the main rectangular Pandora Tuner, then select the stations you'd like shuffled, then click "Listen Now." The particular station that has generated the current song will be identified by an orange border, or 'halo,' around the station name in the list of stations on the left. Giving "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" to a song played by QuickMix will affect the station from which that song originated, as indicated by that orange halo.
Just like with individual stations, you can choose "Don't play this song for a month" while listening to QuickMix. Since this option affects all stations at once, it doesn't matter which particular station played that song. This option is available from the triangular menu button between the "Thumbs," directly below the album art. It's the first option on that menu.
For more information about putting a song to sleep, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#17
Q: How do I change my QuickMix?
You can edit your QuickMix at any time by clicking the little triangle next to "QuickMix" and selecting "Edit QuickMix" to change which particular stations are being shuffled.
Q: What about skipping songs in a QuickMix?
You can skip up to six songs per hour total per QuickMix. If you run out of skips, you can switch back to any individual station.
Q: What about sharing QuickMix and using shared stations for QuickMix?
You can share your QuickMix with another listener, by clicking the little triangle next to "QuickMix," then selecting "Share QuickMix With a Friend."
You can include in your QuickMix any currently shared individual stations created by another user. [Note: You cannot include another listener's shared QuickMix as part of the definition of your own QuickMix.]
If you share a QuickMix with your friends, remember that the stations you have currently defined as your QuickMix in your own Pandora Tuner will determine what stations will shuffle on that shared QuickMix for whoever else is listening. Each instance of a station or QuickMix is still unique, however, so they will not hear exactly the same songs in the same order, just the same general playlists.
---
For more information about finding shared stations from your friends or other Pandora listeners, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#525
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#21
Q: How do I view my list of friends?
You can find your list of friends by selecting the "Friends" icon, located in the Pandora Extras area, just under the Pandora tuner. The list displayed will be friends you have invited who are also signed up as Pandora listeners.
You can also find your list of friends from the top-level navigation, by clicking the "Your Profile" button above the left corner of the Pandora tuner. Your list of friends will be on the left-hand side of the page, below your list of stations.
[Note: If you are already registered with Pandora and would like to add friends, just select the "Friends" icon in the Pandora Extras area below the Pandora Tuner and follow the prompts.]
Q: How do I access and edit my Profile page? How can I make my Profile page private?
You can access "Your Profile" three different ways:
First, while you are logged in on the homepage (www.Pandora.com), you can click the "Your Profile" button above the Pandora Tuner. (In certain views of the Pandora Tuner, you must first click the "Account" button, which will appear along the top edge of the Pandora Tuner, then select "View Your Profile.")
Second, you can access your Profile by Bookmarking a song or artist after clicking the album art for a song in the Pandora Tuner.
Third, you can click the blue "account" link in the upper right of the homepage, then select "Edit" under "Profile Info."
No matter how you get to your Profile Page, you can edit its content by clicking "edit" to the right of your user name at the top of the center column. (You can also reach the "Edit Profile" screen by clicking "comment prefs" below the comments field on the right-hand side of the page.)
Always click the "Save Changes" button in the upper right after making any of the following changes:
* Under "Edit Your Profile," you can add or edit your Profile's full name, hometown, school, employer and biographical info. You can set these fields to anything you like [note that at this time you cannot change the URL by which others will reach your profile, which is uniquely based on your original registration email address].
* Under "Your Email Preferences," you can opt-in or opt-out of 'Inside the Genome' emails, which give you information about newly added music for your stations, as well as email notification of new comments on your profile page.
* Under "Privacy," you can make your entire Profile page private, meaning it will be invisible to others and will not appear in listener search results, by checking the "Make my profile private" checkbox.
* Under "Comments Preferences," you can prevent anyone from posting comments on your Profile by checking the "I do not want to receive ANY comments..." checkbox.
[Note: You may need to allow cookies for Pandora.com in your browser settings, as well as turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from Pandora.com in order to use Profile functionality. You may also need to sign in using the "Sign In" link in the upper right of the Profile Page.]
---
For basic information on listener Profile Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#514.
Q: How do I delete a comment?
From the Profile page, click on 'delete' in the lower left corner of that particular comment. This removes only that comment, and has no effect on future postings.
Q: How do I ban another Pandora user from leaving comments?
If you want to go further and prevent a specific listener from leaving any comments in future, click the "ban" button in the upper right corner of any comment by that user. All comments by that user are deleted at once.
[Note: for this purpose, do not use the delete button, as deleting the comment will also remove the button which will allow you to "ban" that user.]
---
For information on how to remove the comment feature from your Profile Page entirely, see above:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#526
Q: If I change my mind, how do I reinstate a previously banned user?
From the Profile Page, click "edit" to the right of your user name at the top of the center column. (You can also reach this "Edit Profile" screen by clicking "comment prefs" below the comments field on the right-hand side of the page.)
From the "Edit Profile" screen, under "Comments Preferences," you can reinstate a currently banned user by clicking "reinstate this person."
[Note: this will restore all comments (other than those you have previously deleted individually) that were ever posted by this user.]
Q: How do I find other Pandora listeners' Profile Pages?
You can start from http://www.pandora.com/backstage?type=profile. You can also start by clicking the "Share" button above the Pandora Tuner, and select "Find Other Listeners."
You can enter an artist name, song title, hometown, school, employer or any combination of these keywords to find listeners who share those interests. (Enclosing the artist name or song title in quotation marks [""] will give more exact results.)
Pandora Backstage will then list a short summary of listeners and their Profile information which match your criteria, including their relevant stations, biographical information, and Bookmarks.
Feel free to click the links to any or all of these listeners, to read and comment on their Profile Pages, and to share their stations and comment on their Station Pages.
[Note: To use Profile Page or Pandora Backstage features, you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from Pandora.com.]
---
For more information about Profile Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#514
For more information about Station Pages, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#432
For more information about sharing stations, please see:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#525
Q: How can I change the Full Name on my Profile Page? Can I change the Profile URL?
To change the name that shows on the top of your Profile Page, click "edit" to the right of your user name at the top of the center column. (You can also reach the "Edit Profile" screen by clicking "comment prefs" below the comments field on the right-hand side of the page.)
This will take you to your "Edit Profile" page. In the first field, "Full Name," type in whatever name you'd like to use as your public name on Pandora. Then click the "Save Changes" button in the upper right.
Your new Full Name will be reflected on your Profile Page within a few minutes.
[Note: Changes to Full Name will not change the URL (link) of your Profile Page. Please get in touch with Pandora Listener Support at pandora-privacy@pandora.com to discuss any security concerns you may have.]
Q: What keyboard shortcuts are available?
Play/Pause: spacebar
Skip Song: right-arrow key
"Thumbs Up" - I like this song: plus key
"Thumbs Down" - I don't like this song: minus key
Increase Volume: up-arrow key
Decrease Volume: down-arrow key
Maximum Volume: shift key and up-arrow key combination
Mute Volume: shift key and down-arrow key combination
[Note: Be sure to have the Pandora Tuner active in order to use these shortcuts (just click the mouse pointer once on the Pandora Tuner).]
---
For more information about access for the visually impaired, please read the next entry:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#530
Q: What adaptations are available for visually impaired Pandora listeners?
In addition to our existing keyboard shortcuts, there are some new HTML features accessible to our listeners who rely on text-readers, specifically station-creation and station-switching.
***
To use HTML station-creation, begin at Pandora Backstage. The link is:
http://www.pandora.com/backstage
Just enter the name of a song title or artist name into the search field in the center of the page. On the artist page or song page that results, in the upper left, there will be a Javascript button, which can be located and activated from the keyboard, to create a new station based on that particular artist or song, which will launch in your Pandora Tuner.
***
Once you have more than one station, you can use HTML station-switching feature, starting from your listener Profile Page.
From your Profile Page, you can use the text-reader to review your existing stations from the first column of text on the far left. Selecting any station name will take you to a new Station Page for that station.
From any Station Page, the Javascript button in the upper-left, which
again can be located by use of the keyboard Tab key and activated with
the keyboard, will begin playing that station in the Pandora Tuner.
***
Note: To create an account, and to sign in to the Pandora Tuner in the first place still requires assistance, since that involves using a mouse with our Flash interface, but once you are signed in, you will stay signed in unless you specifically sign out (since Pandora sign-in information is preserved in Flash Local Storage across browser restarts and machine reboots).
Please feel free to send an email to pandora-support@pandora.com and we will be happy to help you set up your account, although again signing that account in on your end will still require one-time assistance using a mouse with our Flash interface.
***
There are some technical hurdles to making each feature currently available through the Pandora Tuner Flash application fully accessible, but we're definitely interested in adding even more accessible functionality as that becomes possible.
---
For a list of keyboard shortcuts, please read the previous entry:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#224
To read our Terms of Use in full, please visit the following text-readable page:
http://www.pandora.com/legal
Q: How do I add a Pandora sidebar to my blog?
If you'd like to automatically share all the stations you're creating with anyone who visits your blog or personal homepage, we have a few tools available for you.
First, we've set up simple JavaScript that you can place into your blog or homepage template with one simple step. There are two different options:
* The first option generates a nice-looking station list, which will automatically update itself. Your visitors will be able to listen to any station in this list by clicking its name.
* The second option lists the songs you're Bookmarking on Pandora. You can choose the appearance of this option, ranging from a simple list of titles to a fancy version that displays the album art. Your site visitors can click each title to learn more about the song, listen to a sample, buy the track from iTunes, buy the album from Amazon, or create a new Pandora station from the song.
Creating the JavaScript code is really easy. Just pick a style from those available on this page: http://www.pandora.com/feeds#blog.
Note: You must enter your Pandora email address before you click the "Generate HTML" button. Copy the resulting code to the sidebar portion of your blog and you're done.
[You're welcome to customize the display style with CSS as you wish. Each element has been given a unique ID to make it easy for you to assign custom styles.]
Note: Visitors you send to Pandora via a blog sidebar will see advertising unless they themselves are a Pandora subscriber.
---
For information about how to link to Pandora from your own website, please see the next entry: http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#531.
Q: How do I add a Pandora station-generator link to my webpage?
The following HTML lets you place a link on any page that, when clicked, creates an artist-based station on Pandora:
<a href="http://www.pandora.com/?searchFilter=artist&search=XXXX">XXXX_Radio</a>
[Replace "XXXX" (both places) with the name of a favorite artist. If the artist has more than one word in their name, use a "+" sign instead of a space between words in their artist name.]
To make a link that creates a song-based station on Pandora, use this HTML:
<a href="http://www.pandora.com/?searchFilter=song&search=YYYY">YYYY_Radio</a>
[Replace "YYYY" (both places) with the name of a favorite song, using a "+" sign instead of spaces between words in that song title.]
On the other hand, if you want something that looks a bit fancier than a text link and don't mind if your readers don't hear the specific station you had in mind, here's a page that has lots of Pandora 'banner-style' links in various sizes and styles:
http://Pandora.com/how_to_link.shtml
Q: How do I add Pandora to my RSS aggregator (news reader)?
Pandora provides several RSS feeds. While you are signed in on the homepage (www.Pandora.com), you can click the "Your Profile" button above the Pandora Tuner. (In certain views of the Pandora Tuner, you must first click the "Account" button, which will appear along the top edge of the Pandora Tuner, then select "View Your Profile.")
Once on your Profile Page, click the orange RSS XML icon in the upper right corner of the station list on the left-hand side of the page. If you already have an RSS aggregator installed, you can use this output to subscribe.
For a more comprehensive view of all the feeds Pandora supports you can visit http://www.pandora.com/feeds where you'll find some simple tools:
- A listener-specific feed of stations: keep a running list of your friends' Pandora stations
- A listener-specific feed of Bookmarked songs: keep track of the songs your friends are discovering
- A listener-specific feed of Bookmarked artists: keep track of the songs your friends are discovering
You can control the number of items you want to receive on any feed, as well as the time period.
