Spotify vs Pandora: Which One Is Better in 2024?
Speaking of music, Spotify vs Pandora is a very hot topic. These two music streaming services are some of the most popular in the industry. But, is Pandora or Spotify better? Of course, they have similarities and differences. And, they can provide features that their users will love.
This guide will talk about Spotify vs. Pandora helping you decide which one to pick. We’ll talk about their advantages, disadvantages, and features. Of course, we’ll also give an overview of the two music giants available nowadays. Let’s get started!
Also Read: Apple Music vs Pandora: Which is Your Preference [2024]
Article Content Part 1. Overview of Spotify vs PandoraPart 2. Pros and Cons of Spotify vs PandoraPart 3. Spotify vs Pandora: Which Is Better Service?Part 4. Bonus: How to Download Spotify Songs without Spotify PremiumPart 5. Conclusion
Part 1. Overview of Spotify vs Pandora
Which is better, Pandora or Spotify? Before we tackle the topic regarding Spotify vs Pandora, let’s give a background of both Spotify and Pandora.
What Is Spotify?
Spotify is a streaming service of podcasts, digital music, and video that provides access to tens of millions of tracks (and other types of content) from different artists all around the world.
Free functions include playing music without limitations except for the ads you can hear every now and then. You can also build your own playlist with a free account. This popular music streaming service also offers Spotify Premium where you can have unlimited skips and you can choose what you want to listen to every single time on mobile devices.
Spotify offers features such as using the Search and Browse capabilities to locate the track you want. The service gives recommendations based on what you listen to. Plus, you can even make your own radio stations. The service is available on mobile devices, the web, laptops, speakers, cars, and desktops.
What Is Pandora?
On the other hand, Pandora stream music and podcasts to over 70 million users around the globe. It provides a personalized experience based on its Podcast Genome Project and Music Genome Project technologies. You can use it on over 2000 different connected products. It’s also available on mobile devices and the web. The service has built the biggest audio entertainment company in the entire world.
Which is better, Pandora or Spotify? Pandora is actually a freemium service similar to Spotify. A lot of basic features can be done for free but with advertisements and certain limitations. Paid subscriptions offer multiple enhancements such as music downloads, enhanced streaming quality, and offline channels.
So, that’s just about an overview of Spotify vs Pandora. Let’s get to the pros and cons of Pandora vs Spotify below.
Part 2. Pros and Cons of Spotify vs Pandora
Of course, since these two services are completely independent of one another, they have advantages and disadvantages. We’re going to list the pros and cons of Pandora vs Spotify to help you decide which one to get.
Spotify
In our Spotify vs Pandora debate, let’s start with the former first. There are a lot of reasons why you may want to go for Spotify. It offers great listening experiences and is available around the world. So, below are some of the pros and cons of this music streaming service.
Pros of Spotify:
- It is available on different platforms – Spotify can be used on different platforms such as mobile devices, computers, and the web. Plus, you can use Spotify Connect to stream on speakers and cars allowing you to access their service on-the-go.
- It’s very simple to understand and use – The service is very simple to use with an understandable, good-looking interface that doesn’t need technical know-how. Organizing your playlists and looking for tracks you want is easy to do as well. Once you’ve created an account, everything is like handed to you on a silver spoon.
- The service provides a free subscription – Unlike Apple Music, Spotify provides free streaming provided that you have to listen and watch advertisements. There are limitations to a free account, but it still enables you to listen to tracks including podcasts easily.
- Offers a lot of tracks - Over 60 million songs are available on Spotify allowing you to listen to music based on your mood and preferences. Albums, podcasts, radio stations, and even meditation music are available on Spotify.
Cons of Spotify:
- Limited features for the free plan – Since it is a free plan, it does have limitations. For instance, you have to listen to advertisements every now and then. Plus, you can’t skip a lot of tracks on mobile devices – only up to 6 skips are allowed. On your smartphone or tablet, you can’t choose a specific track to listen to, you can only use shuffle. In addition, you don’t have the ability to choose the quality of streaming.
- Even with Premium, you can’t download songs – If you want to listen to music on your local media player, you can’t do so. Premium allows you to download tracks but you can only listen to them using Spotify’s app or web player only.
Pandora
Which is better, Pandora or Spotify? Now, let’s move on to Pandora in our Spotify vs Pandora dilemma. Pandora is a streaming service that is available in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand only. That’s a big disadvantage if you’re living in a place other than these. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of Pandora.
Pros of Pandora:
- It’s a freemium service – Pandora offers both a free and premium service. The free service, like Spotify, will have you listening to advertisements. You can still create playlists, choose artists, etc. However, the free service doesn’t allow you to skip an unlimited number of tracks. Like Spotify, it allows only 6 skips per hour.
- Access to a large roster of tracks – Pandora gives you access to 30 million songs. You simply type the name of the track that you want and choose that track to listen to it. It’s very easy to use as well. So, you won’t have any problems with it.
- Great features offered by Pandora Premium – It has a lot of great features such as sharing playlists with other people. Plus, you can take advantage of their technologies for personalized recommendations that will suit your preferences.
- Multi-platform accessibility – In this Spotify vs. Pandora debate, you’ll notice that both services can be used on multiple platforms. Pandora can be used on Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Roku, and even Amazon devices.
Cons of Pandora:
- Limited availability – As we pointed out earlier, Pandora is only available in the US, Australia, and New Zealand. So, if you’re living in Canada, for instance, you won’t be able to opt for the service. This is one of its biggest drawbacks compared to Spotify. If you’re in SouthEast Asia also, you won’t be able to use the platform. That’s why a lot of people use Spotify so they can listen to music even when they travel to another country.
