Many of us may have been sharing streaming accounts since the dawn of Netflix (Netflix freeloaders, you know who you are). But streaming services are finally formalizing their simultaneous streaming options in addition to the number of profiles available under one account.
Music streaming services are no exception, and companies like Spotify, Apple, and Amazon give users the ability to create separate profiles or link accounts under one regular account, with limits on how many users can stream at the same time. Pandora, one of the earliest Internet "radio" services, with recommendations based on musical traits, offers similar options in the era of on-demand music streaming.
Like other streaming services, Pandora offers both a Premium and Premium Family subscription tier, among their other paid options. And like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music, Pandora's family plan allows a version of simultaneous streaming — or streaming music at the same time on different devices.
If you want to stream from separate devices from the same Pandora account, here's what you need to know.
How many people can listen to Pandora at once
With Free Pandora, Pandora Plus, and Pandora Premium, there is no simultaneous streaming ability because, as Pandora writes, these accounts are "meant for individual, non-commercial use." This means that only one person at a time can play music.
If Pandora detects more than one device listening under the same account, you might get an audio message and then a popup that asks you to select either "Let Me Listen" or "Let Them Listen."
With the Premium Family subscription, however, up to six users can stream music simultaneously, provided they are signed in to their respective accounts. The Premium Family subscription is $14.99 per month and accommodates six family members, much like streaming plans from Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music.
If you don't want to purchase a Family account, you'll have to make a new account to play another stream — or create a commercial account if you're using Pandora for a business.
What you need to simultaneously stream on a Pandora Premium Family plan
Once you sign up for a Pandora Premium Family plan, adding other family members and streaming at the same time as them is relatively straightforward. If you do not add these separate accounts, you will not be able to stream music from different devices at the same time in your account — even within the Family plan.
To add family members' accounts on a Premium Family plan, you'll need to go into your subscription settings and click "Manage Family," where you'll have the option to send email invitations to others so they can join the Family plan under their account.
From there, multiple users in the Family plan signed into separate accounts will be able to stream music simultaneously on up to six different devices.
Related coverage from Tech Reference:
'What is the difference between Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium?': Here's what Pandora's paid service tiers offer
'Why does Pandora keep pausing?': How to troubleshoot Pandora if it pauses intermittently
How to download music from Pandora with a Pandora Premium subscription
How to delete your Pandora account on desktop or mobile, and erase all of your stations and data
Yes, you can listen to Pandora on your Apple Watch — here's how to do it
SEE ALSO: The best music streaming services you can subscribe to in 2021
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