Once you've created a feed URL it's a simple matter of subscribing in your favorite aggregator (for example, My.Yahoo!, live.com, Bloglines, NetNewsWire, etc.).
Your friends can subscribe to your Bookmarks feed and they'll be notified each time you Bookmark a great new song.
Q: How do I get Pandora on my phone?
You can listen to Pandora on your iPhone, select BlackBerry devices, the Palm Pre, select Windows Mobile phones, select Sprint phones, and select AT&T phones.
For more details on installation and usage, click the appropriate link above. For direct links to lists of supported phones, please see our Pandora Mobile page.
Devices and carriers not listed are not supported. Not to worry, though, we're currently working on a number of additional Pandora mobile solutions, so stay tuned and keep checking our Pandora Mobile page!
Q: How do I get Pandora on my iPhone?
First, make sure your iPhone software is at the latest version by connecting the iPhone to your computer with its USB cable and clicking 'Check for Updates' in iTunes (you may need to update iTunes itself in order to obtain newer iPhone software releases).
There a couple ways to get Pandora on your iPhone:
1) Visit "www.pandora.com" on your iPhone's Safari mobile web browser and click the blue download button, which will take you automatically to the correct download page within the "App Store" application on your iPhone.
2) Manually download Pandora from the "App Store" (blue icon) on your iPhone's desktop (search for "Pandora").
You will need an iTunes Store account to download any applications, including Pandora. Note that the email address associated with your iTunes Store account may be the same as your Pandora email address, although the passwords may be different. If you have any trouble with your iTunes account and password, please contact Apple support.
Are all iPhone models supported? What about the iPod Touch?
Yes, all models of iPhone, including first-generation iPhones, 3G iPhones and 3Gs iPhones are supported, as is the iPod Touch. In all cases, we recommend first making sure you have the latest iPhone/iPod Touch software upgrade, as above. 3Gs iPhones and 3G iPhones can play Pandora via WiFi, 3G and EDGE connections. First-generation iPhones can play Pandora over WiFi and EDGE connections. The iPod Touch requires a WiFi connection to access Pandora.
For WiFi connections, the Pandora iPhone application automatically delivers Pandora in Higher Quality audio.
For 3G and EDGE connections, you can manually toggle between Higher Quality and Normal Quality audio, under the "Settings" tab within the Pandora Station screen, to adjust for signal strength in your listening area. This setting only affects audio quality on cellular-data-network connections.
In all other respects, the iPod Touch is identical to the iPhone regarding the Pandora application.
How much does Pandora for the iPhone cost?
Pandora for the iPhone is a free (advertising-supported) service.
Note: As with Pandora on the Web, you may upgrade to Pandora One (click for details) to avoid any advertising via Pandora on the iPhone.
Q: How do I use Pandora on my iPhone?
Touch the Pandora "P" icon on your iPhone desktop to launch Pandora on your iPhone.
How do I sign in if I already have a Pandora account?
Touch "I have a Pandora account," then enter the email address and password you used to register with Pandora. (If you do not know your password, touch "I forgot my password." You will receive a password reminder email to your registered Pandora email address.)
If you somehow end up on the "Create Your Free Account Now" page, but already have a Pandora account, touch "Cancel" in the upper left, then touch "I have a Pandora account.")
How do I get started if I don't have a Pandora account?
Touch "I am new to Pandora," and then touch "Create Your Free Account Now." A new window will open in the Safari mobile web browser. Fill in all required fields, and check acknowledgment of our terms of service and touch "Create Account Now."
What do I do if I get a "Your Activation Code Is Expired" message?
Sorry about that. If you already have a Pandora account, touch "Cancel" in the upper left, then touch "I have a Pandora account." If you don't have a Pandora account and get this message, you can delete the Pandora application from your iPhone desktop and re-install Pandora from the App Store.
How do I Bookmark a song or artist, Buy a song or album from iTunes, or email the current Pandora Station to a friend?
Just touch the menu arrow between the "Thumbs" for these options.
How do I view my Bookmarks, and what can I do with them?
Touch the arrow in the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. Then touch the "Bookmarks" tab along the bottom edge of the screen.
You can play a short sample of each song by touching the "play" button to the left of each song Bookmark. By touching the name of each Bookmarked song, you can buy it from iTunes, create a new Pandora station from that song, email that song to a friend, or delete that Bookmark. By touching the "Artists" tab at the top of the "Bookmarks" screen, and touching an artist name, you can find that artist in iTunes, create a new Pandora station based on that artist, email that artist to a friend, or delete that Bookmark.
How do I create a new station, or select a different Pandora station to listen to?
Touch the arrow in the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. To create a new Pandora station, touch the "New Station" tab along the bottom edge of the screen. To select an existing station, touch the "Stations" tab along the bottom edge of the screen, then touch a station name.
How do I delete a station? How do I edit a station?
Touch the arrow in the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. Then, if necessary, touch the "Stations" tab along the bottom edge of the screen. Then just swipe your finger across the station name, and touch the red "Delete" button that appears.
To edit a station, touch the "Edit" button in the upper left of the "Stations" page, then touch the name of the station you'd like to edit. You can add or remove both artist names and song titles from that station's definition.
Why can't I run Pandora in the background when I text, email, or use another application?
This limit is imposed by Apple on third-party applications in order to preserve battery life.
If you have to close Pandora briefly to use another application (e.g. text), Pandora will resume playing the current song at the point where you left off.
Why are there limits on how many songs I can skip?
These limits are part of our music licenses, which are what allow us to play such a wide range of great music for free.
How can I change the audio quality?
Touch the arrow in the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. Touch the "Settings" tab along the bottom edge of the screen. You can switch "Higher quality audio" to "On." We recommend you only do this when you have a strong connection to your cellular-data network. Note that both levels of audio quality are in stereo. WiFi connections automatically support "Higher quality audio."
Why is it difficult to adjust the volume? Why don't the hardware volume and software volume controls synchronize with each other?
This issue can be resolved by updating your iPhone software.
What do I do if QuickMix does not appear at the top of my station list?
This issue can be resolved by deleting and re-installing the Pandora iPhone application.
Note that you can change which stations are being shuffled in your QuickMix-- just touch "edit" in the upper left of the "Stations" screen, then touch QuickMix. You can select individual stations, select by genre, or toggle all stations at once.
What should I do if I'm having problems with the music?
If you're on a WiFi network, see if using another network fixes the issue, or temporarily turn off WiFi in your main iPhone Settings (gears icon) application to try 3G or EDGE. If you're already listening on 3G or EDGE (and WiFi is not an option), make sure you're running the latest versions of both the iPhone software and the Pandora iPhone application, then make sure higher audio quality setting is OFF on the Pandora application's "Settings" tab. If that still doesn't do the trick, you're probably in an area of heavy network congestion or limited connectivity and you may want to try again from another location, or later in the day.
Can I change the location of the Pandora application icon?
Yes, hold down the Pandora icon on the iPhone desktop until all the icons start 'wiggling.' Then move the icon to the desired location, and press the "Home" key on your iPhone to confirm the new location. NOTE: Be careful not to touch the 'x' over the corner of the Pandora icon, as this will delete the application.
How do I sign out to use a different Pandora account?
Touch the arrow in the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. Touch the "Settings" tab along the bottom edge of the screen, and touch "Sign out..." at the top of the screen, then confirm you want to "Sign out." NOTE: You should always sign out of Pandora before you sell, return or loan your iPhone to anyone, as wiping the iPhone or changing your Pandora password may not break the association between your account and that device.
How do I uninstall Pandora?
Hold down the Pandora icon on the iPhone desktop until all the icons start 'wiggling.' Then touch the 'x' that appears over the Pandora icon.
---
If you have questions or issues not addressed here, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: How do I listen to Pandora on my iPhone in my car?
Once you have Pandora on your iPhone (see above), you can then listen to Pandora in your car.
Depending on what type of car stereo you have, you'll need different equipment to connect your iPhone to your car stereo. Here are the available options, in order of best performance. Note that for all of these options, first generation iPhones also require an iPhone-specific headphone adapter.
1) If your car stereo has an option for AUX input, you'll need an audio cable with a 1/8" (3.5mm) plug on both ends in order to connect the headphone port on your iPhone to the AUX input jack on your car stereo. You can then listen to Pandora on the iPhone when your car stereo is in AUX mode.
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2) If your car stereo has a cassette deck, you'll need a cassette adapter (one end is a 1/8" audio plug, the other end is a dummy cassette shell) which transmits data to your car stereo. You can then listen to Pandora on the iPhone when your car stereo is in TAPE mode.
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3) If your car stereo has neither an AUX option, nor a cassette deck (e.g. radio and/or CD only), then it's still possible to listen via a small FM transmitter connected to your iPhone. (Note that this option will compromise audio quality, especially in large cities with a dense concentration of radio stations.) You can then listen to Pandora on the iPhone when your car stereo is in FM mode, tuned to a unused FM station frequency as per the FM transmitter's instruction manual.
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Note: These links are provided as a courtesy. Please read technical descriptions carefully to ensure equipment is applicable for your intended use before purchasing.
Note: If you hear buzzing or static as a result of the cellular connection itself, try moving the iPhone to a different location or orientation relative to the car stereo.
Note: If you have frequent drop-outs or gaps in the music, make sure you have the Pandora iPhone 1.2 update and that the 'higher audio quality' option is OFF. Conversely, if you have strong signal and would like to try stereo streams, set 'higher audio quality' to ON. This setting is in the Settings tab in the lower right of the station list screen.
Q: How do I get Pandora on my BlackBerry device?
To download the Pandora application for the BlackBerry, visit "www.pandora.com" on your BlackBerry's web Browser (generally the 'globe' icon in your main application screen) and follow the download instructions.
NOTE: Make sure your BlackBerry model is supported by visiting our Pandora BlackBerry page on your computer before proceeding.
NOTE: Make sure your BlackBerry software is at version 4.3 or higher. (See below for more details.)
Note: Only the BlackBerry web Browser is supported for downloading the Pandora BlackBerry application. Other browsers such as Opera Mini are not supported for downloading the Pandora application. (You may receive an out-of-country error, e.g. that you are in Norway, if you do not use the BlackBerry web Browser).
What BlackBerry models are supported?
The Bold, Curve, Pearl, Storm and 8800-series are supported for the Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T-mobile networks. An updated list is always available on our Pandora BlackBerry page.
What if I have trouble downloading the Pandora BlackBerry application, or cannot see the "Download" button?
First, make sure your BlackBerry Browser is set to run in 'Emulation' mode. From within the Browser, press the BlackBerry 'menu' button, select "Options," then "Browser Configuration," and finally choose "Emulation Mode."
If still no luck, change your Browser identification. Again from within the Browser, press the BlackBerry 'menu' button, select "Options," then "Browser Configuration," and this time choose "BlackBerry."
If still unable to proceed after both of these steps, we suggest attempting to download Pandora from the BlackBerry App World application. If you don't have or aren't sure if you have App World, we suggest you contact your cellular carrier for assistance. Note that this method should only be tried if unable to download directly through our site.
How do I update my BlackBerry software to version 4.3 or higher?
If you're currently running BlackBerry software 4.2 or below, you'll need to update your BlackBerry software (aka OS or firmware) using your computer (BlackBerry devices do not support Over-The-Air updates). Click here for official instructions from BlackBerry.com. (IE web browser recommended.)
If you have BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BES or certain types of work-related configuration) set up on your BlackBerry, the above instructions will most likely not apply, and we strongly suggest contacting your workplace IT team for advice before attempting to proceed.
For BES users, click the name of your carrier to download the required software for your Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, or T-mobile BlackBerry.
If you have questions or issues regarding BlackBerry software upgrades, please contact your cellular carrier or workplace IT team for assistance.
What if I don't know what version of BlackBerry software I have?
