Music streaming service Pandora has rolled out Sponsored Listening, an ad product that offers users an hour of uninterrupted listening in exchange for engaging with an ad.

Users are presented with a video or rich media unit, which users have to interact with for a minimum of 15 seconds in order to unlock the hours free access.

Land Rover, Corona Extra and Gatorade are among the brands on board, following a beta period that started last September. Pandora reports that Sponsored Listening ads resulted in a 12 per cent lift in brand awareness and a 30 per cent lift in purchase intent for advertisers.

“As the competition for consumer attention continues to intensify, brands are looking for advertising products that can help them create a lasting impression and resonate with their target audiences,” said Lizzie Widhelm, Pandora’s SVP of advertising product strategy and sales. “Sponsored Listening enhances our suite of engagement-based advertising solutions by building on products such as Brand Stations, and is another manifestation of our philosophy that what’s good for the listener is good for the advertiser.”