Pandora claims 'we haven't made this decision lightly' after raising prices
The SiriusXM service joins a long list of streamers that have increased rates this year.
Following the lead of streamers everywhere, Pandora is instituting a price hike. In a September 2026 email, the music streamer announced that their subscriptions would increase by at least a dollar per month beginning in October. The announcement prompted a mix of surprise and outrage from many of Pandora's millions of paid subscribers.
The change comes just months after Spotify, one of Pandora's fiercest competitors, instituted a similar price hike. Up until now, Pandora listeners have enjoyed relatively cheap subscription costs. And while many customers are sure to remain loyal to its curation features, some are just as likely to judge the service as no longer worth the cost.
The logic behind the SiriusXM company's latest billing structure centers on investing in the personalized listening experience, including better recommendations, improved reliability, and access to music and podcasts. Whether this translates into a suite of AI features, an expanded software development team, or simply keeping operations funded, is up for debate. The company assures subscribers that the decision was not made lightly.
Pandora's new prices
Pandora offers two paid subscription tiers. Pandora Plus now costs $5.99 per month, or $65.89 per year. Complete with ad-free personalized music, unlimited skips, offline listening, and ad-supported search features, the subscription matches the price of standard student discount options on competing platforms.
The streamer's music-on-demand tier, Pandora Premium, now costs $11.99 per month or $131.89 per year. The ad-free service includes unlimited skips, offline listening, shared playlists, and search-and-play features. Meanwhile, Premium Family subscribers, who can grant access to Pandora Premium to six family members, will now pay $19.99 per month or $219.89 annually.
Managing your Pandora account
New subscribers began paying the higher prices as of September 22, 2026. Current subscribers will be charged the newest rates on their next bill starting October 22, 2026. Subscribers can switch between subscription tiers before the start of their next billing cycle.
To learn more about a specific subscription rate, users can refer to notification emails or sign in to their Pandora account and navigate to Settings followed by Subscription.
Subscriptions can be changed or canceled through Pandora's website or app. Desktop users can go to Subscriptions and select Switch Plans or Cancel Subscription. Mobile web users can access the menu icon, tap Subscription, log in, and choose to switch or cancel plans.
Users signed up via a third-party application must adjust their subscription through their respective billing provider, as Pandora Support cannot directly manage those subscriptions.
Any account changes must be made at least 24 hours before the end of the billing cycle. Canceled subscriptions remain active through the end of the current billing period.
