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Pandora radio targets older demographic

PandoraThe  managing director of Pandora Radio Jane Huxley says the streaming radio service is aiming at the older demographic in its Australian audience.

The former publisher of Fairfax Digital said the online music site, which recently reached the 200 million user milestone in the US, was seeing a strong take up in users over the age of 60.

“One thing that is really interesting is the number of people in the 60+ category,” said Huxley.  

“I get emails from people in their 70s…  and the emails are like I’m listening to such and such — insert band from the 1940s — and this was the soundtrack of my youth. It’s fun doing customer service where almost without exception the customer service all of the emails make me smile.”

Pandora has also announced the hiring of Fairfax Metro’s director of mobile, Rick Gleave and says it hopes to have one million Australian users by the end the year.

“I’ve hired Rick Gleaves and I have a couple of other offers out in the market now,” Huxely told Mumbrella, indicating that more appointments would be made shortly.

“I’m always optimistic about the one million mark but the growth is going to be through the advocacy model.”

“There are really two ways to grow the audience for Pandora one is through consumer outreach to customers and the other is through the distribution of Pandora through consumer electronic devices and partnerships. My first hires have been in those areas.”

Jane HuxleyHuxley says the size and breadth of Pandora’s library will be a key part of the company’s competitive advantage in the increasingly competitive market which includes other outlets such as Spotify and Rdio.

“The oldest piece of music in our library is from 1905 and every week I get our curation newsletter which highlights all of the new artists, albums, tracks and genres that have been added in the last week,” she said.

“What was really interesting to me when I was looking at this list… and there was Bing Crosby and they’ve put in a new albums that’s just been put in called ‘So rare treasures from the Crosby archive’ and it included his first solo radio performance from 1931, rare private recordings and unknown outtakes.”

“It’s no wonder that the take up in this audience has been so strong. Where else are they going to find this stuff?”

Huxley left Fairfax last year. Pandora began streaming again in Australia in July.

 

Nic Christensen 

 

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