pandora-3

Pandora app adds features, Amazon working on streaming service

new Pandora layout

In the ongoing streaming platform wars, it appears that new battles are being fought. First of all, Pandora has added a bunch of features to its app, which are rolling out now for iOS, in what is widely being seen as an attempt to keep up with Spotify. This follows their acquisition of “key parts” of the now-closed Rdio.

They’ve added a “browse” section for music discovery, which is what Spotify calls its own discovery section. Pandora’s, like many of their features, promises to be more tailored to the listener’s individual interests. They’ve also tweaked a lot of the layout, adding a mini-player and a new fly-out menu that also seems to ape Spotify’s design.

It appears that Amazon is preparing to dip their toes into the music streaming pool too. They’re prepping a fall launch for their subscription service. They’re already doing quite well in the book and film departments (they bought a bunch of the buzziest movies out of Sundance over the weekend), so their entry into direct competition with Spotify, Apple Music and such could be a real threat to those companies. We’ll be keeping an eye on how this plays out.

And lest we forget, TIDAL premiered the new Rihanna album yesterday. (Though they also first leaked it in early and then gave it away for free. TIDAL is also still the exclusive place to hear The-Dream’s new album, which may or may not mean that anyone has actually heard it.)