Go to Options (the 'wrench' icon in the main application screen), then select "About."
How much does Pandora for the BlackBerry cost?
Pandora for the BlackBerry is a free (advertising-supported) service.
NOTE: We strongly recommend that you have an unlimited data plan with your cellular carrier before using Pandora on your BlackBerry. If you have any questions about your data plan, please contact your cellular carrier for support.
Note: As with Pandora on the Web, you may upgrade to Pandora One (click for details) to avoid any advertising via Pandora on the BlackBerry.
Q. What do I do if I'm having trouble with the Pandora BlackBerry app?
Most technical issues can be solved by making sure you have installed Pandora correctly. Please review these steps before proceeding.
Also, be sure your permissions are set correctly:
1. Open "Options" (wrench icon) -> Advanced Options -> Applications
2. Select Pandora in the list
3. Press the menu button
4. Select "Edit Permissions"
5. Set the permissions for Connections to "Allow"
6. Set Interactions to "Allow" (if this doesn't work, then try "Custom")
7. Set User Data to "Allow"
8. Press the menu button and select "Save"
Finally, make sure your firewall is not enabled (the BlackBerry default is 'disabled') in which case we advise contacting your workplace IT team for advice before proceeding. To disable the firewall, if permitted:
1. Open "Options" (wrench icon) -> Security Settings -> Firewall.
2. Make sure Firewall is set to "disabled" and save the changes.
What if I still get a 'network' error after correcting my permissions?
Some carriers have issues routing to our servers with default network settings on some handsets.
If you have T-mobile or AT&T, go to Options (wrench icon)-> Advanced Options -> TCP and enter an APN as follows:
T-mobile:
Try each APN in the suggested order. "Username" and "Password" should be left blank.
APN #1: wap.voicestream.com
APN #2: epc.tmobile.com
APN #3: epn.tmobile.com
APN #4: internet2.voicestream.com
APN #5: internet3.voicestream.com
AT&T:
Try this APN:
APN: WAP.CINGULAR
Username: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM
Password: CINGULAR1
If these replacement APNs do not resolve these issues, we recommend you next contact your cellular carrier to verify you do not have out-of-date network routing information associated with your cellular data plan, or do not require a firmware update for your device.
Where do I find the Pandora BlackBerry application now that I've downloaded it?
Depending on the carrier, sometimes applications are sent into a folder labeled "Downloads" or a folder labeled "Applications" (each folder should be available from the full list screen).
If you still cannot find it from the full list screen, press the BlackBerry 'menu' button, select "Show All," highlight the Pandora Icon, select "Menu," and select "Hide" to remove the checkmark and make Pandora visible.
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If you have questions or issues not addressed above, please contact Pandora Listener Support. Please verify you have read all of the above information carefully before contacting Pandora Listener Support!
For information on how to use the basic features of the Pandora BlackBerry application, click here.
Q: How do I use Pandora on my BlackBerry device?
Select the Pandora "P" icon to launch Pandora on your BlackBerry device. (The Pandora icon may be on your BlackBerry home screen, your Downloads folder, or possibly your Applications folder.)
How do I sign in if I already have a Pandora account?
Select "I have a Pandora account," then enter your registered Pandora email address and password.
NOTE: If you receive a message about your account being "suspended" or "inactive," you almost certainly do not need to contact Pandora Listener Support. Instead, this indicates certain required information was never completed at time of registration. To resolve this situation, sign into Pandora on your computer and enter your birth year, your gender, and your zip code into your Pandora account info.
How do I get started if I don't have a Pandora account?
Select "I am new to Pandora," and fill in all required fields, then check acknowledgment of our Terms of Use and select "Create Account." You can then create a new Pandora station.
How do I Bookmark a song or artist, find out why a song was played, or switch to the Station List view? How do I shut down or close the Pandora BlackBerry app?
Press the menu button (BlackBerry icon key) for these options. We recommend you "shut down" Pandora when you will no longer be listening, as "close" will just send the application to the background, which has an impact on battery life.
How do I view my Bookmarks?
For now, you will have to sign into Pandora on your computer to view Bookmarks. Just click the "Your Profile" button above the main Pandora controls on our website.
How do I create a new station, or select a different Pandora station to listen to?
You can create a new station or change what station is playing by visiting the "Station List" screen by selecting the "Stations" button in the lower left of the Now Playing screen. Once on the "Station List" screen, select "Create a new station" at the top of your list of stations to add a new station, or you can select the name of an existing station.
Note: on some models you may need to click the scroll wheel, press the "Enter" key, or touch the virtual "Enter" key to complete creating a new station.
How do I delete a station I no longer want?
Visit the "Station List" screen by selecting the "Stations" button in the lower left of the Now Playing screen. Once on the "Station List" screen, select the station you want to delete, press the menu button (BlackBerry icon key) and select "Delete station."
How do I return to the Now Playing screen?
Press the menu button (BlackBerry icon key) and select "Show 'Now Playing.'"
Can I listen to Pandora on the BlackBerry while I use other applications?
Yes.
Why are there limits on how many songs I can skip?
These limits are part of our music licenses, which are what allow us to play such a wide range of great music for free.
How do I enable stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) options for the Pandora BlackBerry app?
Visit the "Station List" screen by selecting the "Stations" button in the lower left of the Now Playing screen. Once on the "Station List" screen, press the menu button (BlackBerry icon key) and select "Options." Then enable Bluetooth in the Options menu and save.
Note: Not all Bluetooth headsets work with all BlackBerry devices. If you are having trouble routing Pandora audio to your Bluetooth headset, we suggest testing audio to your headset from another application on your BlackBerry.
Why can't I adjust the audio quality?
Due to the variety of the devices and networks we initially supported, we chose a moderate-quality audio option to ensure as few bandwidth-related audio issues as possible. Based on listener feedback, we're considering how to expand these options at some point in the future.
How do I sign out to use a different Pandora account?
First, go to the Stations List page by selecting the "Stations" button in the lower-left of the Now Playing screen. Then press the menu button (BlackBerry icon key) and select "Sign Out."
How do I uninstall Pandora?
Scroll to highlight the Pandora icon, press the menu button (BlackBerry icon key) and select "Delete."
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If you have questions or issues not addressed above, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: How do I get Pandora on my Palm Pre?
To download the Pandora application for the Palm Pre, visit the App Catalog on your Palm Pre phone and search for "Pandora."
Are only WebOS (Palm Pre) devices supported for Pandora?
Yes, that is correct. PalmOS devices such as the Treo are not supported.
How much does Pandora for the Palm Pre cost?
Pandora for the Palm is a free (advertising-supported) service.
Note: As with Pandora on the Web, you may upgrade to Pandora One (click for details) to avoid any advertising via Pandora on the Palm Pre.
Q: How do I use Pandora on my Palm Pre?
Touch the Pandora "P" icon to launch Pandora on your Palm Pre.
How do I sign in if I already have a Pandora account?
Touch "I Have A Pandora Account," then enter your registered Pandora email address and password.
NOTE: If you receive a message about your account being "suspended" or "inactive," you almost certainly do not need to contact Pandora Listener Support. Instead, this indicates certain required information was never completed at time of registration. To resolve this situation, sign into Pandora on your computer and enter your birth year, your gender, and your zip code into your Pandora account info.
How do I get started if I don't have a Pandora account?
Touch "I Am New To Pandora," and fill in all required fields, then check acknowledgment of our Terms of Use and touch "Sign Up." You can then create a new Pandora station.
How do I Bookmark a song or artist, Buy a song or album from Amazon, or choose "Don't play this song for a month?"
Just touch the menu arrow between the "Thumbs" for these options.
How do I view my Bookmarks?
For now, you will have to sign into Pandora on your computer to view Bookmarks. Just click the "Your Profile" button above the main Pandora controls on our website.
How do I create a new station, or select a different Pandora station to listen to?
You can create a new station or change what station is playing by visiting the "Station List" screen by touching the round "Station List" icon toward the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. Once on the "Station List" screen, touch the "+" icon in the lower left to create a new station, or touch the name of an existing station to select it.
How do I delete a station I no longer want?
Switch to the "Station List" screen by touching the round "Station List" icon toward the upper left of the "Now Playing" screen. Then, swipe your finger from left to right across the name of the station to be deleted. A delete/cancel option will replace the station name. Select delete to confirm.
How do I navigate back to the previous screen?
The Pandora application uses the native Palm gestures (on the touch-sensitive black gesture area below the screen) for navigation. A quick swipe across the gesture area from right to left will return you to the previous screen. (If you are on the "Station List" screen, touch "Now Playing" in the upper right to return to the "Now Playing" screen.)
Can I listen to Pandora on the Palm Pre while I use other applications?
Yes.
Why are there limits on how many songs I can skip?
These limits are part of our music licenses, which are what allow us to play such a wide range of great music for free.
How can I improve the audio quality?
Select Preferences from the Pandora application menu in the upper-left corner and switch the audio quality to "Higher quality audio". We recommend you only do this when you have a strong connection to your cellular-data network. Note that both levels of audio quality are in stereo. WiFi connections automatically support Higher Quality audio.
How do I sign out to use a different Pandora account?
Select "Sign Out..." from the Pandora application menu in the upper-left corner.
How do I uninstall Pandora?
Launch the "Device Info" application and navigate to "More Info" > "Software." Then select "Pandora" and choose the "Delete" option.
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If you have questions or issues not addressed here, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: How do I get Pandora on my Windows Mobile (WinMo) device?
Just point the mobile web browser on your WinMo handset to www.pandora.com and follow the prompts from there.
Which Windows Mobile phones are supported?
An updated list is always available on our Pandora for Windows Mobile page. If your WinMo device is not yet supported, please understand that we're determined to make sure Pandora looks and works great on every device we support.
How much does Pandora for a Windows Mobile phone cost?
Pandora is free on any of the supported devices listed on our Pandora for Windows Mobile page. Please note that a subscription to Pandora will remove all advertising for your account, no matter how or where you're listening.
Q: How do I get Pandora on my Sprint mobile phone?
You can download Pandora for your Sprint Power Vision handset a number of ways.
A. Using your Sprint Power Vision handset, please follow these instructions:
1. From the handsets main menu, select MY CONTENT
2. Select APPLICATIONS
3. Select GET NEW CONTENT
4. Select MUSIC, TV and MOVIES
5. Select MUSIC & RADIO
6. Select PANDORA
B. Search for "Pandora" on your Sprint Power Vision handset:
1. From the handsets main menu, select WEB
2. Search for "Pandora"
3. Follow the link to "Pandora"
C. Point your mobile phone web browser to "Pandora.com"
1. From the handset main menu, select WEB
2. From the MENU, select "Go to URL"
3. Type in "pandora.com"
4. Follow the instructions on the mobile browser screen
How much does Pandora for a Sprint mobile phone cost?
Pandora on the Go is free, but requires a Sprint Power Vision data plan. Please note that a subscription to Pandora will remove all advertising for your account, no matter how or where you're listening.
What is required to listen to Pandora on my mobile phone?
You must have a compatible Sprint Power Vision-enabled phone and be subscribed to a Power Vision data plan. Please see Pandora on the Go for a current list of the supported Sprint phones. Also, visit www.sprint.com for more information about Sprint phones and services.
Q: How do I get Pandora on my AT&T mobile phone?
You can download Pandora for your AT&T mobile phone a number of ways.
A. Using your AT&T mobile phone, please follow these instructions:
1. From the Main Menu, select AT&T Mall
2. Select Shop Applications
3. Select Music
4. Select Pandora Free Trial
5. Follow the instruction on how to download the application
B. Search for "Pandora" with your AT&T mobile phone:
1. From the Main Menu, select Media Net
2. Enter PANDORA into text field and click Search
3. Scroll down and select Applications from search result
4. Select Pandora Free Trial
5. Follow the instruction on how to download the application
Q: How much does Pandora on AT&T cost?
