2000 was the year of new technology and weird neon fashion trends. It was a year of transition, a year that has now been buried within the last of our disposable cameras, piled in various old shoe-boxes, sadly rotting in the back of our closets. 2000 was, also, the year that gave birth to Pandora Media Incorporated. This new media group was created with the idea to give the radio station user, each, their very own personalized radio stations. However, after one year of slow success and spending, the company’s two million dollars of funds was spent, but founder TIm Westergren miraculously convinced them to work for him free for the next two years. At first, Pandora spent its time licensing its patent to third-party users but soon became an online paid service so as to profit the company and its free labor.

In a recent press release, Pandora has announced, through video advertisements, that it will now feature on-demand listening for its ad-supported listeners by ways of watching a 15-second video ad. If a listener is looking for a specific song, artist, or album, they will be given a choice to unlock Pandora Premium by clicking and watching a video advertisement. This new feature is a huge step up from their previous platform as a listener was only able to pick an artist that would lead to an infinitely customized playlist. Now, Pandora will be able to allow a more free-roam platform, also giving them a platform similar to their competitors such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Pandora could be considered one of the earliest music streaming services since the internet and radio and has most definitely been a huge influence on the music industry. Without Pandora, the ideas for Spotify and so forth may not have ever even gestated. Check out their website here to see their new user-friendly features!