How to add variety to a station

[alc515]

Hello!

I'm hoping the community has some good answers for me...

I use to be able to 'Add Variety' to a station I already created.

I am familiar with going to the Station details to see the seeds the 'Station Created From', however I no longer see the button to 'Add Variety'. When I click on the '...' (ellipsis) that would give me an option to 'Edit Station', that option is greyed out- I can see it, but I can't click it.

Is this for Pandora Plus members or for Pandora Premium members? Or does this option not exist at all anymore?

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity

[AlyssaPandora]

Hi, @zenrn71. 👋

Nice to see you around the community space.

Adding Variety:

To add variety from a computer, click on the name of the station you'd like to edit.

• If the station is not available from your Now Playing page, click on the My Collection button first, sort your collection by Stations, and then select the name of the station you'd like to edit.
• From there you can Add Variety to your station by scrolling down to the Station Created From section. Then choose + Add Variety.
• Next, either enter the name of another song or artist, or roll your cursor over a suggested artist. Whichever you choose, hover your mouse over your selection and click on the "+" sign that appears to add that seed to your station.

That said, you can use Pandora Modes to customize your station experience when you're listening from a computer, mobile device or the Sonos app. You can pick different modes like, Crowd Faves, Discovery and Deep Cuts. Then be sure to Thumb Up songs you liked to inspire similar songs to play.

Keep in mind, each seed you add will inspire hundreds of other songs, so a little variety goes a long way.

++

Adding Variety to Genre Stations:

You won't be able to Add Variety to your Thumbprint Radio, or to genre stations curated by Pandora. 

Genre stations, such as "Today's Hits" or "Classic Rock," are stations curated by Pandora, and they behave a little bit differently than your own personalized stations. One difference is that you cannot Add Variety to these stations. That's because Adding Variety could change your listening experience on these stations; added seeds would most likely inspire music outside of the scope of the intended genre.

Hope this helps. 🎧

[HauseGheist]

@TannerPandora this is still a problem in 2021 on mobile and desktop. All of my stations are affected. Workout Hits Radio is the only one I really care about at the moment.

[AlyssaPandora]

Hi there, @HauseGheist. 👋

Thanks so much for posting about this.

Looks like you're referring to Workout Hits Radio:

Since this is a genre station is created and curated by Pandora, they behave a little bit differently than your own personalized stations (ex. stations created based on an artist / song seed). One difference is that you cannot Add Variety to these stations. Adding Variety could change your listening experience on these stations; added seeds would most likely inspire music outside of the scope of the intended genre.

If you're having trouble with a personalized station (not genre), please let me know and I can take a look.

Hope this information is helpful. 🎧

[johare]

Is there a limit to how many songs I can add to a station for variety? Only 6 appear and if I add a 7th, one of the older ones disappear. Am I limited to 6 or does it only show 6 and the others are still in the mix but not shown?

[TannerPandora]

Hi @johare! 

As a general rule, stations seem to work best with no more than 3-4 seeds added. Happy to take a closer look at your station though, can you let me know the name of the station you are adding variety to? 

Also, are you adding variety on a mobile device or on the web?

[ricmorris]

"Then choose + Add Variety."

Hmmm. Yes, that seems easy enough. Except that it is not an option given for any of my self-made stations on the web application. Has the interface perhaps been fiddled with so that you now use the "Station Created from" interface at the top of the station details, where there is a search bar with the instructions "Find an artist or song to add to this station"?

In a perfect world, it seems like that would seem the obvious answer, but I'm still wondering. You know how these things are... 🤷🏻‍♂️

[AdamPandora]

@ricmorris What are the names of the stations you are unable to add variety to?

Let me know.

[chadanooga]

My 2 questions:

1) I see one of my stations is labeled "Artists Only"... how/where do I turn this feature on/off?

2) I have added artist/song seeds, in the past, but now I cannot find where this is done?

I am not happy with the Pandora website, at all.  I just deleted about 40 stations that I did not create.  The only stations listed should be stations I actually created.  I cannot find where to add artist/song seeds.  I cannot find where to rename a station.  I cannot find where to turn "Artist Only" on/off.  There could be so much more to customize... but there is not.  Everything seems so limited.  There should be so much more than just thumbs up, thumbs down, or skip.  If you want Pandora to exist in 5 years... ya'll need to step it up!

