California: Internet audio service provider Pandora says its market share actually increased, not decreased, after Apple launched iTunes Radio.
Pandora listening hours for October increased 9% over September, Pandora CFO Micheal Herring told a financial conference. The company reported its listening hours for October grew to 1.47 billion, an 18% growth from the same period a year ago.
The company says it now has 8.06% share of total U.S. listening, an increase from 6.61% at the same time last year.
Traditional radio companies have questioned that number. Katz Media Group estimates Pandora’s share of the total U.S. radio audience at closer to 4.4%, according to Entercom Communications President/CEO David Field at the RAIN Summit preceding the Radio Show. Broadcast radio has 20 times Pandora’s listening, he said at the time.
Pandora says active listeners were 70.9 million at the end of October 2013, an increase of 20% from 59.2 million during the same time period last year. Pandora has said it is releasing key audience metrics on a monthly basis to provide the most current information regarding its users and use across platforms.
