In this week's edition of 'yeah, you're that old,' 10 years ago today Pandora, the beloved music streaming and customizable radio service, went public. To mark this occasion, the company is, just for today, doing away with its ads (college pregame parties, rejoice!)
The advertising shutdown will last for a full 24 hours, until midnight tonight. But you're not off the hook just yet. The website will feature a short audio message from founder Tim Westergren thanking (and still inconveniencing) listeners.
Oh, and there will also be images on the website noting that the commercial-free day is, well, sponsored (ironically) by Pandora One, the company's $5-a-month service that cuts ads from music streams and allows more song skips.
But still, good on you, Pandora! The streaming service, with its mostly U.S. customer base, is an original and has built a strong following of nearly 80 million users, although newer, faster-growing and more global streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are hot on its trail. Spotify announced in June that it serves about 75 million active users around the world.
Enjoy this anniversary, Pandora – who knows how many more are to come.
