Pandora Still Hasn’t “Nailed” Social Media?

You’d think that founder Tim Westergren and the folks at Pandora would have social media figured out. After all, the four year old personal internet radio service has grown from about 200 users in 2005 to nearly 50 million registered users today, mostly through word of mouth. Clearly something social must be happening (right?).

But, in a lecture and Q&A delivered last night here in New York City, Westergren said the company still had a ways to go on the social front:

“We still haven’t nailed it…” he said, noting that although the users’ Pandora page is meant to be a social feature, few use it or in many cases even know of it’s existence. The problem, as he describes it is that, while users enjoy sharing music with friends, many aren’t as intrigued at the idea of their friends knowing *everything* they listen to. (Is, say, Celine Dion talented? Sure. Do I want everyone to know I created a Pandora station for her? Uh… Well…)

Still, the Pandora team can rest easy because they certainly have nailed  one thing: the future of radio. Growing at a rate of 85,000 users A DAY, and already accounting for 1.25% of all radio listening in the country (the average is about 17 hours per person per month) the company is poised to get absolutely huge in the next year. In addition to the browser, Pandora can now be accessed from iPhones, Blackberrys, and Android phones, as well as several internet televisions and set top boxes. There’s even word of an integration with Ford’s cars next year.

In short, Pandora aims to be everywhere:

According to Westergren, “Of the 17 hours [users spend listening to radio] 96% of that is broadcast radio: Clear Channel, CBS, the big broadcast radio stations. Our growth, a lot of it is going to come from that…”

While they are careful not to pit Pandora against both broadcast radio and earlier digital pioneer Sirius, it is clear that the Pandora team’s success will come, in part from supplanting the current models. And, since most of their current users heard about the service through friends, Pandora is, in the truest sense, a social phenomenon even if they’re still working on taking maximum advantage of social media.

If you’re still not signed up, check out Pandora at: http://www.pandora.com