Pandora on AT&T is available for an initial 1-day free trial (data charges may apply) - with no obligation to continue - and then costs $8.99 a month after that. AT&T recommends selecting a MEdia Max bundle, which not only provides unlimited mobile Web-browsing with MEdia Net, but also unlimited access to streaming video, CV and basic content. Please visit www.attwireless.com for more information about AT&T phones and services.
What is required to listen to Pandora on my mobile phone?
You must have a compatible AT&T phone and AT&T recommends selecting a MEdia Max bundle for your service plan. Please see Pandora on the Go for a current list of the supported AT&T phones. Also, visit www.attwireless.com for more information about AT&T phones and services.
If I'm already subscribed to Pandora, do I have to pay for Pandora on my AT&T mobile phone?
As an existing Pandora subscriber, you will be charged $8.99/month by AT&T as part of your mobile phone bill instead of paying an annual subscription to Pandora. Any unused portion of the subscription you have already paid to Pandora will be refunded.
Please note that a subscription to Pandora on Sprint includes a full subscription to Pandora on the Web, which permits advertising-free listening at Pandora.com.
Q: How do I start listening to Pandora on my Sonos?
Listening to Pandora on the Sonos is now free, and easy to set up from your computer or your Sonos handheld controller.
For specific instructions on associating a Pandora account with your Sonos system, please click here to visit the Sonos help pages.
What if I want to change the Pandora account associated with my Sonos player?
You'll need to remove the existing Pandora account from your Sonos system, then associate the correct Pandora account with your Sonos, as above. For instructions on how to remove your Pandora account, please click here to visit the Sonos help pages.
What if I have a Sonos music player, but I don't see how to access Pandora?
In order to access Pandora on your Sonos music player, please click here to visit the Sonos Downloads page.
Q: How do I start listening to Pandora on my Squeezebox?
1. Connect the Squeezebox Classic or Transporter (Duet instructions coming soon) to your wireless local network (LAN) [For a wired ethernet LAN, see step 1B.]
a) Power on the Squeezebox.
b) Squeezebox should show 'Set up networking' -- hit 'RIGHT' arrow.
c) Squeezebox should show 'Connect to a wireless network' -- hit RIGHT arrow.
d) Squeezebox should show 'United States & Mexico' -- hit RIGHT arrow.
e) Squeezebox should show 'Choose your wireless network (SSID)' -- hit 'DOWN' arrow until correct network SSID is displayed, then RIGHT arrow.
[f) For a closed network which does not broadcast its SSID -- hit 'UP' arrow to display 'Enter a network name,' then RIGHT arrow, then enter your closed network's SSID using the letter and number keys on the remote control, then RIGHT arrow twice to confirm.]
g) Enter your encryption (WEP, WPA, WPA2) key using the letter and number keys on the remote control, then RIGHT arrow twice to confirm.
h) Squeezebox should show 'Obtain IP address automatically (DHCP)' -- hit RIGHT arrow.
i) Squeezebox will display 'Obtaining an IP address,' then will briefly display the IP address it has received.
[j) For a network without DHCP, hit DOWN arrow to display 'Specify a static IP address,' then RIGHT arrow, then enter IP address.]
Continue to Step 2.
-or-
1B. If you do not have a wireless network, connect the Squeezebox (Classic or Transporter) to your wired ethernet local network (LAN)
a) Power on the Squeezebox.
b) Squeezebox should show 'Set up networking' -- hit 'RIGHT' arrow
c) Squeezebox should show 'Connect to a wireless network' -- hit 'DOWN' arrow to display 'Connect to an ethernet network'
d) If you haven't already, connect the Squeezebox to your LAN (via a switch, hub or router) with an ethernet cable.
e) Hit RIGHT arrow. Squeezebox should show 'Obtain IP address automatically (DHCP)' -- hit RIGHT arrow again.
f) Squeezebox will display 'Obtaining an IP address,' then will briefly display the IP address it has received
[g) For a network without DHCP, hit DOWN arrow to display 'Specify a static IP address,' then RIGHT arrow, then enter IP address]
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2. Connect the Squeezebox to the SqueezeNetwork
a) The Squeezebox should now show 'Select a music source: (1 of 2) / Specify an IP address'
b) To proceed with Pandora synchronization, hit 'DOWN' arrow to display instead ''Select a music source: (2 of 2) / Connect to SqueezeNetwork'
c) Hit RIGHT arrow. The Squeezebox should show 'Press RIGHT to set up...' -- follow this instruction and hit RIGHT arrow.
d) Squeezebox should show 'Please choose a Language / English' -- hit RIGHT arrow.
e) Select time zone using DOWN arrow and then hit RIGHT arrow to confirm.
f) The Squeezebox will now display its five-digit PIN -- Hit RIGHT arrow.
g) The Squeezebox should now show 'Now Playing' -- hit DOWN arrow until 'Player PIN: XXXXX' is displayed. Leave this screen open, and write down your PIN if you cannot see this screen from your computer.
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3. Sign up at the Squeezenetwork website on your computer.
a) Go to your computer, open your preferred web browser, and point it to http://www.squeezenetwork.com
b) Click the orange 'Get Started' button and fill out name, email, & password fields. Make a note of this information.
c) Enter the five-digit Squeezebox PIN from step 2g. Enter a descriptive name for your device, e.g. 'LivingRoom Squeezebox.' Click 'Next.'
d) IMPORTANT: If you already have a Pandora account you'll want to use with this Squeezebox, ignore the 'Music Services' page entirely and click 'Next.' (On the other hand, if you do not have a Pandora account at all yet, continue from step 3B.)
e) You will see an alert that you have been emailed an activation email. You must open your email and click the link sent to you to continue.
f) Note that on this alert screen, you have the option to download Squeezebox's "SqueezeCenter" software. Although downloading this software to your computer is required to play the music (e.g mp3, etc.) collection on your computer over your Squeezebox, it is not required to play Pandora over your Squeezebox.
g) After clicking the link in the activation email, click the gray "Accounts" link toward the upper right of the SqueezeNetwork web page. Then click the 'Pandora' tab.
h) Click the 'I already have a Pandora account' button at the bottom of the page. Enter your existing Pandora username (registered email address) and Pandora password, then click "Save."
Continue to Step 4.
-or-
3B. If you do not already have a Pandora account (have never registered for Pandora on the web), you can create one.
e) Check the 'Sign me up for a free account' checkbox in the Pandora section at the top of the 'Music Services' page.
f) On the right side of the page enter your full name on the first line. We recommend checking the second radio box, 'Use my Squeezenetwork password.' This is the same password you made a note of in step 3b). Also, enter your zip code, birth year and gender. Click 'Next.'
g) You will see an alert that you have been emailed an activation email. You must open your email and click the link sent to you before you can continue to step 4.
[h) Note that on this alert screen, you have the option to download Squeezebox's "SqueezeCenter" software. Although this software is required to play your music (e.g mp3, etc.) collection from your computer over your Squeezebox, it is not required to play Pandora over your Squeezebox.]
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4. Listen to Pandora on your Squeezebox.
a) Go back to the Squeezebox. You should now be able to hit the UP arrow on the Squeezebox remote until 'Pandora Radio' is displayed -- then hit RIGHT arrow.
b) The Squeezebox should now show 'Your Pandora Stations.' [If it does not, continue on to step 5.] Hit RIGHT arrow.
c) Hit DOWN arrow to select a station, then press PLAY.
d) You can vote "Thumbs Up" on a song (on any station originally created by you) by hitting RIGHT arrow twice [or vote "Thumbs Down" by hitting RIGHT arrow, DOWN arrow, RIGHT arrow].
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5. Pandora-on-Squeezebox Troubleshooting
a) In the SqueezeNetwork web browser window from step 3., click "delete" next to your connected player.
b) With the Squeezebox remote, hit DOWN arrow until a new 'Player PIN: XXXXX' is displayed.
c) Re-enter this new PIN (and player name) in the SqueezeNetwork browser window, under 'Players.'
d) Hit the UP arrow on the Squeezebox remote until 'Pandora Radio' is displayed -- hit RIGHT arrow.
e) The Squeezebox should now show 'Your Pandora Stations.'
[f) If it does not, try deleting your connected player again, as in step 5a) above, then repeating steps 2 through 4, as above. If still no success after a complete run-through from scratch, please contact Logitech technical support for assistance.]
Q: How can I listen to Pandora on my home stereo?
Pandora delivers high quality audio streams and they'll sound great on your stereo. There are a couple of options to set this up:
- The simplest option is to plug the audio output from your laptop or computer into an input on your stereo receiver. Generally this will require an audio adapter cable with a 1/8" (3.5mm) plug on one end, which splits to red-and-white, dual-RCA plugs on the other end.
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- An even better way to experience Pandora on your stereo is with one of our supported Pandora in the Home equipment options, such as the Sonos Digital Music System, or one of the Logitech Squeezebox or Transporter units.
These devices offer an elegant user interface with high audio quality. Connect any one of them to your home network (either wired or wireless) and enjoy Pandora without being tied to your computer. You'll be able to listen to all of the stations you have created at www.Pandora.com, rate songs, and bookmark favorites with a remote control. (You can also listen to your mp3 collection remotely from your computer, listen to other Internet radio options, and more!)
- Stay tuned for even more exciting new options for listening to Pandora!
Q: Can I listen to Pandora on any third-party software, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player?
Currently, no. Pandora requires two-way communication for such essential features as skipping songs, giving "Thumbs" feedback, and so on. At this time, such support is not available in third-party software.
Pandora does, however, offer a Pandora Vista Sidebar Gadget, available for all listeners, as below.
There is also a Pandora One Desktop Application for listeners who have upgraded to Pandora One.
Q: How do I download the Pandora Vista Sidebar Gadget?
You can download the Pandora Vista Sidebar Gadget here:
http://www.pandora.com/on-windowsgadget
NOTE: Other Pandora gadgets or download methods are not supported.
For more information on how to use and troubleshoot the Pandora Vista Sidebar Gadget, click here.
Q: How do I upgrade Flash to use the Pandora Vista Gadget? What do I do if I've upgraded Flash and I'm still getting the Pandora Vista Gadget upgrade message?
In order to use the Pandora Vista Gadget, you must first upgrade to the latest version of Flash from within Internet Explorer (not Firefox or any other browser).
To do so, open Internet Explorer and download Flash from:
http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash/
You should now be able to use the Pandora Vista Gadget.
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Special Note for 64-bit Vista users:
The Vista sidebar runs in 64-bit mode by default. Since Flash doesn't currently run in 64-bit browsers, you must configure your system to run the 32-bit version of the Vista sidebar in order to run the Pandora gadget (or any other Flash-based gadget for that matter).
Here are the steps for 64-bit Vista users (only):
1. Right-click the Windows Sidebar and select Properties.
2. Un-check the "Start Sidebar when Windows starts" option and hit OK.
then
3. Click the green Windows Start Button in the lower left of your screen.
4. Click "All Programs"
5. Scroll down until you see the "Startup" folder
6. Right-click the "Startup" folder and select "Explore"
7. In the window that pops up, right-click the empty white space and select New->Shortcut
8. Copy the following text, including quotes:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe"
9. Paste that copied text into the Shortcut's "Location" field.
10. Click "Next."
11. Click "Finish."
12. Restart Windows Vista 64
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Note for all users: Pandora, like most Sidebar Gadgets, launches automatically on startup. If you don't want Pandora to begin on startup, sign out at the end of a listening session by clicking "menu" in the lower left of the Sidebar Gadget, then selecting "sign out." When you want to listen again, you'll need to select "I already have an account," and sign in with your Pandora email address and password.
Q: Why does Pandora time-out after 1 hour?
Pandora will time-out after one hour without the Pandora Tuner receiving any input (giving a "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down," changing to another station, skipping a song, pausing and resuming a song, changing the volume, or any other interaction on our homepage).
