How Much Data Does Pandora Use: Music is an integral part of our lives. We spent most of our leisure time listening to our favourite music on different streaming platforms. Pandora is one such popular music streaming service that hails from the United States. It was the first ever to provide playlists in accordance with a person’s taste in music. With Pandora app installed on your phone, you can listen to your favourite music, wherever and whenever you want to. So, let’s find out how much data Pandora uses with respect to your data plan.
Pandora different playback quality
Pandora streams music of four different sound qualities that encompass different byte rates. The byte rate measures the amount of data used over a given time.
People can choose the quality of music they want to listen to in accordance with their data plan. The low music quality is 32Kbps which takes up to just 240KB per minute and 14.4MB per hour. There exists another option for standard music quality of 64Kbps. It takes 480KB per minute, that is, 28.8MB per hour. The third option is of high music quality, which is of 128Kbps. The high music quality takes 1.2MB per minute, encircling 57.6MB per hour. There exists another option for the highest music quality which will provide you the best experience of music. The highest music quality is 192Kbps. It takes up to 1.44MB per minute and 86.4MB per hour.
However, not everyone can access all the music qualities offered by Pandora. Currently, people without any subscription to the app can listen to only standard and high quality of music. Whereas, people with a premium subscription that comes laced with packages, can access all music qualities, including the lowest and highest ones, as per their choice.
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Data usage in gigabytes by Pandora subscription
We always intend to keep an eye on the consumption of data in gigabytes by the apps installed on our phone. Usage of data in gigabytes provides a clear picture of how much data is being used by a particular app. You would be glad to know that Pandora’s subscription doesn’t use much gigabytes from your data plan.
If you are an active music aficionado and are really fond of high music quality, you would use 0.7GB per day from your data plan. This will be the case when you continuously listen to the highest music quality of 192Kbps for straight 7-8 hours a day. If you opt to listen to high music quality of 128Kbps, it will consume up to 0.5GB per day. The standard music quality of 64Kbps is the best option to listen to your favourite music as it also doesn’t put a burden on your data plan. The standard music quality consumes only 0.23GB per day, if you devote 3-5 hours per day to groove to your favorite music. You can also save a lot of your data by using Pandora when compared to other music streaming platforms.
How to change Pandora’s default streaming setting?
To change Pandora’s standard streaming setting, first, click the three-line menu button on the upper-left hand corner, tap the gear icon next to “Settings,” tap “Advanced,” and select the check box next to “Higher quality audio.” For premium members, other settings are also available within this menu.
Key points to reduce data use on Pandora
If you are an active listener of different genres of music and are also a cellular data user, you must be worried about the amount of data that shall be consumed by Pandora. By following the below listed key points, you can limit the data usage, there extending the longevity of your plan.
Mostly use WiFi
If you want to listen to the highest music quality by spending least data, then stick to your WiFi. It is one of the best and cheapest options if you want to listen to Pandora at higher bitrates. You should opt for a data plan that offers at least 5GB of streaming per month. Also, for optimum experience with respect to the best music quality, don’t forget to upgrade to Pandora’s premium plans.
Listen to a lower music quality
Listening to a lower music quality will cost you less data. If you don’t have the facility of WiFi and only have the option of cellular data pack, choose a lower music quality. In such a case, the standard 64Kbps playback quality is considered to be the best option. Also, upgrading to the premium plan of Pandora, in order to stream at 32Kbps can also turn out to be a good option as it will save you a lot of data.
Get an unlimited data plan
Who will ever say no to an unlimited data pack? No one, right? The best solution to stream on Pandora for innumerable hours without stressing about the data usage, is to get an unlimited data plan. Many of these plans come in handy with perks like free subscriptions to streaming content, international calling, and others. You can choose perfect plan for yourself with respect to your budget.
We hope that we have enlightened you enough when it comes to Pandora, its services, and the amount of data consumption that comes along with it. We hope that you have found the aforementioned information, fruitful!
Data Usage by Edition
There are different editions of Pandora and all of them consume different amounts of data.
Pandora Free Edition
This is the basic edition that anyone can download on his or her phone without paying a monthly fee. If you are listening to your favorite music on Pandora’s free edition over WiFi, you will consume around 60 to 70 MB data in an hour. The standard edition has a bit rate of 128 Kbps. If you are using Pandora’s free edition over your cellular network, the music will stream at 64 Kbps and you will consume 30 MB data in one hour of constant streaming.
Pandora Premium
Unlike the free edition, the Premium edition does require a monthly fee. The benefit of getting a premium account is that you enjoy a better sound quality as the music streams on a higher bitrate. If you are streaming music on premium edition, you will consume 90 MB in an hour of continuous streaming. The bitrate will be at 192 Kbps or 320 Kbps. This will be the same regardless of your WiFi or cellular network. There is no big impact of Pandora on your data while you are streaming it for an hour or two. However, it is better to stream over your cellular network as it automatically drops the bitrate and you can use it as much as you like. At a lower bitrate, your data consumption becomes minimal.
How to fix Pandora if it crashes?
App crashes are quite common and can create many problems especially when you are binge-listening Frank Sinatra or Bryan Adams. If your Pandora app crashes, here is what you should do:
Restart your phone:
This is the first step you should take if your Pandora app crashes frequently. The crash might be due to a minor system glitch. Restarting your phone refreshes the RAM and closes all the background applications or processes. Start the application back again and see if the problem persists.
Reset the app:
If the problem persists even after restarting the phone, just reset the app. This will clear all the cache files and application data. Secondly, resetting the app will remove the glitches if it is followed by an update.
Final Verdict
Pandora is a great music streaming application and requires a working internet connection. Make sure you have enough data on your monthly plan to get the most out of this great app. It is better to sign up for a provider that offers unlimited data so that you can stream music and videos freely.
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