Pandora to Get a Major, Pure HTML5 Redesign, Has 100 Million Users

Pandora, the internet radio station that recently went public, has some things to brag about even as its stock price fluctuates on the market. The site is getting a major overhaul, the first since launch, and will be ditching Flash for a pure HTML experience.

The site also announced that it now has 100 million registered users, 36 million of which are active monthly.

"100 million people have registered to listen to Pandora's free personalized radio service across hundreds of consumer electronic devices," Pandora announced.

"On a monthly basis, 36 million listeners access Pandora across these multiple platforms as Pandora continues to increase its share of the radio listening market," it said.

"Pandora ended 2010 with 2.3 percent market share of all radio listening in the United States. Six months later, Pandora has increased its market share to 3.6 percent of all radio listening in the United States," Pandora boasted.

The service has been growing for years now, it is the largest online music service in the US, but new users also mean bigger costs for Pandora, which is still not profitable.

But Pandora is making a big move with the redesigned site. It's not live yet, paying users will get to access it first, but it is a true revamp. The site has been reworked from the ground up.

It's pure HTML, meaning that it will work on anything, including tablets. There is now a permanent player bar at the top, enabling users to navigate the site, while continuing to listen to music and access the most common features, upvote or downvote or press next.

The new site is a bit more social as well, enabling users to interact more and encouraging them to share more with their friends. The new, app-like site should help Pandora keep its users engaged and possibly attract more, but the increasing competition in the online music market is a risk. Spotify is coming soon, offering on-demand streaming for free.