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The internet-radio service has opened locally, complete with a partnership deal with Holden.
(Credit: Pandora)
Formally opening for business in Australia and New Zealand, Pandora has joined the ever-increasing ranks of streaming-music services that are available locally. Pandora is available via Android and iOS apps, or through a web-based player.
Pandora allows users to create their own “stations” based on genres. Users then tune the station by giving tracks a thumbs up or thumbs down, which affects what other similar songs will or won’t be played. Pandora analyses music based on 400 different attributes that are then combined into over 2000 focus traits, all of which are used to determine which tracks play or not.
In Australia and New Zealand, Pandora will run curated genre stations that are specific to local artists. The company has also hired Jane Huxley, former CEO of Fairfax Digital, as the local managing director.
Pandora will also be available in the Holden Barina CDX via the Holden MyLink “infotainment” system. The service will allow users to link their smartphone to the car, using the vehicles touchscreen to control Pandora, much like any other radio station.
People who want to learn more are invited to attend Pandora’s “Town Hall” meetings that will be held in Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney. Jane Huxley and Pandora founder Tim Westergren will be in attendance to talk about the local service. The events are as follows:
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Auckland: 6:30pm, 10 December at Viaduct Events Centre
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Melbourne: 6:30pm, 11 December at Melbourne Town Hall
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Sydney: 6:30pm, 12 December at The Establishment Ballroom.
As of July 2012, the service boasted 54.9 million active users and 175 million registered users.
