@Thunderstruck4 Nice to see you around the community.
No - canceling your subscription through Apple, and upgrading through the Pandora website instead will not result in the loss of any of your stations, favorites, thumb ratings, etc.
Just make sure you upgrade the account you are currently using vs. creating a new one when upgrading - this will ensure all of your stations/preferences will remain unchanged without you having to start over.
To switch to a subscription directly through Pandora, you will need to cancel the subscription through Apple, and wait for it to expire. Once you begin to hear ads, you can then upgrade to the yearly service offered on the Pandora website.
Unfortunately, I can't manage this for you, as I don't have access to the Apple billing system. You can check out Apple's cancellation steps for more info on how to manage your subscription from your preferred device.
Once you start to hear ads again, you can resubscribe directly through the Pandora website. Please note that once you've upgraded, your auto-renewal option and payment information can only be managed from the subscription details page.
Hope this helps!