- Doesn’t offer a premium family plan – Spotify has its own family plan that can be less expensive for people living in the same household. It can help you share your expenses with up to five different people within the same IP address. Pandora doesn’t have it. This is a big downside especially if you want to save money for other needs.
- Fewer tracks compared to Spotify – Pandora is all about radio stations, this is where it started out. It just jumped into the bandwagon of Apple Music, Google Music, and Spotify. That’s why it only offers about 30 million tracks compared to the 60 million available in Spotify.
So, with these pros and cons of Pandora vs Spotify in mind, you will know a lot about Spotify vs. Pandora. It’s a great start to pick the best one for your needs. If you have requirements for sound quality, you can also compare Spotify vs Pandora sound quality. And, keep in mind that both services have different offers and features too.
Part 3. Spotify vs Pandora: Which Is Better Service?
Spotify vs. Pandora: Comparisoan Overview
Spotify |
Pandora |
|
Starting Price |
Free |
Free |
Premium Student Plan |
$5.99/month |
$4.99/month |
Premium Individual Plan |
$10.99/month |
$9.99/month |
Premium Family Plan |
$16.99/month, 6 accounts |
$14.99/month, 6 accounts |
Availability |
Available in dozens of countries and territories |
In the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand |
Amount of Music Content |
100 million tracks |
Undisclosed |
Podcast and Audiobook Availability |
5 million podcasts |
Limited podcasts |
Can the user pick songs |
Yes |
No |
Ads |
Yes, on the free version |
Yes, on the free version |
Can user create a custom playlist |
Yes |
No |
App Links |
Android, iOS, Mac & Windows |
Android, iOS, Mac & Windows |
Exclusives |
Military Discount Plan $7.99/month |
Spotify Kids: a separate app made just for kids (included in Family plan)Hulu (With Ads) plan & SHOWTIME subscription (included in Student Premium plan) |
Website |
http://www.pandora.com |
http://www.spotify.com |
Which one is better Pandora or Spotify?
Which is better, Pandora or Spotify? Learning the above details and comparison of Spotify vs Pandora, even though Pandora gives a better user interface, Spotify offers a better user experience. Which one is better between Spotify and Pandora? These two music streaming platforms both offer exactly what their users need. The final choice between which is better is based solely on the user's preference.
Part 4. Bonus: How to Download Spotify Songs without Spotify Premium
Now, let’s move on from the Spotify vs Pandora debate and give you a bonus tip. Grabbing playlists from Spotify is easy if you have and use the right tools. That’s why we’re recommending that you get TunesFun Spotify Music Converter.
This is a great tool with a lot of features in it. First things first, it can help you remove the DRM protection from your Spotify tracks. So, you can download songs, albums, and playlists from the platform easily. In this way, you can use the songs for personal offline listening.
Spotify songs can be converted to different popular formats such as MP3, FLAC, WAV, and M4A. You don’t need Spotify Premium for it to work. Once you grab the tracks, you can place them on multiple personal devices you own without the limitation of downloading the tracks on three devices only.
Speed conversions are very fast at five times quicker than the average. The original music quality won’t be lost. The downloaded tracks will still have its metadata and ID3 tags. This means you don’t lose the title, album, artists, artwork, and other important data. You don’t have to organize them again.
Advanced features of the tool include support for multiple languages. In addition, it has customizable settings where you can customize the audio quality output according to your preferences. Drag and drop method is also supported making it easy for you to download and grab Spotify music with the tool. Click the below button to try it for free now!
Now, in this Spotify vs. Pandora article, let’s introduce the tip on how to grab Spotify songs using TunesFun Spotify Music Converter:
1. Downloading And Installing The Software
First, you have to grab TunesFun Spotify Music Converter from its official website. Then, install it on your Mac or Windows PC. After that, simply open the software on your computing device.
2. Copy URL
After that, you should go to the Spotify tracks you want to download. Copy its URL or link. Make sure Spotify is exited after this. Paste the URL onto the platform of the TunesFun Spotify Music Converter. You can also use the drag and drop mode to add tracks.
3. Choose Output Format
The third step involves choosing the output format you want. Different formats are supported including MP3 and FLAC. After that, you should choose the destination folder where the files will be saved after grabbing and converting. We recommend that you choose MP3 if you’re downloading music tracks.
4. Convert
The final step would be to convert by clicking the “Convert” button on the TunesFun Spotify Music Converter interface. You will notice that the output files will have the original quality and conversion speeds are very fast. The saved files will be in the destination folder you chose earlier.
Once you use the tool, you will notice that the speeds for conversion are very fast. Plus, you don’t need to organize everything once again. This is because the data regarding the tracks are preserved. And, you don’t have to rename or put in ID3 tags and metadata.
TunesFun Spotify Music Converter supports not only single tracks. It can also grab entire albums, artists, and playlists. If you want to know the minimum and recommended system requirements for this tool, you should check out its official website. Windows PCs and Mac computers are supported. You can click the button to try this software for free now!
Part 5. Conclusion
Which is better, Pandora or Spotify? Spotify vs Pandora is a debate that has plagued a lot of people. A lot of consumers in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia can go for Pandora. But, if you’re in another region, you can go for Spotify instead.
The two music streaming giants have their own disadvantages and advantages. For instance, Pandora is in limited countries only while Spotify doesn’t allow you to grab tracks for use in other media players. As such, it’s up to you to choose the platform that you want. You have to heed the pros and cons of Pandora vs Spotify so you’ll make an informed decision.
It is important to note that if you really want the best music listening experience, you should go for TunesFun Spotify Music Converter. This is a great tool that can help grab playlists, albums, artists, and single tracks on the Spotify platform. In addition, it helps preserve metadata and ID3 tags so you don’t need to rearrange grabbed tracks. Download and install the platform today and listen to unlimited music on different media players.
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