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I moved your post over to this existing feature request as it seems like you'd like to see this option implemented. I would recommend clicking on the ❤️icon to express your interest. In the meantime, this isn't a feature with Premium. Thanks so much for your feedback about this!
Appears this is an option on Pandora Plus and free accounts. Please enable this for Premium accounts. Seems odd that the premium service would offer less function than the free versions.
Finally found this 'explanation':"Looks like you're using Pandora Premium on your mobile device.
"This feature is available on both web and mobile for Free and Pandora Plus listeners. This isn't currently available for Pandora Premium subscribers."
I just upgraded from Pandora Plus to Pandora Premium and have been searching (and following various directions from other threads) for the last two hours to try and figure out why this critical feature had vanished from my app. If I'd known I'd have to forego it I doubt I'd have signed up for the upgrade.
Normally when you pay extra for a higher service tier you are able to enjoy more and better features, not fewer and worse. Sort of mystified here.
After some thought I have a theory that this is related to Pandora trying to control their royalty costs. Sure we pay but potentially the value of non_Premium users ad revenue brings in more money. There is absolutely no technical reason for the omission of this feature.
I've also noticed over the past couple of years that Pandora throws in the cheapest possible versions of popular songs. Has nothing to do with "variety" and everything to do with the cost of playing the song.
I've also noticed that no matter what station I play it seems like I get the same 40 songs or so. I had a David Bowie station that never played any Bowie songs! Even when I shuffle all my stations I get the some finite list of songs. I have a diverse set of stations. From Danzig to George Strait to Los Lonely Boys and Alice Cooper.
Definitely going to be seeking an alternative that offers dynamic curated, artist/genre "stations". Any suggestions?
That's very cynical @spb999 ...and unfortunately also probably accurate. I've had a lot of songs pop up over time from some of those compilation sets, like NOW and whatnot. I wouldn't be surprised if it's because the license/royalty is lower with them.
I haven't had the same problem with the same 40 songs or so being played...but mine gets into a rut where it only plays songs similar to what just played. My main station has a really broad variety of influences, so if it starts with an a capella song, it will play like a dozen in a row after that even if I skip...and the only way really to stop it is to restart the app or switch channels.