Pandora shuts lid on its music box Down Under

MUSIC streaming service Pandora will close its doors in Australia and New Zealand after five years, with its North Sydney office to shut next month.

The company, which has struggled to gain a foothold locally against the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, will end its service for Australian listeners “over the next few weeks”.

“After diligent analysis, we have decided to discontinue our operations in Australia and New Zealand and expect to wind down the service for listeners over the next weeks,” a spokesman said.

“While our experience in these markets reinforces the broader global opportunity long-term, in the short-term we must remain laser-focused on the expansion of our core business in the United States.” few

Pandora’s Australia and New Zealand operation was its only non-US effort to date.

It is believed the closure will affect about 60 jobs across Australia and New Zealand, while the company counts about 1.2 million subscribers here.