How Much Data Does Pandora Use?

Music streaming services are a part of pop culture. Their existence is a testament to the growing music industry that has over the years produced wonderful music belonging to all genres. Many people resort to illegal ways of downloading music online, but slowly this trend is dying out. More and more users are getting music streaming services, such as Spotify, Pandora, and Soundcloud instead. This is possible because our devices are connected to the internet 24/7, allowing us to stream music whenever we want. Secondly, you can download songs for offline jamming sessions too.

Nevertheless, these streaming services consume a lot of data. Have you ever wondered how much data does your Pandora or Spotify app eats up in a sitting? These applications can drain your internet plan if you are on a fixed data plan with a cellular network. However, for broadband providers such as Charter Spectrum, there are no fixed data caps.

This article will not be about budget cuts. Our focus will be to understand the amount of data Pandora uses and how you can minimize your phone data usage while listening to a ton of music.

Pandora Data Usage

Here is what you need to understand:

This conversation about Pandora is incomplete without mentioning the sound quality and bitrate. Bitrate is simply the amount of data you consume in a second. How much data you consume while listening to music on Pandora is directly linked to bitrate. Normally, the higher bitrate indicates better sound quality. As a result, you will be consuming more data at a higher bitrate.

If you are using the free version of Pandora, you will get the standard quality audio at 64 Kbps. The Pandora Premium and Plus subscribers can toggle between the highest sound quality to the lowest.

Bitrate is a decent standard to understand the data usage while streaming music but it still does not tell you the actual amount. To make things simple, let us assume that you are listening to Drake’s playlist on Pandora in the Standard sound quality that is 64 Kbps. You will be consuming .48 MB data per minute and close to 30 MB per hour.

If your cellular internet comes with a 5GB plan, listening to Pandora at 64 Kbps will consume your entire data in a matter of a week!

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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