Pandora App: Concert and "tip" pop-ups

[Mark Booth]

I've been a paid subscriber to Pandora for several years. Lately, the number of pop-up screens that appear within the app has gotten to the point of utter ridiculousness. While using the app today, these 5 screens all popped up within the app over the course of a minute or so:

Literally, I'd dismiss one screen to get back to my music-playing screen and another pop-up screen would replace it. EXTREMELY annoying.

The first three are "tips" screens. I've seen them MANY times before. Why the hell Pandora seems to think I need to be reminded about the same tips over and over again is beyond me. I get it, if I click the Thumbs Up for a song I'll fine-tune the station to have more songs that I like. But if I don't give a flying dung beetle about fine-tuning my stations, then just leave me the hell alone.

The last two are MONETIZING screens. Pandora wants more money from me. I have a funny feeling if I accidentally tapped on the UPGRADE screen there wouldn't be a confirmation screen. I bet I'd suddenly start getting charged $9.99/mo instead of $3.99/mo (yes, I've had Pandora for that long).

The bottom one is the most annoying. I don't give a crap about concerts in my area or anywhere else. I have iOS notifications and location services turned OFF for Pandora. So, instead Pandora chooses to pester the hell out of me to remind me these features are turned off, goading me to turn them back on so I can get these concert notifications. Notifications that I have NO INTEREST IN SEEING OR READING. It's not a public service, it's pure greed!

Somebody, please tell me that Apple Music is still free from all of this type of crap. I already used my free trial. If I switch back to Apple Music is it a pure experience that is COMPLETELY devoid of ANY kind of notifications or "tips" screens (or, at worst, you only see the tips once in your lifetime)?

I have referred dozens of friends to Pandora. Compared to my Apple Music trial, Pandora did a better job of playing the music I like based on the stations I created so I dropped Apple Music and stuck with Pandora. And, no, I haven't regularly used the "thumbs up" feature on Pandora. It just did a better job by itself.

But I'm sick and tired of all of these pop-ups and attempts to monetize. I'm paying for an ad-free experience and Pandora is driving me nuts with its OWN ads.

Mark

 

[Mark Booth]

I exchanged several emails with Pandora customer support person "John". John kept repeating instructions on how to turn off locations services and iOS notifications despite my repeated replies that they were already off. John was the most worthless customer service rep I've ever dealt with.

I have cancelled my Pandora subscription. I will never restart it. Pandora can go out of business tomorrow for all I care.

Mark

 

[pacorob]

Such a shame indeed if such a wonderfull music concept comes up with these annoying popups especially if you are a paying subscriber and your turned off all possible settings within the app and in the Settings > Notifications settings of your iDevices. I really would love the be a subscribe pure based on the music service and the recently improved unlimited skip + offline features for the 5 dollar monthly subscription but with this in mind I think I would agree that it's fine as is and I don't want to see the app to become in Europe any time soon. Unfortunately in the Netherlands there are not much alternatives. In the US there is Slacker Radio Plus for 3.99 a month with offline and unlimited skips. There is also Napster/Rhapsody UnRadio 4.99 dollar left but that has quite some limitations no offline, limited amount of tracks for example (and that subscription is not in the Netherlands available). Have you tried Slacker before? It definitely looks good on paper. Unfortunately I can't try it here in the Netherlands.

I'm now using free alternatives such as:
Arena Music (no skip limitation, amount of tracks/artists is limited, no ads)
AccuRadio (no skip limitation, has limited audio ads, statios have select amount of track, no subscription option)
Jango Radio (only US for some reason since recently)
CLiGGO Music (in beta on iOS, for now only desktop/laptop and Android, source: YouTube)
MusicSense (no skip limitation, offline, amount of tracks/artists is limited, no ads, only in Europe, not in US)

Definitely not perfect either but it's the best if you don't want to spend 9.99 a month on e.g. Spotify, Napter, Tidal, Apple, Google Play, Microsoft Groove or Deezer.
I've also tried the 4.99 version of Soundcloud called 'Go' earlier this year but it lacks a smartradio (like/dislike feature) and is the amount of artists is so limited what you can listen to and what you can save offline. Probably that service will close anytime soon as I've read.