Ideally with a 192k stream api of the desktop app rather than the lower rate of other apis.
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Pandora refuses to issue API keys to anyone but a handful of hardware manufacturers who got the keys when their API program was first introduced in 2008. When asked for policy clarification, they said that their label licenses preclude software-based integrations; those licenses apparently only permit audio playback via their web player, their Pandora-branded apps, and third-party hardware.
We’ve contacted them repeatedly over the years to see if they would make an exception (first for Sooloos, then for HP Connected Music, and finally for Roon), eventually escalating to their C-level executives, with no success. This has long been a source of frustration for us, and we hope that Pandora eventually opens up to third-party integrations once again.
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Thank you for your personal response. This is very hard to explain to my wife. Perhaps that is the best negotiating point with those execs. When reduced to the most basic functionality as understood by the unsophisticated user, who merely wants to use the service in the most convenient manner, the use restrictions do not appear to have merit. An api is an api. They can track usage either way. Again, thank you.
perhaps you could license their algorithms/metadata and apply to people’s library as well as other sources? that is the magic, nothing about the streaming is particularly great.
Is this really still the case? As far as I can see, EVERY manufacturer of multi-room audio - Yamaha, Bluesound, Sonos, Heos - supports Pandora. Did they all get on board in 2008?
This is my one stumbling block to implementing a Roon endpoint in all my zones. I really like Pandora for background listening…
I can’t speak to when those manufacturers got their API keys, but as all the brands you’ve identified manufacture hardware platforms, it’s within Pandora’s policy (which I outlined earlier) to support them.
What they categorically refuse to do is allow software integrations. Please understand that we’re as frustrated by this as anyone, but having escalated to their founder, we don’t really have any recourse.
Thanks Enno. It’s a weird position. Whqt difference does it make to them? Or do the hardware platforms pay them something?
Thanks for the information Enno. Lack of Pandora support is a ‘deal breaker’ for many users when looking at moving to Roon.
I am curious if Pandora would allow Roon to create a centralized service system much like how Logitech’s was able to support Pandora via the same authorization scheme as mysqueezebox.com? That way, the ‘Core’ is still running locally but all the authentication can be ‘protected’ behind a Roon service layer.
I look at it the other way, if the music provider doesn’t want to work with Roon, I’ll use the company that does, Tidal. I’d love to get Deezer via Roon, and would pay the hi-res subscription fee if they did. In the meantime, I can use their standard or free tier service on DTS Play-fi.
IMO, Pandora isn’t much different from basic amazon prime music with its limited catalog.
All streaming sites have limitations, this was the best answer that gave me some closure on the topic.
“Spotify and Pandora are two services that we’re unlikely to be able to integrate. They’ve taken policy decisions (perhaps rightly) to prevent integrations, because they’ve realized that keeping the user in their UX is actually the only way they differentiate. Allowing too many different integrations creates the risk of commoditizing the streaming services to the point at which they’re each just a bucket of the same ~30 million tracks. In this respect, our ambitions are at odds with those of the streaming services.”
- Enno Vandermeer
Source:
I am just hoping to find some kind or workaround at this point as my family still enjoys Pandora and we are grandfathered into a very low rate because we’ve been members since the beginning.
/me face palm… Somebody please lock this thread… Seen pandora been integrated with roon just makes me sick…
LOL
J/K 
Honestly comments such as a “deal breakers” are funny because Pandora has always been know to have poor API support/integration with 3rd party’s. Pandora has been outdated by its competitors some time now…
It has been years since I used Pandora, but from what I can remember I could never get it to choose music that I actually enjoyed with any regularity.
Hi all, I’ve been using Pandora from within my Squeezebox Server for years.
There’s no hardware involved, the Squeezebox plug-in on the Logitech software server works perfectly.
I think I might have logged on to Pandora’s website exactly once to set up my subscription to them, and I’ve never ever used any of their apps or software.
Why couldn’t Roon have a similar ‘plug-in’ capability ?
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I know this is an old topic but I just can’t help myself here - the secret sauce of Pandora is the Music Genome Project which creates playlists based on artist or song and plays similar music, plus the ability to add more diversity or less diversity as you choose, as well as build lists of your favorites.
I’ve discovered great music this way, and its much better than Roon Radio which just plays similar artists in your library probably based on a very basic list of what makes artists ‘similar’ or other radio such as iTunes, Tidal, etc.
Spotify in fact does allow some integrations now, so the idea that Spotify and Pandora don’t allow this may not be true forever - my Naim control app has both Tidal and Spotify integration, for Spotify it allows control in the Spotify app on my ipad played through the Naim system for example. Why couldn’t Roon do the same approach with Pandora and just switch to their UX on ipad for example but play natively on the roon server?
Ideally someone buys Pandora and incorporates this great technology into a better, high quality, streaming service if they won’t play ball.
I believe its a short sighted strategic choice by Pandora not to integrate- Tidal integration with Roon makes me use Tidal much more frequently and at the highest subscription level because I can use it to stream at high quality in my high end stereo set up. I keep a Pandora subscription because I love the Radio features, but not becuse of its UX and over time might get tired of having to play it through Airtunes vs. at higher quality via Roon or my Naim SuperUniti. Maybe AirPlay 2 will provide better quality streaming but its hard to find any answers from Apple of course.
I only use Pandora now for convenience when and want to enjoy a nice selection of songs/discover new music that is not repetitive and boring simple lists from similar artists in my existing library (sorry Roon!) but the sound quality on airtunes is poor compared to Roon through my system and makes me frustrated.
Being a digital fan since Napster and now finally having much better services (stores, streaming, rendering, control, etc.) in a much more integrated fashion including high end hardware playing nice with Roon who can complain? We’re finally entering the digital age for music…where I can buy, share playlists, and play what I want easily. Almost perfect…
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Maybe, if all of us “paying” Pandora customers suddenly pull our accounts to the free account, the management will listen to us!