One of the most common complaints of Windows Phone is its app selection, which while growing, is still missing some big names that are present on competing platforms. Today Microsoft can now cross one of those names off of its list, as the official Pandora app for Windows Phone 8 is now available for download. The app has some unique Windows Phone features for users to take advantage of, such as a Live Tile that can show whatever the app is currently playing as well as the Kid's Corner support, which will automatically filter out explicit content from the app.

Microsoft originally promised that Pandora was Windows Phone-bound at its Windows Phone 8 launch event late in 2012. At the time, Microsoft also said that the Pandora app would offer a year of ad-free streaming for no charge at launch, and it looks like both Microsoft and Pandora have stuck to that. The Pandora app for Windows Phone 8 includes ad-free streaming through Dec. 31, 2013.

Pandora is a popular app on other mobile platforms, sitting as the number two free app on Android and the number 40 free app on iOS, so it's clear it's a pretty major title. The launch of Pandora on Windows Phone 8 is a big win for Microsoft, and while a Pandora app alone isn't going to guarantee increased market share or anything like that, the fact that WP8 now has an official Pandora app (and a pretty good-looking one at that) could help to seal the deal for anyone that's on the fence about purchasing a Windows Phone device. The Pandora app is available for Windows Phone 8 devices and can be downloaded from the Windows Phone Store right here. A video demonstration of the new app can be found below.

Via Windows Phone Blog, Pandora Blog, Windows Phone Store: Pandora