Pandora Premium vs. Plus-Which Subscription is Right for You In 2024

Music streaming has become incredibly popular in recent years. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora give you access to vast libraries of songs and playlists for a monthly fee. Pandora stands out with its Music Genome Project that creates customized stations based on your tastes. In this article we talk about Pandora Premium vs. Plus-Which Subscription is Right for You In 2024.

Pandora offers three tiers of service:

• Pandora Free – Ad-supported, limited skips and replays
• Pandora Plus – Ad-free, unlimited skips and replays
• Pandora Premium – Ad-free, on-demand playback, offline listening

If you’re deciding between Pandora’s paid options, here’s a detailed comparison of the Premium and Plus plans to help you choose the best one for your listening needs.

Pandora Plus Overview

Pandora Plus removes ads from the free version so you can enjoy uninterrupted listening. With this mid-tier plan, you still get Pandora’s signature personalized radio stations based on artists, songs or genres you enter.

The Plus plan adds these upgrades:

• No audio or display ads
• Unlimited skips and replays to customize your stations
• Higher quality 192kbps audio
• Ability to download stations for offline listening
• Personalized cover art for your stations

So with Plus, you get ad-free access to Pandora’s algorithmic magic that creates an endless stream of music tailored to your tastes. It’s ideal for those who like the simplicity and discovery of customized radio.

Pandora Premium Overview

For $9.99 per month, Pandora Premium offers an on-demand experience similar to Spotify and Apple Music. Premium allows you to search for and play any track or album in Pandora’s library of over 70 million songs.

Premium includes all the same perks as Plus, along with these added features:

• Create playlists and like songs for personal libraries
• Unlimited skips, replays, offline listening
• Higher quality 256kbps audio
• No station limits, fully on-demand playback
• Smart recommendations based on your listening
• Download up to 4 offline devices

So with Premium, your stations become more personalized and you get complete control to play whatever music you want. If you want the flexibility of an on-demand service plus Pandora’s signature personalization, Premium is the way to go.

Key Differences

To recap, here are the main things that set Pandora’s two paid tiers apart:

Playback Control: Plus gives you stations and playlists based on your initial input, while Premium allows fully on-demand playback from Pandora’s full music catalog.

Sound Quality: Plus tops out at 192kbps, while Premium streams higher quality 256kbps audio.

Library Size: Plus only gives you access to songs that play within your stations, while Premium lets you search and play from Pandora’s library of over 70 million tracks.

Offline Use: Plus lets you download 3 stations for offline listening, while Premium allows up to 4 total offline devices with on-demand playback.

Discovery vs. Control The choice between Plus and Premium depends largely on whether you prioritize discovery or control.

Pandora Plus is ideal for listeners who want seamless streaming radio at higher quality. The stations keep you engaged with a never-ending lineup of songs in your favorite genres and by similar artists. Plus is affordable, simple and personalized.

But Plus means giving up control – you can’t pick the exact songs and playlists you want. If you have specific music tastes or songs in mind, you’ll want the on-demand freedom of Pandora Premium. Here you can play any track at any time, create personalized playlists, skip freely and enjoy higher quality audio.

So Plus is perfect for more passive listening while Premium allows active listening control. Figure out which experience sounds better for your habits.

Which Plan is Better Overall?

Pandora Premium wins out overall with more features and functionality, but it also costs nearly double Plus. Plus may still satisfy more casual listeners who mainly want an ad-free version of Pandora radio.

Here’s a quick rundown of which plan excels in key areas:

• Discovery & personalization – Plus
• Song variety & catalog – Premium
• Sound quality – Premium
• Playback control – Premium
• Offline listening – Premium
• Price – Plus

If you want the pure Pandora internet radio experience ad-free, Pandora Plus is a great value. But for on-demand music and maximum personalization, Pandora Premium is worth the extra cost. Evaluate your listening preferences and budget to decide which tier is a better fit.

Free Trial Options

The best way to determine if Pandora Plus or Premium is right for your musical tastes is to try them out. Both subscriptions offer lengthy free trial periods:

• Pandora Plus – 60 days free
• Pandora Premium – 30 days free

Take advantage of the trials to experience the differences firsthand. Check out Pandora’s custom stations on Plus and see if you miss having full on-demand capability. Or sample Premium’s enhanced features to decide if you really need that added flexibility.

Pandora makes it easy to upgrade, downgrade or cancel anytime based on your listening needs. Go with the lower priced Plus plan at first if you are unsure, and you can always switch to Premium later!

Summing Up

Pandora Plus gives you an ad-free version of the site’s radio-style experience, while Pandora Premium offers a full on-demand service comparable to leading rivals. While Plus is affordable at $4.99 per month, Premium packs superior features and audio quality at $9.99 monthly.

Carefully consider your personal listening habits before picking Plus or Premium. Want personalized radio stations? Go Plus. Need on-demand access and control? Opt for Premium. Both tiers have free trials to help decide.

For the overall best value, Pandora Premium gives you the most robust and customizable experience. But Pandora Plus may still adequately satisfy more casual listeners focused on radio-style music discovery. Determine your must-have features, then choose the Pandora plan that makes the most sense for your budget and needs. I sincerely hope you find this “Pandora Premium vs. Plus-Which Subscription is Right for You In 2024” article helpful.