At this point, you need only click the "I'm still listening" button to resume the music.
You can subscribe to extend the time-out interval to five hours.
In either case, this time-out occurs for several reasons:
* To prevent having to pay royalties on songs which are not being heard. Licensing is one of the most expensive aspects of providing the service.
* To reduce unnecessary bandwidth load on our servers for songs which are not being heard. Bandwidth is one of the other significant costs of providing the service.
* To promote an interactive listening and music discovery experience. Pandora shines best when you tell us what you like!
Q: What do I do if the Pandora Tuner does not load, and the www.Pandora.com homepage remains blank underneath the Pandora logo? What do I do if the Pandora Tuner loads, but no songs scroll into view?
This behavior means that the local settings and configurations on your computer or network are preventing the Pandora Tuner, which is a Flash application, from loading properly.
1. First, try installing or re-installing the Flash plug-in here. This will ensure you have the latest version, and help to rule out corrupted files.
2. Next, make sure your browser settings for JavaScript and secure content are set as follows:
* In Internet Explorer for Windows, select Tools->Internet Options:
-On the second tab, Security, click the Default Level button. Next, click on Trusted Sites in the upper scroll window, and then click the Sites button below it. Uncheck "Require Sever Verification https..." at the bottom, then enter "*.pandora.com," then click the Add button, then click the Close button.
-On the third tab, Privacy, move the slider to Medium. (To use additional Pandora features like Pandora Backstage, you may also need to modify your Pop-up blocker settings on this same tab.)
-On the fifth tab, Connections, click the LAN Settings button. Click the checkbox for "Automatically detect settings" if it isn't already and uncheck the checkbox for "Use a proxy server for your LAN" if it is selected. Click OK.
-On the last tab, Advanced, click the Restore Defaults button (this is called the Restore Advanced Settings button in IE7). Click OK at the bottom of the Internet Options box.
* In Firefox, make sure to disable add-ons (extensions) like Adblock, Flashblock, or NoScript.
* In Safari for Mac OSX, select Safari->Preferences->Security Tab. Under Web Content check every option except for "Block pop ups."
* Internet Explorer for Windows, Firefox for Windows, Firefox for Mac OS X, or Safari for Mac OS X are our only supported browsers. Please try one of these supported browsers for listening to Pandora!
3. If you are using a personal Internet firewall or anti-virus program, it could be blocking the Flash portions of the Pandora site. Try allowing access to www.Pandora.com within those programs, restarting your browser, and then try visiting www.Pandora.com again. If still having this issue, try disabling such programs entirely as a test. If that solves the issue, contact customer support for your security software to discuss allowing Flash content when browsing the internet.
4. Another possibility is that your system time/date is incorrect, which can cause issues with Pandora's security certificates. Make sure to set your system clock to the current date and time.
5. After taking the above steps, you should try restarting your browser (and then if issue persists, try rebooting your computer).
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If none of the above steps allow the Pandora Tuner to load on the www.Pandora.com homepage, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: What do I do if the current song doesn't finish playing, and a new one starts? What do I do if the music stops entirely in the middle of a song?
This is a relatively rare but frustrating issue which may have several possible causes. The simplest way to explain this issue is that something is interrupting the transfer of music, after it leaves our servers, but before it arrives at the Pandora Tuner running in your web browser's Flash Player.
Here are some possible solutions to this issue you may want to try, in order of increasing technical complexity:
1. First, to address possible Flash issues, see if the issue occurs in both of the web browsers that are supported for Pandora on your computer. Firefox and Internet Explorer (Firefox and Safari on the Mac) use different Flash Player plug-ins, so the other supported browser may work without any additional steps. If both browsers have the same issue, try installing or re-installing the Flash plug-in from within both browsers, then try again from each web browser. This will ensure you have the latest Flash version, and help to rule out corrupted Flash files.
2. Next, to isolate possible network connection issues, try listening from another computer on the same network, or try your computer on another network at a different location. Bypassing a hardware router, firewall or wireless access point may also prove helpful. If you are at work, we suggest you contact your IT department for assistance. If you are using a personal Internet firewall or anti-virus program, try allowing access to "*.Pandora.com" within those programs, or even disabling such programs entirely as a test.
3. On Windows XP systems, rebuilding the network stack has frequently been effective, although this is only recommended for more technically proficient listeners. You can use something like WinSock XP Fix for this step:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html
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If none of the above steps resolves the issue, be advised that we may not be able to resolve the issue for your particular computer or network. Nevertheless, feel free to contact Pandora Listener Support for additional assistance.
Q: What do I do if I receive an "It's taking longer than expected..." error on all of my Pandora stations?
This problem is generally caused by a poor internet connection, problems related to the Flash Player plug-in for your web browser, or security hardware or software installed by your workplace or school that is blocking music from Pandora.
Here are some possible solutions you may want to try, in order starting with the most likely causes:
1a. If you are at work or school, to isolate possible network security issues, try listening from another computer on the same network. Alternately, if you have a laptop or other portable computer, try your computer on another network at an entirely different location. Bypassing a hardware router, firewall or wireless access point may also prove helpful. Most importantly, we strongly suggest you contact your IT department for assistance.
1b. If you are at home and using a personal Internet firewall or anti-virus program, try allowing access to "*.Pandora.com" within those programs, or even disabling such programs entirely as a test. Bypassing a hardware router, firewall or wireless access point may also prove helpful. You may want to verify with your ISP that Pandora is not blocked or restricted on their network, and that your ISP is not having temporary routing issues.
2. Internet Explorer for Windows, Firefox for Windows, Firefox for Mac OS X, or Safari for Mac OS X are our only supported browsers. If you have only tried to listen to Pandora from one web browser, please try the other supported web browser for your computer!
3. Confirm you have a current version of the Flash Player plug-in installed:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer
4. Clear Flash Local Storage for the Flash Player plug-in.
a) Right click on the Pandora Tuner and select "Settings..."
b) Click the folder icon (the middle tab) at the bottom to reach the "Local Storage" menu.
c) Drag the slider all the way to the left (0 KB), which should display a warning that this will "cause all information for pandora.com to be removed," which is what we want. Click "OK," then click "Close."
d) Now reload the page by clicking 'Refresh' / 'Reload' from the browser toolbar (usually located between the 'Stop' button and the 'Back'/'Forward' buttons).
e) You should get a message that "pandora.com is requesting permission to store information on your computer", and then click "Allow." [Don't worry, it's a very small amount of data.]
f) Refresh the page again by clicking 'Refresh' / 'Reload.'
g) A screen will appear prompting you to start a new station, but ignore that, and instead click the blue "sign in" link in the upper right of the homepage, and sign in to Pandora.
5. Make sure your computer's date and time are set correctly, and your web browser settings are set correctly:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#144
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If none of the above steps resolves the issue, be advised that we may not be able to resolve the issue for your particular computer or network. Nevertheless, feel free to contact Pandora Listener Support for additional assistance.
Q: What do I do if the Tuner loads, and songs appear to be playing, but I can't hear any audio?
1. First, Pandora has a separate volume control in the upper right of the tuner. Make sure it's not all the way down (which can happen accidentally when switching between windows or applications, or when using certain keyboard commands). Try other audio applications like iTunes or Windows Media Player to ensure they're working correctly.
2. Next, try installing or re-installing the Flash plug-in here. This will ensure you have the latest version, and help to rule out corrupted files.
3. Since other Flash-based audio applications, websites, and advertisements can conflict with Pandora's audio, try rebooting your computer and reloading the http://www.pandora.com homepage (with no other applications or browser windows open).
4a. If you are using a PC, and can isolate the audio issue to the Pandora Tuner, make sure that the "Wave Balance" volume is set at least 50% within your advanced volume control window. [This is accessible by double clicking the tiny speaker icon in the lower right corner of your screen.]
Also, you may wish to install the K-Lite Codec Pack for Windows and run the "Codec Tweak Tool."
4b. If you're using a Mac, launching Garage Band once can magically fix Flash audio problems.
If you don't have Garage Band installed on your Mac, instead try opening Audio MIDI Setup (Finder->Applications->Utilities), and changing the Audio Output setting to 44100.0 Hz (then quit Audio MIDI Setup).
5. Note that only Internet Explorer and Firefox are supported as web browsers for PC users, and only Safari and Firefox are supported for Mac users. (If you are using any other browser you may have audio issues that cannot be resolved).
6. Finally, if you have a third-party or upgraded sound card, make sure you are plugged into the main speaker outputs of your sound card. If there are two outputs on your sound card, Pandora may only play from one of these outputs on some machines with some sound drivers. Updating your sound card drivers is also recommended.
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If none of the above steps resolve the audio issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: What do I do if the audio stops and starts within the same song (intermittent audio)?
Note: if you have recently been upgraded to Pandora One, try setting your "Audio Quality" back to "Normal Quality." http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#1500
1. In general, the most common cause of intermittent audio within the same song is attempting to use Pandora over a dial-up connection (also known as an analog modem connection). Pandora is not compatible with dial-up connections. Only a broadband (e.g. DSL, T1, or cable) connection of at least 150 kbps will smoothly deliver our high-quality audio streams.
2. Even if your connection is rated at sufficient bandwidth, sometimes there are issues that cause your actual throughput [a measure of how fast data is able to move across your internet connection] to fall below the minimum required for Pandora's audio streams. To verify you're getting at least 150 kbps from your broadband connection, try visiting a speed-test site (here a couple that we like):
- http://www.dslreports.com/stest
- http://promos.mcafee.com/speedometer/test_0600.asp
- http://www.speedtest.net
3. If you're getting adequate bandwidth, try installing or re-installing the Flash plug-in here. This will ensure you have the latest version, and help to rule out corrupted files.
4. Try restarting your computer and reloading the http://www.pandora.com homepage (with no other applications or windows open). This may help since other Flash-based audio applications, websites, and advertisements can conflict with Pandora's audio. Another reason this step might clear your issue is if your computer has less than the recommended CPU and RAM capacity, as detailed in http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#40.
5. If you're listening at work, there might be some restrictions on your network that would prevent Pandora from working properly. You might want to check with your IT department to see if this is the case. Another way to verify this is to check if it occurs on other computers in the network.
6. Note that only Internet Explorer and Firefox are supported as web browsers for PC users, and only Safari and Firefox are supported for Mac users. (If you are using any other browser you may have audio issues that cannot be resolved).
7. Finally, does this only happen on the same song(s) consistently? If so, there could be a problem with the actual song file in our database. It's rare, but it does happen. Use the email address below to let us know the song title and artist name for that particular track.
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If none of the above steps resolve the audio issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: What do I do if the audio sounds like "chipmunks" (the audio is high-pitched and plays too quickly)? What do I do if the audio is distorted, plays backwards, or plays two songs at once?
Here are some good steps to take. Try restarting your web browser and listening to Pandora after you complete each step:
1. To address Flash-related issues, try installing or re-installing the Flash plug-in here. This will ensure you have the latest version, and help to rule out corrupted files.
2a. If you're on a PC, install or re-install the latest drivers for your sound card. You may also wish to install the K-Lite codec pack and run the "Codec Tweak Tool." Here is the link: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm
2b. If you're on a Mac, launching GarageBand once can often fix Flash audio problems. If you don't have GarageBand installed on your Mac, instead try opening Audio MIDI Setup (Finder->Applications->Utilities), and changing the Audio Output setting to 44100.0 Hz (then quit Audio MIDI Setup).
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If none of the above steps resolve this issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: Why can't I hear Pandora when it's minimized to my Dock in Safari on my Macintosh? Why can't I hear Pandora after opening another site in a new Tab in Safari on my Macintosh?
Due to the way Safari handles Flash-audio applications like Pandora, both "minimizing" to the Dock (using the yellow 'minus' button in the upper left of the Safari window) and switching to another active Safari Tab within the same window prevent Pandora audio from playing.
