Pandora to be in more cars, hits 100 million users

Internet radio Pandora announced expanded partnerships with automobile manufacturers on Tuesday and said it now has 100 million registered users.

The Oakland, California-based Pandora also said it presently accounts for 3.6 percent of all radio listening in the United States, up from 2.3 percent at the end of last year.

Pandora said it has 100 million registered users in the United States and 36 million monthly active users.

Pandora, which was listed on Wall Street last month, made the announcements at its first analysts' day on Tuesday.

Pandora, which creates personalized radio stations for users based upon their favorite artists or songs, was founded in 2000.

Currently offered in selected BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Mini and Scion vehicles, Pandora said it was expanding its ties with Ford Motor Co. and would be available in 10 Ford vehicles and two Lincoln vehicles.

Pandora will also soon be available in General Motors' Buick, Chevrolet and GMC, as well as in Hyundai and Toyota models, it said.

"Our goal is to allow people to personalize their radio experience anytime, anywhere," Pandora executive vice president of business development Jessica Steel said in a statement.

"Nearly 50 percent of radio consumption happens in the car, so it's a natural venue for Pandora," she said. "We want to make the experience as easy in the car as it is at home, at the office, and on a mobile phone."

Pandora shares were down 3.32 percent at $18.62 in early afternoon trading in New York on Tuesday.

(c) 2011 AFP