Google Home - Hearing ads with upgraded account

[stickfigure]

I've been a Pandora Plus subscriber for years. I listen to it exclusively through Google Home. "Hey Google, play _SOMEBAND_" and it starts a pandora station around that band name.

Lately I've started hearing ads.

I've read this thread, which suggests it's related to temporarily activating Pandora Premium: https://community.pandora.com/t5/Subscriptions/Still-hearing-ads-with-Pandora-Plus/td-p/10532

I'm using a Google Home, there's no UI around this. How do I permanently stop this behavior? I just want to listen to radio like I always have, starting radio stations via voice.

Moderator Edit: Changing title for clarity

[AdamPandora]

@stickfigure Nice to see you around the Community. 

Let's go ahead and try resetting the linked Pandora account on your Google device.

1. Launch the Google Home app and tap the + symbol in the top left corner of the Home screen.
2. Then tap Music and audio, then select Pandora.
3. Tap Link your Pandora account.
4. On the next screen, select I have a Pandora account.
5. If the entry fields are auto-filled, delete that info and log back in using the email address and password associated with your paid account.

If you are still hearing ads after confirming you are logged in with the correct address, can you tell me a bit more about the advertising you are seeing?

Is it for a specific brand or artist? Are you hearing them while listening to podcasts?

Let me know, and I'll be happy to follow up.

[DaveAtlanta]

Every time I try to use Pandora with Google Home, there seems to be a new issue.  

Sometimes my google home starts playing commercials, even though I have a Plus subscription.  If I say "hey Google, play pandora" it will start no problem, but then I check my iPhone app and they are literally playing different songs... and my iPhone starts its own broadcast through the phone.  The skip button on Google home is often either disabled or sometimes not even present on the screen.  Sometimes it plays one song and then stops.  There's literally always a new issue.

Are these just incompatibility glitches that are part of the Google Home/Pandora experience?  If so, I'll probably look into switching to another service as its super annoying to constantly be problem solving.

[stickfigure]

Hi, thanks for the response. I've re-linked Pandora to my Google Home, but I still experience commercials. Not for all stations... I only seem to hear it when my 3yo asks "Hey Google, play Baby Shark" (which is pretty much all the time, sigh). There's a "Baby Shark Radio" station in my pandora list.

Ads are normal radio ads? Just heard one for "zip recruiter".

[AdamPandora]

@stickfigure I'd like to verify if this is happening because your Google Home device is attempting to play that specific track.

Next time, can you instead try saying "Hey Google, play Baby Shark Radio" and let me know if it still prompts you to play an ad first?

Thanks for working with me on this. 🤝

[stickfigure]

It never played an ad first - I've only noticed ads midstream. And it doesn't seem consistent.

Sure, I can try that. Though even if it works, this isn't really a solution - you're asking me to retrain a 3yo 😞

[AdamPandora]

@stickfigure The next time an ad plays, please make note of the time that it comes in.

I can then pass that information along to our engineers so they can further investigate.

Thanks again for working with me on this! 

[Amochoa]

I just got a google nest device and this is happening to me too. I've been a pandora premium subscriber for three years. Has this issue been addressed yet for those with google speaker devices?

[AdamPandora]

@Amochoa Let's go ahead and try resetting the linked Pandora account on your Google device.

1. Launch the Google Home app and tap the + symbol in the top left corner of the Home screen.
2. Then tap Music and audio, then select Pandora.
3. Tap Link your Pandora account.
4. On the next screen, select I have a Pandora account.
5. If the entry fields are auto-filled, delete that info and log back in using the email address and password associated with your paid account.

If you are still hearing ads after confirming you are logged in with the correct address, can you tell me a bit more about the advertising you are seeing?

Is it for a specific brand or artist? Are you hearing them while listening to podcasts?

Let me know, and I'll be happy to follow up.

[Bexxx]

I'm having this same issue. I've tried what you've suggested several times and it still plays ads. Anyone figure out how to stop this from happening yet? Nothing worse than playing lullaby music for you baby and then some loud mouth ad pops up. 

[carlman3]

I have the same problem and Pandora's support seems to have the same answer, re-link your account.   

This tells me that support doesn't know why it's happening. There was likely a change so that commercials are forced on you now. 

It's too bad there's no really good music service for me anymore.  I really like the stations on Pandora but with the lack of support, the forced commercials, the backwards direction the app has taken over the years, and no ability to get high resolution the reasons to stay with Pandora keep shrinking. Glad I kept my CDs.  🙂

[TannerPandora]

Hi @Bexxx and @carlman3! Thanks for posting your experience to community. 

Can you let me know make of the Google Home devices you are using and if multiple people use the same set of devices in your home?