OFFICIAL: Pandora ANZ will disappear on 31 July

In an email to its Australian and New Zealand subscribers on Thursday, Pandora has confirmed the service will be “shutting down” on 31 July.

The troubled music streaming platform failed to find profitability under former CEO Tim Westergrenwho departed the Denmark-based company last month. CFO Naveen Chopra is now interim CEO – he joined Pandora earlier this year from TiVo.

In a three-paragraph blast to local users, Pandora thanked its subscribers for their loyalty and explained that, after 31 July, “…you will no longer be able to access the Pandora app or website”.

Rick Gleave, Director of Business Development and Partnerships at Pandora, said in a statement to TMN that he was honoured to have worked with atalented and dedicated team in the region.

“Since we opened our doors in 2012, the team grew our user base to over one million monthly listeners, delivered market-shaping advertising and retail distribution deals and executed highly successful music events and sponsorships.”

He added: “To that end, I’d like to thank our employees as well as advertisers, automotive and consumer device partners for their support. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly,

I’d like to thank our listeners for giving us the opportunity to connect them with the music they love.”

Launched locally five years ago, Australia and New Zealand were the only countries outside the United States in which Pandora was in operation.

Sources suggested that despite attempts by local operations to increase its profile, subscribers remained at 1.2 million. Spotify and Apple Music seemed to have a faster growth rate, especially with younger music fans.

Last October, Pandora partnered with Holden to kick-start a range of music events, replicating those 80 in the United States, starting with a warehouse party in Sydney for 1000 customers.

The Australian and New Zealand operations lost its founding Managing DirectorJane Huxleyearlier this year, with no permanent replacement installed.

Pandora has a global subscriber base of 80 million, and in recent months had signed up with some major and independent labels as part of a strategy to expand its global footprint.

Pandora’s ceasing of operations in Australia and New Zealand follows similar moves by Deezer andGuvera.