[AdamPandora]

@chadanooga I moved your post over to this existing thread: How to add variety to a station

Adding artist/song seeds:

Check out the accepted solution to this thread for instructions on how you can add variety to your station.

Here is also a screenshot of where this feature will be located in your station:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Turning off Artist Only Mode:

From the Now Playing screen, you can click on My Station to turn off Artist Only Mode, and revert back to your regular station.

Here is a screenshot of where you can find this:

Hope this helps!

[motoant]

I've seen reply after reply on how to add songs to a station:

click + Add Variety, enter the artist or track you'd like to add, then click on the (+) sign to add that artist or song to your station

I can't find the 'Add Variety' to click, is this for paid subscriptions only?

[GeraldPandora]

Hi @motoant 👋

I moved your post to this existing thread: How to add variety to a Station

To answer your question, no you don't need to be a paid subscriber to add a variety to your stations.

Please check out this accepted solution on how to add varieties to your station.

However, genre stations, such as "Today's Hits" or "2000s hip hop," are stations curated by Pandora, and they behave a little bit differently than your own personalized stations. One difference is that you cannot Add Variety to these stations.

That's because Adding Variety could change your listening experience on these stations; added seeds would most likely inspire music outside of the scope of the intended genre.

That said, when listening from a computer or mobile device, you can access Pandora Modes to customize your station experience. You can pick different modes like Crowd Faves, Discovery and Deep Cuts.

For more infomation on Pandora Modes, you can view this page.

Thanks for being a part of the community! 

[motoant]

Thanks Gerald, got it sorted out now! The mistake I made was trying to add variety to my Thumbprint station which it turns out you can't do. But you can with individual stations.

[skoehler122]

I am beyond frustrated. I started with Pandora using thumbs up and thumbs down to fine tune the content. I don't know what I did, but today I have 2 playlists in my collection. Koehler Radio which I must have created at some point, and Thumbs Up. When I play Koehler Radio, it just plays, in order, the 200+ songs in the playlist. I want to go back to where similar songs/genres/artists are mixed in and I can thumbs up or down based on whether I like it. When I click Playing Now, I get zero options to change mode. I at one point had a "My Radio" playlist or collection where I saw those modes. But playing it yielded absolutely nothing I liked and I was sick of thumbs down'ing every song. I don't even care if I have to start of with a new station and use thumbs up/thumbs down to get a good playlist back in order. But I don't even see how I can do that. Why is this so difficult???? It used to work wonderfully.

[AdamPandora]

@skoehler122 Can you please do me a favor and send me a screenshot of what you are seeing?

(Please note you won't be able to attach images via email - you will need to open this Community link in a web browser in order to provide attachments)

Thanks for working with me on this.

[burnoutbright]

I don't see it anymore either. 

[AdamPandora]

@burnoutbright I'm happy to look into this further.

Can you please do me a favor and send me a screenshot of what you are seeing?

(Please note you won't be able to attach images via email - you will need to open this Community link in a web browser in order to provide attachments)

Thanks for working with me on this.

[Twincaman]

I can find neither the "station created from" or the "add variety" options on either the iPhone or the Windows 11 computer.

[TannerPandora]

Hi @Twincaman! Sorry for any trouble.

I've taken some screenshots that may help adding variety on your mobile. Keep in mind, you won't be able to add variety to your Thumbprint Radio station or to genre stations curated by Pandora. Also, each seed you add will inspire hundreds of other songs, so a little variety goes a long way. We recommend adding a few seeds and balancing your thumbs to improve your station experience.

To add variety to a station, you'll need to first select the station you like to add variety too. This will start your station, then tap either the small "i" icon in the upper right corner of your screen to continue to the station's backstage page.

 

From the station's backstage page scroll down to Station Created From. Use the + Add Variety button to search for an artist or track to add as a seed on your station.

 

[Listener001]

Hi,

How can I get the rest of Huey Lewis' CDs into my More 80s, 90s and 2000s Rock Fitness Radio? My new redone station hasn't brought in the rest of his CDs. I love all the others too. I got his second and third 80s' CDs, but not his very first one with Trouble In Paradise in it. I'm so excited about getting it done the way I like it. I can't seem to figure it out yet. If I remember correctly I used to always put a song in my variety seeds and it would eventually pick it up for me to thumb up.

[AdamPandora]

@Listener001 I moved your post over to this existing thread: How to add variety to a station

Check out the accepted solution for instructions on how to add variety to your station.

Hope this helps!