There are two solutions:
- Run Pandora in its own Safari window, and do not minimize it (leave it in the background as you switch to other windows or applications).
- Use Firefox for Mac OS X for listening to Pandora, and if you wish you can still use Safari for other Internet activities.
Q: How do I enable Flash Local Storage?
The best way to enable Flash Local Storage and verify your Flash settings, is to visit this online Flash settings manager.
This link will open a browser window displaying your web browser's actual global Flash configuration settings, beginning with the 'Global Storage Settings' tab, which has an icon featuring a file folder superimposed on a globe.
From here, make sure the "allow third party Flash content to store data on your computer" checkbox is checked. Next, drag the slider above that checkbox up to "100k" or higher.
Next, click the tab immediately to the right (the icon has a lock superimposed on a globe), which is 'Global Security Settings.' From here, select the "Always ask" option.
Next, click the tab to the far right (the icon has a file folder and a green arrow), which is the 'Website Storage Settings.' From here, click the "Websites" column header to alphabetize the list. If you find a "pandora.com" entry, click on it to highlight it, then click the "Delete website" button. If there is no entry for "pandora.com" then you may proceed.
Finally, click back to each of the three tabs listed above and carefully verify the settings on each one. Do not skip this step!
Once you've done this, restart your browser [or reboot your computer], then try to sign back in to www.Pandora.com.
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NOTE: If you are using a work computer, we recommend first talking to your IT / Tech Support team. Your IT staff may have information essential to performing this task, and you should be sure any actions taken are consistent with your workplace IT policies.
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Note for IT / Tech Support staff: If you are in a Windows domain login environment, such as a workplace network, there could be a conflict with the location of the Desktop directory. Some users have reported success by creating an empty folder named "Desktop" in their home directories (so if you already have a "Desktop" folder in your home directory, this probably will not help).
In explorer, go to your home directory location:
XP: C:\Documents and Settings\WINDOWS-USERNAME\
Vista: C:\Users\WINDOWS-USERNAME\
Create a new folder named "Desktop" in that location. Then try enabling Flash Local Storage again, as above.
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If none of the above steps resolve this issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q. When I try to sign out, why does Pandora automatically sign me in again? How do I clear Flash Local Storage?
The Pandora Tuner stores sign-in information in the Flash Local Storage which applies to all web browsers and user accounts on a given computer. If you are unable to sign out, clear the Flash Local Storage as follows:
1. Reinstall Flash:
*Download Flash Player for Windows (2000, XP or Vista) here*
*Download Flash Player for Mac OS X (all processors) here*
2. Right click on the Pandora Tuner and select "Settings..."
3. Click the second tab (the folder icon) at the bottom to reach the "Local Storage" menu.
4. Drag the slider all the way to the left (0 KB), click "OK," then "Close."
5. Now reload the page by clicking 'Refresh' / 'Reload' from the browser toolbar (usually located between the 'Stop' button and the 'Back'/'Forward' buttons).
6. You should get a message complaining about Flash Local Storage not being enabled, and then click "Allow."
7. Refresh the page again by clicking 'Refresh' / 'Reload.'
8. The Pandora Tuner will prompt you to sign in with a "Sign in to Pandora" drop-down window in the Pandora Tuner. (You may need to click the blue "Sign in" link in the upper right of the homepage.)
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If none of the above steps resolve this issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: Why do I receive the message that reads, "A script in this movie is causing Adobe Flash Player 9 to run slowly. If it continues to run, your computer may become unresponsive. Do you want to abort the script?" and what should I do when it appears?
First of all, there is no cause for alarm. You should just click "No," when you are asked to abort the script. It may be a while before your requested action is completed, but the Pandora Tuner will eventually complete that task if given enough time.
In essence, Pandora is asking Flash to think about too much data and Windows is notifying you of that fact. We are aware of this issue, we have taken several steps to reduce its frequency, and we are working on a resolution to prevent this from occurring under any circumstances.
If your machine already has at least the minimum recommended 256 MB of RAM, then in the meantime we suggest that you remove stations that you no longer use. (Click the little triangle next to the station's name, then click "Delete this station." Then confirm by clicking "delete." Note: deleting a station you have created is permanent.)
Q: Can I browse the Internet and listen to Pandora at the same time? How come other Pandora links stop the music and then load pages in the same browser tab/window?
Yes, you can certainly browse the internet while you listen to Pandora. Here's how to ensure best results.
1) Always open Pandora in a new browser window (Ctrl-N or File -> New Window). Do not re-use a browser window or browser tab for listening to Pandora.
2) Make sure your web browser is set to use a new window or a new tab when clicking a link:
a) In Internet Explorer 7, if you are using 'Tabbed Browsing,' then be sure to set Tools -> Internet Options -> General -> Tabs -> Tabbed Browsing Settings so that "Open links from other programs in" is set to "a new window" or "a new tab in the current window."
b) In Firefox 3, no changes are necessary, but under Tools-> Options -> Tabs, you will have the option to open links in a new window or a new tab.
c) In Safari, no changes are necessary, but under Edit -> Preferences -> Tabs, you will have the option to open links in a new window or a new tab by default.
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If none of the above steps resolve your issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: Why can't I vote on a song? Why are the "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" buttons blacked out? Why can't I change a station's definition?
The above conditions indicate that you are listening to a shared station that cannot be duplicated or "cloned" ("made your own"), meaning it can only be modified by its original creator.
Almost all stations can be duplicated or "cloned" simply by giving Thumbs feedback on that station. For the few stations that cannot be duplicated or "cloned", then click the little triangle next to the shared station's name, then select "View this station's definition," then make notes on (or take screenshots of) its defined starting points.
Next, create a new station from one of these starting points, then click the little triangle next to the new station's name and use the "Add more music to this station" option to add the rest of the starting points.
Since you can now control which songs receive "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down," you will end up with a station much closer to your own tastes than even the original!
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For more information about shared stations, see http://blog.Pandora.com/faq/#20.
Q: Why can't I create a new station?
There are two common reasons this might happen.
First, you may already have the maximum 100 stations. If this is the case, you will have to delete one or more stations to add another.
Otherwise, you are probably trying to create a station from a single artist that you have already used to define another station. If so, Pandora will just redirect you to the existing station. Pandora can only create one unique station per artist, due to licensing requirements.
If you are looking to build a similar station to one you already have, you may want to try starting your new station with a specific song title by that same artist. Alternately you could try using another similar artist to define your new station.
Q: What do I do if a station I already deleted re-appears in my station list?
There are a couple of things to try:
- Make sure that if you've saved www.Pandora.com as a 'Favorite' in Internet Explorer, or as a 'Bookmark' in Firefox or Safari, that the link you have saved is just "http://www.pandora.com." Saving a longer link can produce unintended results.
- Sign out of Pandora using the blue "Sign out" link in the upper right of the homepage, shut down your web browser without signing back in, then restart your browser and sign back in to Pandora. The station should now remain deleted.
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If none of the above steps resolve this issue, please contact Pandora Listener Support.
Q: Why can't I hear any audio from the song sample links on the Backstage pages or the Profile pages?
The little triangles to the left of a song title in your list of Bookmarks and Pandora Backstage should play a short sample of each song. (Note: Songs with explicit content will not have a sample, which will be reflected by the lack of a triangular play icon to the left of the song name in Pandora Backstage.) If you click a triangular play icon, but do not hear any audio, try:
- Making sure you are using one of our supported platforms: Internet Explorer and Firefox for Windows (2000, XP, and Vista) and Safari and Firefox for Mac OS X (10.3+).
- Disabling any personal firewall or anti-virus programs you may have installed on your computer, or adding Pandora.com as an allowed site.
- Try installing or re-installing the Flash plug-in here. This will ensure you have the latest version, and help to rule out corrupted files.
Q: Why don't my Pandora links to iTunes work? What do I do if I have trouble purchasing music from iTunes by clicking through Pandora?
There are a few things to try:
* You may need to install the iTunes software on your computer. If this is the case, you will usually be prompted to download iTunes.
Otherwise, you can use this link:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
* If you already have iTunes installed, but our iTunes referral link cannot find your copy of iTunes, just click the "I have iTunes" button in the prompt window.
* You may need to turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from www.Pandora.com.
Otherwise, most likely iTunes doesn't sell music by that artist (which is quite common as we have included thousands of very obscure artists in the Music Genome Project collection) or it does so under a slightly different name or spelling. Once the iTunes referral link pulls up iTunes, try manually searching for the artist or song name with a couple of different spellings (including different spacing).
If you cannot find the artist by any spelling, try a Google search for that artist name to find their official site, which will usually have a purchase option. We hope you'll take the time to do that, as these artists are all dying to meet new fans!
Q: What do I do if I have trouble purchasing music from Amazon by clicking through Pandora?
Most likely Amazon doesn't sell CDs by that artist (which is quite common as we have included thousands of very obscure artists in the Music Genome Project collection) or it does so under a slightly different name or spelling. Once the Amazon referral link pulls up the Amazon site, try manually searching for the artist or song name with a couple of different spellings (including different spacing).
If you cannot find the artist by any spelling, try a Google search for that artist name to find their official site, which will usually have a purchase option. We hope you'll take the time to do that, as these artists are all dying to meet new fans!
Q: How do I get the "Your Profile," "About the Music" and "Share" buttons to work?
To use these features, you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker or allow pop-ups from www.Pandora.com.
Q: What type of classical music do you play?
Pandora has an extensive collection of recorded classical performances, including tens of thousands of recordings by over 500 composers from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern and Contemporary periods. Over the coming months we will add additional recorded performances of the more popular works in these categories, as well as performances of many more works by lesser-known composers. We will also be adding some music from the Renaissance and Middle Ages.
Q: How do I start a classical music station?
The easiest way to start enjoying classical music on Pandora is to simply enter the name of a classical composer. Within seconds, your station will begin playing music by that composer, along with similar music by other composers. Giving "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" feedback will allow you to tune that station to accommodate your tastes. You can also create a new station from a composer or track that's currently playing. (To do this, click the album art, and under "New Station:" just select either "From Song" or "From Composer.")
Q: How can I start a station from a particular classical work?
The best way to do this is to go to Pandora Backstage and search by composer name (click the "About the Music" button above the Pandora Tuner, and select "Find An Artist"). Once you find a specific track or a movement on a particular album, you can create a station from that particular track. We chose to use a browsing interface for track-based classical stations (rather than directly searching for individual tracks) because we believe this will give listeners the best opportunity to easily find music they will enjoy.
Q: Why can't I hear an entire classical work in order?
Classical music on Pandora is subject to the same licensing restrictions that apply to other musical forms. We cannot play a specific track immediately on request, and we are limited in the number of tracks we can play from a single CD, or by a single performer, within a 3-hour period. The combination of these rules prevents playing all the movements of a symphony in order, for example.
Q: Can I add individual classical tracks to a classical music station?
Currently there is no easy way to expand an existing classical station in this way, but it is on our list of things to work on. In the meantime, we suggest that you start a station from a particular track (see above) and then give "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" feedback to further refine the station.
Q: Do you have world music?
At this time, our current library is almost entirely composed of music with predominantly English lyrics. However, we have recently added a fairly substantial collection of Latin and Brazilian music.
Genres now represented in our collection include Pop, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Hip-hop/Rap, Country, Folk, Electronica/Dance, New Age/Ambient and Latin/Brazilian.
Our ongoing goal is to include more music from around the world such as music with French and German lyrics, J-Pop, Indian Raga, tribal music from Africa and South America, and much more.
We realize this may take a while, but we have every intention of providing the same quality of listening and discovery experience for as much of the world's music as possible.
Q: How can I hear holiday music?
To hear holiday music on Pandora, just start by entering the name of a favorite holiday song (for example, "Jingle Bells"). We'll then ask you to pick from a list of artists who have a version of that song in the Music Genome. Pick your favorite version and we'll create a station that will play other similar holiday music. While we're not able to play that exact song immediately, it will play on your station eventually, so keep listening!
