Pandora

Pandora, the pioneer of internet radio, maintains a loyal user base through its unique and powerful Music Genome Project. Unlike on-demand services, Pandora's core experience is based on creating personalized radio stations from a single artist, song, or genre seed. Its algorithm, built on hundreds of musical attributes analyzed by humans, excels at playing music that is sonically and stylistically similar, making it superb for passive, lean-back listening. The free, ad-supported tier is generous and remains a key part of its appeal.

While it has added an on-demand Premium tier to compete with Spotify, its strength remains in its radio DNA. Pandora is ideal for listeners who miss the serendipity of traditional radio but want it personalized, and for those who prefer a simpler, less interactive listening experience focused on discovery rather than playing specific albums on demand.