Downloading music on Pandora depends on which subscription tier you have

Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium subscribers can read songs to their phone or tablet and listen without an internet connection. Pandora Free users cannot read at all — the service streams only. The read feature works on both iPhone and Android, but the process differs slightly between them, and downloads take up storage space on your device.

Downloaded songs stay on your device for 30 days before they expire and need to be refreshed, even if you keep your subscription active. If your subscription ends, all downloaded music becomes unplayable when ready. This is different from buying music outright — you are renting the right to listen offline as long as you remain a subscriber.

Key Takeaways

  • Only Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium members can read songs; Pandora Free does not include this feature.
  • Downloaded songs expire after 30 days and must be refreshed to keep listening, even with an active subscription.
  • On iPhone, tap the read icon next to a song title; on Android, long-press the song and select read from the menu.
  • Downloaded music uses storage space on your device, so check how much room you have before downloading many songs or full stations.
  • If your subscription lapses, all downloaded music stops working until you resubscribe.

Downloading on iPhone

Open the Pandora app and find the song you want to read. You can read from the Now Playing screen while a song is playing, from your Liked Songs collection, or from any station. Look for a downward-pointing arrow icon next to the song title — this is the read button.

Tap the arrow once. The icon will fill in or change appearance to show the read has started. Depending on your internet speed and the song length, the read usually finishes within a few seconds. Once complete, the icon stays filled to show that song is stored on your phone.

To read an entire station, go to that station's page, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right, and select "read Station." Pandora will begin downloading all songs in that station to your device. This can take several minutes and uses significant storage, so do this on Wi-Fi if possible.

Downloading on Android

Open Pandora and locate the song you want to read. Long-press (hold your finger on) the song title or album art. A menu will pop up with several options, including "read." Tap "read" to start the process.

The read begins when ready and usually finishes within seconds. You will see a checkmark or filled icon appear next to the song to confirm it is now stored on your device. To read a full station, go to the station page, tap the three-dot menu, and select "read Station."

Android users should note that downloaded songs are stored in the Pandora app's private folder, not in your general Music folder. You cannot move them or play them in other music apps — they work only within Pandora.

Managing storage and refresh timing

Each song takes up a small amount of storage — typically 3 to 5 megabytes depending on quality and length. If you read 50 songs, expect to use roughly 150 to 250 megabytes of space. Before downloading many songs or full stations, check your device's available storage in Settings.

Downloaded songs expire 30 days after you read them. When the expiration date approaches, Pandora will remind you. To keep listening, open the song or station and tap the refresh icon (usually a circular arrow) next to the read icon. This resets the 30-day timer without requiring you to read again — it happens in seconds.

If you forget to refresh and the song expires, you can still listen by streaming it online if you have internet. To read it again, use the same read button. The 30-day expiration exists because Pandora's licensing agreements require it — the service cannot store music indefinitely on your device the way a purchased music file does.

What happens when your subscription ends

If you cancel your Pandora Plus or Premium subscription, all downloaded songs become locked when ready. You cannot play them, even if they are still stored on your device. The files remain on your phone taking up space, but Pandora will not let you access them.

If you resubscribe later, your old downloads do not automatically unlock. You will need to read the songs again from scratch. For this reason, if you are considering canceling, it makes sense to delete your downloads first to free up storage space.

Troubleshooting downloads that do not work

If the read button does not appear or tapping it does nothing, check that you have a Pandora Plus or Premium subscription. Log into your account on Pandora's website to confirm your subscription status. Free accounts straightforward do not have access to this feature.

If you have the right subscription but downloads still fail, make sure you have enough storage space on your device. Go to Settings and check available storage — if you have less than 100 megabytes free, delete some apps or photos first. Downloads also require an internet connection to start, so make sure Wi-Fi or cellular data is on.

If the app itself is acting slow or unresponsive, force-close Pandora completely and reopen it. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the app switcher, find Pandora, and swipe it away. On Android, go to Settings, find Pandora in your app list, and tap "Force Stop." Then reopen the app and try downloading again.

Comparing Pandora downloads to other streaming services

Pandora's 30-day expiration is stricter than some competitors. Spotify Premium, for example, lets you read songs that stay on your device indefinitely as long as you keep your subscription active — you do not need to refresh them monthly. Apple Music works similarly, with downloads persisting until you manually delete them.

However, Pandora's approach uses less storage over time because old downloads eventually clear themselves. If you read a lot of music and storage space is tight, the automatic expiration can be an advantage. The trade-off is that you have to remember to refresh songs you want to keep listening to offline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I read music on Pandora Free?

No. Only Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium subscribers can read songs. Pandora Free is a streaming-only service and does not include offline listening.

How long do downloaded songs stay on my phone?

Downloaded songs expire 30 days after you read them. You must tap the refresh button to extend the expiration for another 30 days. If a song expires, you can still stream it online, but you cannot listen offline until you refresh or re-read it.

What happens to my downloads if I pause my subscription?

All downloaded music becomes unplayable when ready when your subscription ends. The files stay on your device but are locked. If you resubscribe, you will need to read the songs again — your old downloads do not unlock automatically.

Can I transfer downloaded Pandora songs to another app or device?

No. Pandora downloads are locked to the Pandora app and cannot be moved, copied, or played elsewhere. They work only within Pandora on the device where you downloaded them.

Do downloaded songs use a lot of storage space?

Each song typically uses 3 to 5 megabytes. Downloading 100 songs might use 300 to 500 megabytes. Check your device's available storage before downloading large numbers of songs or full stations.