In Stations 101: Thumbs, we detailed how Thumbs can fine-tune a station to your unique tastes and preferences. Thumbs are the foundation of station control but they aren’t the only way to customize your listening experience. Pandora Modes allow you to take even more control over the type of songs you want to hear.
You know the vibe of the function and you don’t want to skip tracks until you find that crowd pleasing song to belt out together. When you want something new, there’s no need to wait for your next great discovery. With modes, sit back and shift the gear of a station to perfectly match your mood. Hit the Crowd Faves mode and your station is going to play the tracks that everyone can sing along with. When you’re out for a walk, shift into Discovery mode to find the songs you’ll be putting your friends onto.
Tap the white menu above the album art on the Now Playing screen to see a list of the available modes from your mobile device. On desktop, they’re available just to the right of the album art on the Now Playing screen. From here, you can enjoy hidden gems on Deep Cuts mode and Newly Released mode for the latest tracks. Create a mellow or high-energy listening session tailored to your activity with Mood Modes like Relax and Energy Boost.
As an ad-supported or Plus user, unlock one of our most frequently asked about features, Artist Only mode through Premium Access. Watch a short ad to launch a Premium Access session giving you the chance to enjoy music from the headlining artist on your station. For Premium users, Artist Only mode is accessible with your subscription. The availability of Artist Only mode varies by station.
Curated Modes
Pandora’s stations also have exclusive curated modes designed to help you explore their collection of songs. On Today’s Hits Radio, you may have the option to activate Most Thumbed Up to hear tracks that listeners are loving the most. When listening to 90s Hip Hop Radio, decide whether you want to hear the top tracks from 90s West Coast or East Coast Hip Hop by picking your desired mode. Since genre stations are created and curated by Pandora, sometimes we may modify the station experience which can result in the changing availability of specific modes.
Keep an eye out for pop-up modes like artist takeovers; from your favorite artists that give you access to a curated collection by the artist tracks you love. For country music lovers, you may have come across artist takeovers on Today’s Country Radio. The recent Luke Combs Takeover mode features a handpicked collection of songs he’s excited to share along with his personal commentary on why he loves each artist and track. You’ll find these pop-up modes and takeovers all across many stations on Pandora.
When you’re ready to switch things up just change modes or tap My Station to get back to your original station experience built on your Thumbs.