Pandora Launches Apple Watch App With Offline Playback Capabilities

[MacRumors]

Pandora today launched an updated version of its iOS app, which includes a redesigned Apple Watch experience with features that Pandora users have been requesting.

Pandora built its new Apple Watch app from the ground up with features that include remote access playback, the option to favorite songs right from the Now Playing screen, and, most importantly, offline playback.

Apple Watch owners who use Pandora will be able to listen to the streaming music service without an internet connection. There is a catch though -- using Pandora sans internet requires a Pandora Plus or Premium subscription.

Pandora Plus is priced at $4.99 per month, while Pandora Premium is $9.99 per month. Pandora Plus offers up unlimited personalized stations, unlimited skips and replays, four stations for offline listening, and no ads.

Pandora Premium, though, allows users to search for music and play any song, as well as create custom playlists and download any music for offline listening.

As The Verge points out, Pandora users will not be able to stream music with an Apple Watch's cellular data connection, a feature limited to Apple Music.

You asked, and we listened! By popular demand, we bring you a brand new, built-from-the-ground-up app that's seamlessly integrated into the Apple Watch experience, so now you can:
- Access remote playback controls.
- Give your favorites a Thumbs Up directly from the Now Playing screen.
- Listen without an internet connection! Pandora Plus & Premium subscribers get access to offline content - no phone required.

To use the new Pandora Apple Watch app, Apple Watch owners will need to have the latest version of watchOS, watchOS 5, installed.

Pandora can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Pandora Launches Apple Watch App With Offline Playback Capabilities

 

[4jasontv]

You could also have T Mobile. Since they give free Pandora Plus.

 

[A MacBook lover]

Some smart devs working over there at pandora

 

[GizmoDVD]

You could also have T Mobile. Since they give free Pandora Plus.

Gave. That offer is over as far as I know.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Bummer. My series0 can’t do it.

You could also have T Mobile. Since they give free Pandora Plus.

Doh! How did I miss that one?

 

[liberte1776]

watchOS is hamstrung just like audioOS on HomePod. LAME.

 

[Porco]

watchOS is hamstrung just like audioOS on HomePod. LAME.

I don’t think you meant it as a joke, but that was a great MP3-encoding punchline you wrote there.

 

[miflgr92]

Spotify needs to hurry up and do the same thing.

 

[rafark]

Good to know pandora is still in business. I've used it in the past and it's great for music discovery.

 

[iKwick7]

Great to see this but I’m still pissed that Pandora removed their app from Toyota Entune on my Prius Prime. That wasn’t cool.

 

[x-evil-x]

I want a Soundcloud app for my watch. I really don't know why there aren't more mainstream apps for the watch after being out for what 3 years?

 

[Shiro_Simba]

Pandora is still around . Cool

 

[martyjmclean]

Spotify needs to hurry up with this.

 

[Commodore 64]

It’s good to see that apps for Apple Watch is being made from the ground up now, not just some scaled down version of an iOS app. Hoping this is a growing trend, and that Apple will give devs better developing tools. Give me quality, and I’ll gladly pay the price!

 

[JosephAW]

I'm surprised that Apple even allows other music sources.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I'm surprised that Apple even allows other music sources.

If they didn’t, it would be a big mistake. Not only would they probably get hit with anti-competition lawsuits, but they’d probably lose a lot of customers to Android. It’s not like they don’t allow alternatives like email clients, browsers, cloud clients, etc.

 

[Bornee35]

If they didn’t, it would be a big mistake. Not only would they probably get hit with anti-competition lawsuits, but they’d probably lose a lot of customers to Android. It’s not like they don’t allow alternatives like email clients, browsers, cloud clients, etc.

Can’t be sued for anti-competition for your own proprietary hardware.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Can’t be sued for anti-competition for your own proprietary hardware.

I didn’t say they’d necessarily lose, but people sue for far less. Still, I think such a move would cause customers to leave the platform. Apple couldn’t take away that big of a choice when users are used to it.

 

[LogicalApex]

Can’t be sued for anti-competition for your own proprietary hardware.

You absolutely can be. Remember monopoly lawsuits are brought by the Federal Government via the DOJ. "Ma Bell" (AT&T) was broken up for requiring you to use its proprietary phones to use its phone service...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakup_of_the_Bell_System

 

[Bornee35]

You absolutely can be. Remember monopoly lawsuits are brought by the Federal Government via the DOJ. "Ma Bell" (AT&T) was broken up for requiring you to use its proprietary phones to use its phone service...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakup_of_the_Bell_System

Thats a vastly different scenario, apple isn't the stole provider of wearable smart watches. You can take your money elsewhere. Apple can control what runs on their devices since they build and program them. Same reason you can't demand a whopper at McDonalds, they don't have to supply the competition when you can leave for the competition. That wasn't the case with at&t's monopoly.

 

[slineaudi]

That's nice. Now, can they please make Pandora work properly with CarPlay again? It's so shockingly bad these days.

 

[LogicalApex]

Thats a vastly different scenario, apple isn't the stole provider of wearable smart watches. You can take your money elsewhere. Apple can control what runs on their devices since they build and program them. Same reason you can't demand a whopper at McDonalds, they don't have to supply the competition when you can leave for the competition. That wasn't the case with at&t's monopoly.

No one here can say if Apple is safe from a monopoly case as these are brought by the DOJ. Your point that proprietary hardware is a safety net is wrong as I showed with AT&T breakup due to their proprietary hardware. Microsoft was sued for monopoly practices over Internet Explorer even though users could "easily install" other browsers or use alternative operating systems and they lost as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.

 

[Joniz]

Was hesitant, but downloaded to my watch and like how it just takes over Now Playing thing at top of watch face.

I like Pandora. It actually gives me songs based on selections that I want to listen to.

Sorry, Apple Music, but if you like zydeco, that doesn’t necessary mean you like hip-hop & rap. And liking French female vocalists doesn’t necessarily mean you like hip-hop & rap. And liking classical does not necessarily mean you like hip-hop & rap.

 

[whola]

I had to uninstall the pandora app on my iphone and reinstall to get it to show on my 2nd gen apple watch (wondered for a while if the app wasn't supported on this old thing, but it's working great!)

 

[Bornee35]

No one here can say if Apple is safe from a monopoly case as these are brought by the DOJ. Your point that proprietary hardware is a safety net is wrong as I showed with AT&T breakup due to their proprietary hardware. Microsoft was sued for monopoly practices over Internet Explorer even though users could "easily install" other browsers or use alternative operating systems and they lost as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.

Microsoft only makes the OS, so only having explorer preloaded on a dell is anti compitition.