It's FreeSort Of
How much does it cost to listen to Pandora? Like traditional radio stationsand unlike some competing online servicesPandora is complete free. That's because, also like traditional radio, it is advertising-supported.
This means that every 20 minutes or so, you have to suffer through a commercial or two. (There are also banner ads on Pandora's website and on its mobile app.) If you think of Pandora as being similar to your local AM or FM radio station, it's not too annoying. But it's not wall-to-wall music as you get with paid services.
Of course, if you want to get rid of the ads, Pandora has an option for you. If you pay $4.99/month for a Pandora One subscription, you get commercial-free listeningand in the mobile app, it removes the ever-present pop-up ads you see onscreen.