Pandora Premium lets you pick your music

Pandora will now let you listen to whatever you want, for a price.

The internet radio service's new Pandora Premium tier offers on-demand streaming for $9.99 a month, the company said Monday. So, in addition to listening to whatever Pandora's algorithms think you'll like, you can pick the music.

Pandora joins the ranks of services like Apple Music and Spotify in offering on-demand music streaming.

Pandora was a vanguard of mobile streaming, but was mired in rigid licensing rules that limited listener's control over what songs played. Younger competitors like Spotify and Apple Music struck more modern deals that allowed customers to listen to whatever they want, as much as they want.

As a result, Pandora's growth has slowed. The company is reportedly open to a takeover, and said last month it would shave seven percent off its workforce in a move that may make it more appealing to prospective buyers.

Invitations for a free trial will go out to some users on Wednesday. At some point in the coming weeks, all listeners will have the option to upgrade their Pandora accounts.

Pandora already offers one paid tier. For $4.99 a month, Pandora Plus users can listen offline, dodge ads and skip more songs than if they were using the free version of Pandora.

First published March 13, 7:19 a.m. PT.
Update, 9:47 a.m. PT: Adds background information.