Pandora Radio is one of the most popular music streaming sites, bumping shoulders with the likes of Spotify and Amazon Music.

Pandora Radio Canada or UK is sadly not a thing though, so trying to listen outside of the US will greet you with a rather oppressive looking page stating the service is not available in your region.

I’ve found no matter how friendly these pages try to look I always feel like they are questioning my tenacity to give them my money.

Thankfully, it is rather simple to bypass this message and get listening to Pandora Radio.

What you’ll need

There are two ways you can access Pandora Radio in Canada and the UK – VPN and Smart DNS.

VPN will keep your communications secure but is not available on all devices.

Smart DNS will not encrypt your data but is available on pretty much all devices that allow you to change your DNS settings.

The best one is entirely dependent on your needs as an individual.

If keeping secure is most important to you, then VPN is the best choice for you. If you just want wide compatibility, Smart DNS is the way to go.

VPN method

  • VPN subscription (with servers in the US)
  • PC or mobile device

Smart DNS method

  • Smart DNS service (that states it unblocks Pandora Radio)
  • PC or mobile device

That is all you need for both methods, as you can see it isn’t that much of a task to get Pandora Radio Canada or UK.

VPN method

Step one – Find a VPN service for you

The only real criteria for finding a VPN service for Pandora Radio is one that has servers located in the United States, that is pretty much the majority of VPN providers.

We've tested the options available on the market, and recommend the following options for use with Pandora

ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN
4.83 out of 5
Our rating
Price: See Here
CactusVPN
4.25 out of 5
Our rating
Price: See Here
Private Internet Access
4.42 out of 5
Our rating
Price: See Here

CactusVPN is a good choice because for $7 a month you can get both VPN (with US servers) AND Smart DNS. Their VPN servers are a gigabit in all of their locations meaning you will get the best speeds possible. They also offer just US VPN server for just $5 a month.

ExpressVPN is another good choice for those looking for a VPN service with a load of server locations. It is a little more expensive though at $12.95 a month.

Both of these VPN providers have iOS and Android apps so you can use Pandora Radio on your smart device.

Step two – Connect to your VPN service

If you are trying to access Pandora Radio from your desktop PC, you have two options for connecting to your VPN (depending on your VPN provider).

Many VPN services offer programs for PC that allow you to connect to servers through it. These programs often have interesting features within them, like a kill-switch for certain programs if you should lose VPN connection.

On PC, you can also connect natively. Windows has support for PPTP, L2TP and SSTP. This setup is more difficult than just using a program supplied by your VPN provider, so for those that aren’t all that well versed in the networking side of things on Windows, it is best you go for the former method.

OpenVPN has its own software that you can install, it requires setting up profiles so it is a bit more involved than the previous two methods but OpenVPN offers a great security to speed ratio. The great thing about OpenVPN is that it is open source so anyone can see what lies within the program so there are no dodgy backdoors lying about the place that can’t be found.

SSTP is a proprietary Microsoft development and the source code is not viewable by the public so you don’t know exactly what lies within the protocol itself.

For mobile users, the best choice is to use an app created by your VPN provider. If they don’t offer one, your best choice is L2TP, as it is natively supported in both major smart device platforms.

Once you decide which method for connecting is best for you, connect to a US server of your choice.

Step three – Listen to your favourite music on Pandora Radio

Now you are connected to your US VPN server, make your way to the Pandora Radio website and feel free to go wild and listen to whatever takes your fancy.

Similarly, on mobile, download the Pandora Radio app and listen to your heart’s content.

Smart DNS Method

Step one – Finding a Smart DNS service

You need to look for a Smart DNS service that states they unblock Pandora Radio, otherwise you may find yourself a bit disappointed when you are still stuck with that denial message.

As I mentioned in the VPN section above, CactusVPN is a fantastic choice as you can get Smart DNS AND a VPN service for just $7 a month. That is a great price for both VPN and Smart DNS and I find it hard to look past them for Pandora Radio. They also offer just Smart DNS for $5 a month if that is all you are interested in

Unlocator is another Smart DNS service that offers just Smart DNS services and it comes in at $4.95 a month, so either is a great choice just for an exclusive Smart DNS service.

Step two – Using Smart DNS

On PC, many Smart DNS providers have their own software that allows you to use their Smart DNS services. This is usually the easiest way of using Smart DNS. Similarly, on mobile devices many allow you to use an app to use Smart DNS.

It is also possible to use Smart DNS just by taking the DNS values and inputting them into your network settings. This is the best way for devices that don’t have their own app, such as Smart TVs.

Step three – Enjoy Pandora Radio!

Now make your way to the Pandora Radio website or app and enjoy yourself as you have full access to a fantastic service.

Accessing Pandora Radio in Canada and the UK is not that difficult, with just three simple steps, you can be enjoying your favourite music regardless of where you live.

If you enjoyed this How-To please share it and feel free to leave a comment if you have something interesting to add.

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