Pandora hits one million registered users and opens up the airwaves to Australian brands

One million Australians have opened their ears to Pandora, the leading internet radio service, less than one year since the internet radio service was established.

Pandora reached the magic million registered user mark midway through November, ahead of predictions and also announced that it is moving to enable its commercial model through advertising.  Pandora will offer a combination of audio and display advertising across all platforms – along with targeting based on age, gender and postcode location.

“The real magic of Pandora is the combination of personalisation and discovery. Once our listeners realise that we play the music they love, and introducing them to music they didn’t know of, they almost feel compelled to spread the word. This is what delivers the Pandora experience and drives our user growth,” says Jane Huxley managing director, Pandora ANZ.

“Every day in Australia we add new registered users at the rate of one every 30 seconds, and based on their own experiences they in turn introduce others to the service. The average listening time for Australian users is over two hours per day. This loyalty and engagement provide a halo effect that we are inviting brands to tap into.”

The Pandora advertising model comprises an amalgamation of short singular audio ads alongside online visuals displayed through the web and app interfaces – triggered only when the listener is interacting with the app, meaning less wastage.

In a move that eliminates ad clutter and aims to boost ad recognition, the new model will limit advertising to one minute of audio ads per hour, in singular blocks of either 15, 20 or 30 seconds – and be active across all three Pandora streaming platforms – web, mobile and tablet.

“Mobile monetisation has not followed the steep curve of mobile usage,” Huxley says. “We believe the antidote to this will be in the combination of the right ad units, particularly audio and targeting, which really take advantage of the device and our understanding of the individual who owns it. Personalised free radio and mobile devices have formed the perfect fit, driving mobile usage of Pandora to around 70% of the base.

Pandora, which is available in the US, Australia and New Zealand, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in June 2011 with a market capitalisation of almost $2.5 billion. Since then it has attracted more than 72 million active users and serves more than 1.4 billion hours of music per month.