Pandora Survey Shows Holiday Music Listening Trends

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Regardless of which holidays are celebrated this season, most Americans can agree on one thing this time of year: holiday music is essential. A new survey by Pandora (NYSE: P), the leading internet radio service, yields interesting insights into how Americans prefer to listen to Christmas and holiday-themed music during the winter season.

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Every year, many of Pandora's listeners turn their stations to holiday music as soon as the turkey is off the table. Whether trimming a Christmas tree, wrapping gifts or preparing a festive meal to share with friends, the holiday survey confirmed that Americans love their holiday tunes. Nearly nine in ten Americans report that they can't celebrate the holiday season properly without the right music. And so far, Pandora listeners have enjoyed more than 2 billion holiday tracks on the service since November.

For those that like to spread holiday cheer at home by entertaining, the survey found that holiday music is a must to set the mood for a memorable and festive gathering. Nearly a quarter of Americans feel that the music selection is more likely to make or break a holiday celebration than the menu. And in picking the perfect music to accompany their get-togethers, three in four people admit they prefer classic holiday tunes from artists such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole, rather than new releases from today's chart toppers.

Pandora Chief Marketing Officer Simon Fleming-Wood said, "Pandora is a huge destination for holiday listening. Since the start of November, millions of our listeners have enjoyed their favorite holiday music on Pandora and Christmas Radio is already our most popular genre station. In fact, we have 22 different holiday genre stations specifically curated to effortlessly ignite the holiday spirit for our more than 62 million active monthly listeners. Whatever our listeners are celebrating, we've got their music."

For more holiday music listening trends and to view the "Who's Listening in a Winter Wonderland?" infographic, visit: http://blog.pandora.com/pandora/archives/2012/12/its-beginning-t.html

For a full list of Pandora holiday genre stations, please see related news at: http://blog.pandora.com/archives/press/2012/11/delight_in_the.html

ABOUT PANDORA HOLIDAY MUSIC SURVEY

The Pandora holiday music survey was conducted between October 3-10, 2012 among 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey.

ABOUT PANDORA

Pandora (NYSE: P) gives people music and comedy they love anytime, anywhere, through connected devices. Personalized stations launch instantly with the input of a single "seed" – a favorite artist, song or genre. The Music Genome Project®, a deeply detailed hand-built musical taxonomy, powers the personalization of Pandora® internet radio by using musicological "DNA" and constant listener feedback to craft personalized stations. Tens of millions of people turn on Pandora every month to hear music they love. www.pandora.com 

SOURCE Pandora