Music junkies who’ve been stung by Pandora’s 40-hour-a-month listening limit on mobile devices got a bit of good news today. Starting September 1, the streaming music service will lift the restriction and let the ad-supported tunes flow.
CFO Mike Herring make the announcement during his jargon-heavy opening remarks on Thursday’s earnings call. (Herring also said the company’s revenues were up 58 percent year-over-year, and predicted profitability this year.) During the six-month restriction period, Herring said that Pandora “gained critical insights into our user population that has given us greater control of our business,” and “has implemented both other surgical levers to control content cost and new features that will allow for greater product usage.” See what I mean about jargon?
Pandora also offers an ad-free version for $4 per month, or $36 a year.
The company faces increased competition from the likes of Spotify, which added a free radio feature in the U.S. earlier this year, as well as the impending launch of iTunes Radio in the fall. Pandora’s move seems in direct response to those mounting pressures, especially for a company soon to be without a CEO.