Desktop: Skips / Loses Audio on Random Songs

[Chris134]

Hello. I've been having issues when playing Pandora music on my desktop browser (it happens on all browsers including Chrome, Opera GX, FireFox, etc.) and the Microsoft store Pandora app. Every once in a while Pandora will start to play a song and it simply won't play the song in it's entirety, even if I try to skip to different parts of the song, it still won't play anything. It could happen on multiple songs in a row, or just the occasional one here and there. It is frequent enough for me to start a support ticket, however.

I already double-checked if my audio was working properly, it is 100%. I verified it happens on any album/station/artist/genre auto-playing, even if I have said album or songs downloaded (I have Pandora Premium). This issue seems to be a desktop problem only as my smart TV app and phone app seems to work just fine.

Any help on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

[AlyssaPandora · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @Chris134. 👋

Sorry to hear that you're having trouble.

Did you create a support ticket with our team via email using our help site?

Also, when did this issue begin?

++

In the meantime, let's try try rebooting your connection: 

1. Shut down your device completely;
2. Unplug your modem and router, wait one full minute, and then plug them back in;
3. Wait five more minutes to allow the modem and router to fully boot back up;
4. Turn your device back on and try Pandora again.

If Pandora still isn't working, could you check if you're able to connect to your network using another streaming service, such as YouTube?

Let me know how it goes. 🎧

[23hall]

I have the exact same issue.  Pandora will randomly stop playing music even though the progress bar is still scrolling along the bottom as if it was playing.  Sometimes it works fine for hours, then skips frequently, other days it starts "going mute" right away.  The only way for me to resolve it is to reload the page.  I've tried using both Chrome and Firefox. Both browsers say they are current, with no updates to download.  I shut down and reboot my computer typically every day. 

[AlyssaPandora]

Hey, @23hall. 👋

Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear that you're running into this issue.

Are you noticing any error messages when this happens? If so, what exactly does it say?

I can recommend the standard troubleshooting for your two web browsers. I've also enabled a trace on your account so that I can share your experience with our engineering team. If you're interested, you can run through the steps you haven't already:

• Chrome Troubleshooting
• Firefox Troubleshooting

Let me know how it goes. 🎧

[23hall]

Hi - I don't get any error messages when it happens. I also already tried the Firefox troubleshooting, but all the suggested settings were already applied.

[Chris134]

Hey Alyssa,

I have not created a proper support ticket yet, and if I had to be honest, I figured this was the place to place them...

I ran through and tried resetting my modem/router and all of the other fixes @23hall went through to determine if it was something to do with the browser, Microsoft Pandora app, or the internet. Unfortunately, it seems to continue happening at random.

Going back and reading everything, me and @23hall are pretty much on the same page, occasionally losing audio while the player continues to move throughout the song and all without a error notification.

Other streaming services like youtube, netflix, and amazon prime seem to work fine without error. I even checked my internet bandwidth usage over time and there were no noticeable drops in connection in the last couple of months for me, so I don't believe it to be an internet issue.

[AlyssaPandora]

Thanks so much for confirming, @Chris134. I appreciate you taking the time to provide those details.

@23hall @Chris134 I will share your both of your experiences and feedback with our engineering team on an internal ticket. 

We appreciate your patience during this process. 🎧

[Rwells1614]

I keep having audio dropouts why??

Same issue here if it doesn’t get fixed I’ll be canceling the service 12.99 to hear a skipping record??

[AdamPandora]

@Rwells1614 Could you tell me a bit more about what is happening? Are you listening to Pandora on a computer or on a device?

1. If you are on a computer, are you listening from:
• A Mac or Windows computer?
• Our website, or the desktop app? If you're listening from our website, what browser are you using?
2. If you are on a device, what is the make and model (and carrier, if applicable)?
3. Is there an error message? If so, what does it say?
4. Can you provide me with a screenshot of what you're seeing?

Thanks for working with me on this. 🤝

[23hall]

The audio has dropped at least 3 times in the last hour I've been listening.  I'm getting ready to cancel my subscription, it's too frustrating. 

[Chris134]

I was on my PC the other day and Pandora skipped every other song for the few hours I was listening. Hate to say it, but it might actually be getting worse 😖

[ambercakes]

The exact thing happens to me on the daily.  I have tried everything to get it to stop doing that, The entire checklist.  STill does it everytime, so annoying. Wish I could figure out why it is doing this.

[AlyssaPandora]

Hi, @ambercakes. 👋

Thanks for posting about your experience, and sorry for any trouble this has caused.

Troubleshooting for Web + Desktop App:

You mentioned going through everything on the checklist. It sounds like you may have run through the troubleshooting steps here:

• Google Chrome Troubleshooting
• Safari Troubleshooting
• Microsoft Edge Troubleshooting
• Firefox Troubleshooting

Pandora Desktop App Troubleshooting:

• MAC Troubleshooting
• Windows Troubleshooting

---

Additional Details:

Could you confirm how you're listening when this happens? 

Which web browser are you using? Or, are you using the Pandora Desktop App for Windows or MAC?

Have you encountered any error messages? If so, what exactly does it say?

Let me know. 🎧