Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

v2.4.0.8
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
 
Pandora Media, Inc. provides an internet radio service offering a personalized experience for each listener wherever and whenever they want to listen to radio on a wide range of smartphones, tablets, traditional computers and car audio systems, as well as a range of other internet-connected devices. We have pioneered a new form of radio—one that uses intrinsic qualities of music to initially create stations and then adapts playlists in real-time based on the individual feedback of each listener. We offer local and national advertisers an opportunity to deliver targeted messages to our listeners using a combination of audio, display and video advertisements. We also offer a paid subscription service which we call Pandora One. We were incorporated as a California corporation in January 2000 and reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in December 2010.
 
As used herein, “Pandora,” “we,” “our,” the “Company” and similar terms include Pandora Media, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
 
Basis of Presentation
 
The interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the accounts of Pandora and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of our management, the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of our financial position for the periods presented. These interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full fiscal year or for any subsequent period and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Transition Report on Form 10-K for the eleven months ended December 31, 2013.
 
We changed our fiscal year from the twelve months ending January 31 to the calendar twelve months ending December 31, effective beginning with the year ended December 31, 2013. As a result of this change, our prior fiscal year was an 11-month transition period ended on December 31, 2013. All references herein to a fiscal year refer to the twelve months ended December 31 of such year, and references to the first, second, third and fourth fiscal quarters refer to the three months ended March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, respectively. Prior year results have been recast on a calendar quarter basis. Refer to our Transition Report on Form 10-K for the eleven months ended December 31, 2013 for additional information regarding our fiscal year change.
 
Certain changes in presentation have been made to conform the prior period presentation to current period reporting. Our statements of operations now include the presentation of gross profit, which is calculated as total revenue less cost of revenue. In addition, we have reclassified certain software license fees, facilities-related expenses and depreciation expenses among the general and administrative, cost of revenue — other, sales and marketing and product development lines in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. Furthermore, we have reclassified certain compensation-related amounts from the accrued liabilities line item to the accrued compensation line item of our condensed consolidated balance sheets and our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.
 
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosures at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. Estimates are used for determining accrued royalties, selling prices for elements sold in multiple-element arrangements, the allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation, income taxes and the subscription return reserve. To the extent there are material differences between these estimates, judgments, or assumptions and actual results, our financial statements could be affected. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by U.S. GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application. There are also areas in which management’s judgment in selecting among available alternatives would not produce a materially different result.