If you'd rather start from an artist, just enter the artist's name followed by the word holiday (for example, "Nat King Cole Holiday"). We'll then use that input to build a holiday station based on the musical qualities of that performer's holiday classics.
We're busy adding more seasonal music everyday, so keep coming back and expect your holiday stations to improve over time.
Q: How can I prevent holiday music from playing on my stations?
Usually this happens when you vote "Thumbs Up" on a song marked "(holiday)," although sometimes it happens when you're adding an artist to a station, and accidentally choose the artist entry marked "(holiday)."
In either case, click the little triangle next to the name of the station in question, then select "Edit this station."
* If it's an artist name that's causing the holiday music, then from the main edit screen, click the checkbox next to any artist entry which ends in "(holiday)" then click the "remove checked" button at the end of the artist list. [You can then re-add the non-holiday version of that artist, again by clicking the little triangle next to that station's name, then selecting "Add more music to this station."]
* If it's a song to which you've previously given a "Thumbs Up" that is generating the holiday music, then from the main edit screen click the checkbox next to any holiday song and then click the "remove checked" button at the end of the song list.
Q: Why do you play the explicit versions of songs?
After much thought and internal debate, we decided to remain true to the artists' original intent for each song. As a result, the music analysts for the Music Genome work from the originally released version of every song, regardless of content that may be objectionable to certain listeners, and by default all registered listeners will hear music from our entire collection.
That said, we're of course sympathetic to the concerns of those listeners who don't want to hear offensive or explicit lyrics. Therefore, we have implemented a feature which filters out songs with explicit content. See the next entry below, http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#541, for instructions on how to use this feature.
Q: How do I tell Pandora not to play songs with explicit content?
You can filter out songs with explicit content, based on the analysis from the Music Genome Project, as well as other sources.
Just click the blue "account" link in the upper right of the page. (In certain views of the Pandora Tuner, you must instead click the "Account" button, which will appear along the top edge of the Pandora Tuner, then select "Edit this account.")
In the "Your account settings" drop-down window that will appear in the Pandora Tuner, next to "Allow explicit content" in the lower left, click "edit." Click the "NO. Do not allow explicit content" button. You will then have the option to enable parental controls if you wish. Otherwise, just click the "NO. I'm Done Here" button.
[Note: If you have this filtering feature activated and still hear a song on one of your stations that contains explicit content, please give the song a "Thumbs Down" immediately to ban the song from playing on your station again. Also, to report an incorrectly categorized track, write to us including the artist name, song title, and listed album title in an email to: pandora-info@pandora.com. We will promptly review that song's analysis.]
Q: Why didn't you play the explicit version of a song? Why did you play the radio-edit version of a song?
Whenever there is a choice, we buy the original, unedited, version of all music we acquire. However, sometimes there is only an edited version still commercially available, most commonly when a song is re-released as part of a movie soundtrack compilation, or as part of a best-of collection.
In other cases we sometimes get the radio-edit version before we find the original, explicit version. When this happens, since both versions are often titled identically, and almost indistinguishable from a musicological perspective, Pandora might select the radio-edit track from one of these sources instead of the original track from the original album source.
In short, this issue is an unfortunate reality of the record business - sometimes songs that are labeled identically are not identical.
[Note: you may want to verify that you do not have the explicit content filter feature enabled. See the above entry (http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#541) for instructions on how to access this feature, making sure to select "YES. Allow explicit content."]
Q: How can I hear (only) instrumental music on a station?
For the time being, we recommend defining such a station with several instrumental song titles (or names of artists that almost exclusively play instrumental music). Although not entirely foolproof, stations defined this way will lean heavily toward instrumental music. Since presence or absence of vocals is included in the Music Genome's analyzed traits, voting "Thumbs Down" on any tracks with vocals that may happen to play will help you train your station even more accurately.
We're considering several features to give you more control of what music will play on your stations.
Q: How do I suggest music if it's not already on Pandora?
When you try to add a song or artist to one of your stations, or try to create a station from a song or artist, and Pandora doesn't recognize it, please let us know!
Send your music suggestions to:
suggest-music@pandora.com
NOTE: If you have a band (or personally know a band), please do not write in with a suggestion. Instead, please submit your music to Pandora as an Indie Submission. If you know a band, you can share this option with them.
We love to hear what music is on your mind, and we prioritize listener requests when acquiring new music to add to the Music Genome. We also review 'failed searches' to potentially add to our acquisitions list.
Q: How do I submit my music (or my band's music) to be considered for inclusion on Pandora?
We're very excited to announce a brand-new process to submit your music (or your band's music) to Pandora.
You'll need:
* a CD of your music
* a unique UPC code for that CD
* your CD to be available through Amazon (must be a physical CD, not just MP3s for download)
* the legal rights to your music
* MP3 files for two of the songs from your CD
* a free Pandora account, based on a valid email address, which can be associated with your music
Once you have all of these items ready to go, you can submit your music to Pandora here:
http://submitmusic.pandora.com/
To obtain your own UPC code at a low cost, click here. If you already have a UPC code through your record label, just use that one.
To make your CD available on Amazon (after you have a UPC code), you can sign up for the low-cost Amazon Advantage program (click here).
NOTE: We cannot accept music available only as downloads through the Amazon MP3 store; you must have a physical CD for sale.
NOTE: We display album art directly from Amazon, so be sure your album art and other information are correct on Amazon before submitting your music to Pandora! Even so, album art may not appear on Pandora until a few weeks after your music goes live. If you need assistance correcting your album art or information on Amazon, click here.
The Pandora Indie Submission process starts when we verify the UPC code for your CD through Amazon. Then you will upload your MP3 tracks, and we will review the music you've submitted for possible inclusion. After we've reviewed your music, you'll be notified of the outcome either way. If your music is included in Pandora's Music Genome Project, then we'll ask you to send the CD to us, along with a form legally authorizing Pandora to play the music on your CD.
Please don't write to check up on your submission, as that will just take away time we could be using to work on listening to submissions. You'll definitely hear from us after we listen to your submission!
We hope the new process will be faster, easier and much more transparent for submitting musicians, with a definite outcome for each submission.
Thanks again for your interest in having your music on Pandora!
Q: How can a band or label submit "music videos" to be played on Pandora?
This is a new, special project for us. Most artists only have music on Pandora, and you do not need to create a video in order to submit your music to the Music Genome Project. The new music submissions process is entirely separate.
Please bear in mind that we are not asking for suggestions of videos to add; we want to hear from the people who created, or own the rights to, the video content in question. We cannot add or embed videos that are streaming on other sites. For us to air a video, we need to download the original video content directly from the content owners.
We are looking for musician- and label-produced music videos, the kind that usually run on television -- or, rather, USED to run on television. Pandora follows basic network-TV standards, so explicit content is discouraged.
We accept submissions in H.264, MPEG-4, Quicktime, Flash video, and Windows Media formats. Please aim for higher-resolution video files. We transcode videos before airing, and so for your sake, we want to avoid double-compression artifacts as much as we possibly can.
The videos will be available on Pandora only for streaming by visitors to our www.Pandora.com website, not for download, and the final display of the videos will be:
480 x 360 frame size (4:3)
24 fps
16 / 44.1 audio
FLV format
Here are the two options for submitting music videos:
1. WE WILL DOWNLOAD FROM YOUR FTP
If you have a FTP site where you have video files already stored, you can just send that URL with artist and song details. This method is often preferred by labels who have dozens or hundreds of artist videos to submit.
2. YOU CAN MAIL US A DATA DVD
Please send your file as a data DVD, and avoid building a menu on the disc. We can only accept DVDs without menus, as the conversion from a menu-based VOB file will damage the file integrity of the videos. Data DVDs containing large QuickTime files are best.
That address:
Pandora Media
attn: Kevin Seal
360 22nd Street, Suite 440
Oakland CA 94612
As always, Pandora will be selling sponsorship on the Video Series page. These ads typically consist of a standard 15-second video pre-roll, and static ads to the right and top of the display screen. With some sponsors, we also include a post-roll advertisement. These ads are served separately from the musical content.
After submission of the video, Pandora will send legal documents regarding usage rights. Each label or artist will retain full rights to every submitted video, of course, and this document will just grant Pandora usage rights to enable streaming on the Pandora site.
Not every video submitted will be aired on Pandora. We follow the same curation guidelines for video as we do for audio, namely that artistic focus and creative excellence are key.
Contact kevin [at] pandora [dot] com if you have videos to submit, and please mention which of these two download methods you prefer to use.
Q: How many songs do you have in your collection?
There are well over half a million analyzed songs, and counting...
Q: How long does it take to analyze a track? How many songs do you add to the collection in a month?
It takes most of our seasoned analysts about 20 minutes to analyze a single track. Pop singles takes less time, than say, many jazz tracks do. Some songs can take well over 30 minutes to analyze.
We add over 15,000 analyzed tracks to the Music Genome a month!
Q: How many attributes or "genes" are there in the Music Genome?
There are just shy of 400 musical attributes in the Music Genome Project.
When you ask the Pandora Tuner "why is this song playing?" what gets displayed is just a summary of the information used by the Music Genome.
Even two songs that show identical answers to "why is this song playing?" still have countless differences that the Music Genome uses when it matches music based on each of those songs.
These attribute summaries are just intended to provide some interesting insight into the musicological elements of a song -- without getting into dozens of individual attributes for each element.
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For an explanation of the most common summary elements, please see the final section of this FAQ, beginning with:
http://blog.pandora.com/faq/#92
Q: What audio quality is the music you play?
The music you'll hear when listening to Pandora on the Web and Pandora in the Home is encoded using either the MP3 or the AAC+ codecs, as is true for most high-quality Internet radio services. We're using new advances in audio encoding whenever possible, and our goal is always to strike a good balance between full, rich sound quality, and the bandwidth required for each listener to use Pandora.
For Pandora on the Go, the codecs and bitrates vary across the many platforms we support. We offer high audio quality competitive with that of any mobile radio option available.
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Q: What is "vamping"?
Vamping is a term that refers to extended improvisation over a repeated chord change. One of the quintessential examples of vamping is last section, or 'outro,' to "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, featuring a 5-minute epic guitar solo over some repeated chords.
Q: What is "syncopation"?
Syncopation is a rhythmic quality to music in which the emphasis is placed "off" the beat.
Most rock and roll music is syncopated in nature. Rather than emphasizing the more traditional 1 and 3 of the 1-2-3-4 count, the snare drum places emphasis on the 2 and 4 counts. Think of it this way: one-TWO-three-FOUR-one-TWO-three-FOUR.
Syncopation can also fall between the counts. Reggae music is an example of this type of a syncopated rhythm (one-AND-two-AND-three-AND-four). Latin music often features syncopated rhythms as well.
Q: What is "major/minor key tonality"?
Major key tonality means that the song's harmony is based on a major scale. The song's harmony will resolve and come to rest on a major chord, which is usually perceived as a brighter, happier sound than a minor chord, which generally is perceived to have a more somber, melancholy sound.
Technically speaking, the difference between a major chord and a minor chord is that the 3rd degree of a major chord is one half-step higher than the 3rd degree of a minor chord. A song with major key tonality may contain some minor chords in the progression, but it will always come to rest and feel 'at home' on a major chord. An example of a song with major key tonality is "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles. An example of minor key tonality is "House Of The Rising Sun" by the Animals.
Q: What is "chromatic harmony"?
Most songs utilize harmonies that are based on a specific key center with chords derived from a seven-note scale. This seven-note scale is called a "diatonic scale", and the chords derived from these notes are known as "diatonic harmony". Chromatic harmony refers to harmonies that are not limited to the seven notes of the diatonic scale. Songs using chromatic harmony may have chords that are built on any note of the twelve-tone chromatic scale.
