Pandora Re-Launches In Australia After Five Years

Online streaming service Pandora has returned to Australian consumers, without really telling anyone. Previously available until 2007, the service has become available once again in the last week sometime.

Unlike other streaming services, Pandora creates a radio playlist based around a starting point that the user provides. For example, selecting The Jezabels throws you their track NobodyNowhere, followed by Ingrid Michaelson'sThis Is War and Wye Oak's Plains. Users can then skip or approve tracks to further customise the playlist.

Much-loved when it was previously available, the news has been greeted warmly by old users, but whether can attract new users with a suddenly cluttered music streaming market in Australia is yet to be seen.

In a letter to former users (you can read it here via Mumbrella) founder Tim Westergren said, "You can't imagine how delighted we are to be able to bring Pandora back to you. We have been busy building the service in the US but never gave up hope that we would someday return."

All previous playlists and stations have been saved since the service had to block Australian users "suddenly" and "painfully" in 2007.

The re-launch features a beta edition of the service, with Westergren admitting, "We have some work ahead of us to completely localise it and enable the full breadth of our capabilities to listeners in Australia."

According to the site, the premium Pandora One service, which features no ads, higher quality audio, fewer interruptions and a desktop application, costs $3.99 per month or $36 for a one-year subscription - which mirrors the American pricing.

While Pandorra's music recommendation format differs to its peers, it will become part of the music streaming service market share war which currently features MOG, Spotify, Rdio, rara, JB Hi-Fi Now.