Chromatic harmonies can occur in many styles of music and are commonly heard in avant-garde jazz, modern classical music, and even rap such as The Wu Tang Clan.
Q: What is "acoustic instrumentation"?
Acoustic instruments are musical instruments that can be played without additional amplification or use of electricity. Examples include the grand piano, the saxophone, the acoustic guitar, the violin, and the upright bass. These rely on the vibration and resonance of different components of the instrument to produce audible sound.
Most instruments in their original form were acoustic in nature, however modern pop and rock music styles often utilize their electrical equivalents.
Q: What is "electric instrumentation"?
Electric instruments are musical instruments that utilize electricity to generate audible sound. The electric guitar is probably the most widely known electric instrument. It is tuned and played like the acoustic guitar, but it uses magnetic "pickups" to sense the vibrations of the guitar strings. These vibrations are converted to an electrical signal, which is then amplified using a speaker. Most electric instruments aren't clearly audible without the use of amplification.
Many other acoustic instruments have electric equivalents: the piano is similar to the keyboard/synthesizer. The upright bass has commonly been replaced with the electric bass guitar in pop and rock music.
Electric instruments have been around for longer than you might think: one of the first electric instruments was the Denis d'or, which was invented in the 18th century!
Q: What are "experimental sounds"?
Occasionally songs employ sounds that are not ordinarily considered musical. A classic example is Pink Floyd's seminal album Dark Side Of The Moon. Clocks, cash registers and helicopters abound! Experimental sounds can also include noises generated from standard instruments. For example, a "prepared piano" is one that has foreign objects placed in the strings to create strange, unconventional sound effects.
Q: What is a "Basic rock song structure"?
Most pop songs, across a huge range of styles and eras, are structured according to common convention, from which we get "verse," "chorus" and "bridge" as terms for the sections of songs. For example, "Wrapped Around Your Finger" by The Police is structured as follows: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse (variation), chorus, outro. Some rock/pop artists make an effort to buck these conventions by employing more elaborate structures. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen is a good example of a rock song that does not rely on basic rock song structures.
Q: What is "meandering melodic phrasing"?
Meandering melodies generally cover a wide range of high and low notes without much repetition, lending a feeling of surprise or freshness to the melodic line. Examples of songs with meandering melodies are "Yesterday" by The Beatles, "Just The Two Of Us" by Bill Withers, or "Saint Simon" by The Shins.
Q: What is "orchestral arranging"?
From a Gloria Gaynor string section to a Smashing Pumpkins hit with timpani and chimes, some songs feature something more ambitious than the usual "combo"-style instrumentation. Orchestral arrangements often include large string and horn sections, along with orchestral percussion like timpani, vibraphone etc... A full Wagnerian orchestra with it's own zip code is not required for a song to merit this tag, but it helps.
Q: What are "east coast rap roots"?
"East Coast rap roots" refers to music that references East Coast style rap. East Coast rap may be characterized by the heavy use of samples (often R&B), occasional use of swung 16th notes, light or sparse bass lines, and a vocal aesthetic originating from New England and the Middle Atlantic USA. The lyrical delivery of East Coast rap is exemplified by a varied vocal delivery, highly developed rhyme structure, an East Coast urban accent, etc.
Q: What are "west coast rap roots"?
"West Coast rap roots" refers to music that references West Coast rap. West Coast rap may be exemplified by use of funk samples, heavy funk influence, prominent bass lines, beats made for dancing, and heavy backbeats. The lyrical delivery of West Coast rap is exemplified by traditional rhyme structures, simpler rhythms, prominent use of hype men [a performer responsible for backup rapping to emphasize certain parts of the rhyme] and backing vocalists, and a West Coast (L.A./Bay Area/Latino) accent.
Q: What are "old school roots"?
"Old-school roots" refers to rap music in its earliest form. In its infancy rap was a very diverse form of music. With influences ranging from electro to disco to doo-wop, the sound of old-school rap is not easily pigeonholed. However, for our purposes old-school rap may be exemplified by simple beats, rudimentary use of sampled music, poorer fidelity, verses with only an MC and a drumbeat, and a general aesthetic of the late 1970s and 80s. Old-school lyrical delivery may be exemplified by simple rhyme patterns and rhythms, vocal trading of 4 or 8 bars, and simple vocal punctuations (typically on beats 2 and 4).
Q: What are "southern rap roots"?
Southern rap roots refers to music that references southern style rap music. Southern rap may be exemplified by 16th and 32nd notes on hi-hat and snare drum, implied double-time, dominant bass lines which are often synthetic, beats made for dancing, and repetitive rhythm tracks. The lyrical delivery of southern rap may be exemplified by repetitive vocal chants, extremely fast or slow speed, the regular use of 3 or more MCs, aggressive rhythmic delivery, and a southern (often mislabeled as country) accent.
Q: What is "gangsta rap attitude"?
Gangsta rap is a type of rap music that focuses on, and typically promotes, the lifestyles of contemporary inner city gangsters. While the term gangsta rap is often used to refer to West Coast rap created in the 90s by artists like Dr. Dre and 2Pac, at Pandora we use it to define any type of rap that focuses on crime or other 'negative' social topics.
Q: What is "downtempo influence"?
Downtempo is an all-inclusive term for laid-back electronic music that falls between electronic dance music (house, trance, techno) and ambient music (Brian Eno, Steve Roach, etc.). Like electronic dance music, downtempo has a definite beat and structure. However, it is slower, and is more likely to use dub-like hypnotic effects a la ambient music.
Q: What are "trance roots"?
"Trance roots" refers to music that references the musical aspects of trance.
Trance is a form of electronic dance music that first surfaced in the 1990s. It is characterized by several factors including repetitive synth lines, quick tempos (125-160bpm), dramatic build-ups/breakdowns, and a musical form that morphs between sections.
Q: What are "trip-hop roots"?
Trip-hop in its broadest scope is any type of electronic music with enhanced texture over beats from rap music. Trip-hop was developed in England in the 1990s, and gained popularity through artists like Portishead, Massive Attack, and Tricky.
Musicologically, trip-hop is characterized by the heavy use of samples and breakbeats, mellow tempo (85-110 bpm), minor key tonality, swung 16th notes, and heavy emphasis on sung vocals. "Trip-hop roots" refers to music that utilizes the musical aspects of trip-hop.
Q: What is a "G-funk synth line"?
This is a high-pitched synthesizer sound that is typically constructed using a sine wave synthesizer signal with plenty of portamento, which makes the notes 'slide' between one another.
The use of this sound was popularized by g-funk music (the "g" being short for gangsta), a type of West Coast rap pioneered most notably by Dr. Dre. Most g-funk songs are based around slowed down funk samples (especially from the band Parliament), deep bass lines, and the g-funk synth.
Q: What is "chopped & screwed production"?
Chopped & screwed (also known as screwed & chopped) is a style of southern rap music pioneered by the late DJ Screw of Houston, TX, USA. Using a sensibility not far removed from dub remixers like King Tubby and Lee Perry, DJ Screw would take his favorite records/beats and remix them by slowing them down, applying DJ techniques such as scratching, stop time, stuttering, and adding external effects to create a "chopped & screwed" version of the original. Today, many southern rap albums are produced as double discs complete with an original version and a chopped & screwed version. Modern remixers carrying on Screw's legacy include Swishahouse Records, Michale "5000" Watts, OG Ron C, etc.
Q: What is "vinyl ambience"?
When a record is played using a turntable there are several artifacts added to the sound. These artifacts are caused by dust or other imperfections in the groove of a record and they are often described as 'crackles', 'hisses', and 'pops.' They create a background ambience that affects the songs' overall feel and perceived sound.
Q: What are "headnodic beats"?
What do you call beats that are too quick to slow-dance to, too slow to really get down, but still make you want to move your body? At Pandora we call these 'headnodic beats.' 'Headnodic beats' will cause most people to sway their bodies or nod their heads in time, but are not ferocious enough to compel them/you to jump up and dance. Headnodic beats are often found in rap and downtempo music.
Q: What is "use of sing-jaying"?
Sing-jaying is a technique popularized by reggae (typically Jamaican) vocalists who use a repetitive vocal melody, or riff, as a basis for their rap. What results is a rap that is sung, but still has room for exciting rhythmic improvisations. Sing-jaying is the dominant style of vocal delivery in dancehall music and can be observed by listening to such artists as Barrington Levy, Eek-A-Mouse, and Sean Paul.
Q: What is a "wet/dry recording sound"?
When a sound is produced, what a listener or microphone hears is not just the source of the sound. Rather, it is an aggregate of the source and its reflections off of surfaces around it (i.e., sound reflections or echoes). A space is considered to be 'wet' or reverberant when sound reflections are prominent. When reflections are muted or absent, a space is considered to be 'dry' or non-reverberant.
One example of a 'wet' sounding space is a tiled bathroom, or large cathedral. An example of a 'dry' sounding space is a closet filled with clothes.
For a Pandora Presents... episode on related recording techniques, see Recording Vocals.
Q: What are "house roots"?
House is a type of electronic dance music that began in Chicago in the 1980s. The name is derived from the club where it was first heard - The Warehouse Nightclub - and in its earliest stages may be understood as a melding of disco with electronic music.
House music is characterized by a prominent four-on-the floor drum beat (four quarter-note kick drums per measure, usually associated with an upbeat high-hat), repetitive basslines, traditional pop harmonic/melodic structure, heavy use of looping, and sounds that are electronic, synthetic or sampled in nature.
Q: What are "IDM influences"?
IDM is an acronym for "intelligent dance music." This term has been controversial, even among those artists best known for representing this genre. For one thing, the use of the adjective "intelligent" alienates other musicians by implying that their music is not intelligent. For another, while the word "dance" is in the title, at best dancing to IDM is difficult, and in some cases almost impossible. Despite these faults, the acronym 'IDM' has persisted as a commonly used descriptor.
IDM came about in the early 1990s as an umbrella term for experimental music being created by electronic music producers. IDM is so diverse that it is not easily defined. From a very broad perspective, IDM typically features intricate editing, dense sample texturing, heavy use of synthetic effects, complicated and often confusing rhythms, and a general aesthetic of eclecticism and stretching of traditional musical boundaries.
Q: What is "Odd Meter"?
In music notation, a piece of music is broken up into small units of fixed length called 'measures.' Unless otherwise indicated, every measure is the same duration. The meter of a piece of music describes the number of beats contained in each measure. A majority of popular music is written with 4 beats per measure. Occasionally, writers employ unusual, or odd numbers of beats per measure to create a more unpredictable, off-beat rhythmic feel. For example, the bass riff of Pink Floyd's "Money" is written with 7 beats per measure. Other examples of odd meters include Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" (7), Dave Brubeck's "Take 5" (5), Radiohead's "Morning Bell (Kid A Version)" (5), Foo Fighters' "Times Like These" (7), and COB's "Eleven Willows" (11).
Q: What is "12-Bar Blues"?
The 12-Bar Blues is a musical form that evolved from the work songs of 19th century African-American plantation workers. By the 20th century, a standard 12-bar form developed that became the foundation for most Rock N' Roll and R&B music of the 20th Century, and is still ubiquitous today in American popular music. This form repeats every 12 measures (a.k.a. bars) and features a very simple and standardized chord progression. Over the years, musicians have elaborated the chord progression, but generally maintain the 12-bar length. In its most basic form, the 12-bar blues contains just 3 different chords, and this simplicity makes it perfect for instrumental improvisation and impromptu "jam sessions". In addition to countless songs by classic blues artists such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, & John Lee Hooker, a great many Pop and R&B songs over the years have been based on the 12-bar blues form. Examples include "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles, "One Way Out" by the Allman Brothers Band, and "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" by the Beatles.
Q: How can I find out more about music theory and structure?
We're creating an audio and video series called Pandora Presents... that explores in more detail some widely used musical features. To listen, check out: http://blog.pandora.com/podcast
