an audio streaming service with something for everyone

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SiriusXM App: Two-minute review

Mention SiriusXM and most people think of the service that uses satellites to deliver hundreds of music, talk, comedy, news and sports radio stations to cars. That service has become popular for several reasons. First, traditional (i.e. terrestrial AM/FM) radio isn’t what it used to be. Second, for many in rural areas the ability to receive signals from terrestrial stations may be limited.

However, there is a SiriusXM Internet-based mobile app that provides virtually all of the satellite service’s content. Although this usually requires a connection line between the car and the satellite, as with the best music streaming servicesthe SiriusXM app only requires a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. It works on your iOS or Android phone or tablet and is supported by many of them too the best TVsthe best streaming devicesand the best wireless speakers from brands such as Sonos and Bose. The content of the app can also be accessed via a web browser on the computer. With the SiriusXM app, you’re covered whether you’re at home, exercising outside, in your car or anywhere else where you have access to the internet.

The $9.99 per month All Access plan of the SiriusXM app includes an amazing amount of content that is sure to offer something for everyone. It features more than 425 streaming stations and thousands of podcasts courtesy of SiriusXM-owned Pandora. As discussed below, there is also exclusive content, of which the crown jewel is The Howard Stern Show and the associated programming.

Unlike streaming services such as Spotify, Apple music, QobuzAnd Tidesthe SiriusXM app does not support playing specific music tracks or creating track-specific music playlists. (However, users can train the app via the thumbs up and down icons to play the type of music they like.) Also, some of the music channels can get a bit repetitive and the sound quality won’t satisfy those who like expensive, audiophile music. to use. playback equipment. But with the sheer amount of content available in the app, all of it delivered through a slick interface, we think the only problem will be deciding what to listen to and watch.

SiriusXM app review: Pricing and subscription

• $9.99 per month

• Free three-month trial

• No free, ad-based tier

A SiriusXM App All Access subscription costs $9.99 per month and can be canceled at any time. It offers access to more than 425 channels of ad-free music, news, talk, comedy and sports. Also included are the Howard Stern channels, video, sports talk, live sports coverage, artist stations, Pandora podcasts and exclusive in-studio content.

If you also want to get SiriusXM satellite radio for your car, numerous plans start at $16.98 per month. Details about these plans are available on SiriusXM’s website.

As with competitors like Apple Music, there is no free, ad-based tier for any SiriusXM subscription. There is also no extensive family subscription, but there is a discount for each additional subscription within the family. Students can get the All Access plan for $4 per month. Plus, a three-month free trial of All Access can help you decide if it’s right for you.

SiriusXM App Review: Specs

SiriusXM App Review: Contents

• More than 425 different audio channels, plus video

• Includes ad-free music and live-action sports

• Pandora Podcasts

The content library available with the All Access subscription of the SiriusXM app is extremely extensive, to say the least. For example, if you came to the SiriusXM app for music, there are plenty of ad-free music stations ranging from SiriusXM Hits 1 (pop hits from Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, etc.) to Oldies Party (The Supremes, Elvis Presley, etc.) and Miles Davis Radio (24/7 Miles Davis music).

Although the songs on some of the app’s music stations can be repetitive at times, there is always another interesting station or special event to tune into. For example, SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel is currently airing the artist’s final show of his ten-year residency at Madison Square Garden.

Speaking of concerts, the great thing about the SiriusXM app is the weekly giveaways. Some of the giveaways include tickets to see an artist at a location near the participant’s home. Others plan an all-expenses-paid trip to see an artist in a far-away location, such as Taylor Swift performing in Miami, Florida on her Eras tour.

For fans of talk and entertainment, the elephant in the room is SiriusXM’s exclusive arrangement with talk host Howard Stern, who has two channels on the platform. Howard 100 broadcasts its show live and then repeats it until the next live show airs, while Howard 101 airs an additional “wrap-up show”, archived Stern content, special features and video clips recorded at Stern’s SiriusXM studio. Other interesting talk and entertainment channels include Business Radio (business, money and life) and Crime Junkie Radio (24/7 true crime).

If you like sports, there’s not just talk and analysis, but also extensive play-by-play coverage. ESPN Radio (sports talk and big games), SiriusXM College Sports Radio and SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio (live tour coverage and talk) are just a few stations available. And there are also sports competitions, such as VIP tickets to see the New York Jets play at their training camp.

Those looking for comedy on the SiriusXM app will want to check out Comedy Central Radio, Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio, Raw Comedy (uncensored), Pure Comedy (comedy for the whole family), and Comedy Classics. Another recent SiriusXM giveaway: an all-expenses-paid trip to see Kevin Hart in Los Angeles. News junkies, meanwhile, will appreciate channels from the BBC, CNN, NPR, Fox News and C-Span, among others.

There are also several off-the-beaten-path channels in the app. These include Mental Health Radio (by NYU’s Langone Health), Road Dog Trucking (all issues related to the trucking industry), and Rural Radio (agricultural and other issues affecting rural America and Canada).

In addition to Howard Stern, there’s also plenty of exclusive content to watch, such as music stations featuring artist and celebrity DJs and audio and video clips of interviews and music performances recorded at SiriusXM’s studios. Recent videos the app suggested to me include interviews with actor Matt Damon, comedian Will Arnet, musician Nelly Furtado, and actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Also featured were musical performances from Upsahl and Common and Pete Rock, as well as several comedy clips from Jeff Lewis.

If all of the above isn’t enough, the All Access plan also includes Pandora’s entire library of podcast stations.

SiriusXM app review: apps and compatibility

• Sleek and attractive design

• Smart channel surfing and playback functions

• No specific track display, but the app learns what you like

I’ve really enjoyed using the SiriusXM app, which is constantly being updated and improved and is available for iOS and Android devices, smart TVs, and streaming devices from Apple, Roku, Amazon, and Google. It looks great, is easy to use and works well.

The app has three main tabs. Broken down by content type, Discover is where user-specific recommended content, including daily “morning picks,” appears. The Discover tab also shows frequently and recently listened to channels.

Search enables app-wide searches for content and also displays trending and popular searches. The Library is where you will find your designated favorite channels (including artist channels) and downloaded content. (You can download content locally that doesn’t include music.) Another feature on the Library tab is the ability for sports fans to add favorite teams, giving them quick access to team-related information, programming, and games.

The app doesn’t allow users to search and play a specific music track or create track-specific playlists like you can with Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz and other services, although there is the option to play some SiriusXM “ artists” to create. -based” stations. To find such a station, all you have to do is search for an artist in the app. Usually a relevant channel appears in the search results. You can then train the app to play more of what you like better by selecting a thumbs up or thumbs down for each song playing on that station.

A channel can play live and/or recorded content. Under one of the app’s default settings, “TuneStart,” the music starts at the beginning of a song. This feature, which can also be turned off, makes channel searching easier as you don’t have to just call up a channel to hear the end of the song.

The SiriusXM app generally allows users to “skip” up to six times per hour for pre-programmed music and comedy channels. Outside of these channel types, skipping is not allowed on some channels and unrestricted on others.

SiriusXM app review: Sound and video quality

The SiriusXM app offers Normal, High, and Maximum streaming quality settings for both audio and video. For these ratings, no technical specifications are given for compression format, bit rate, etc. Sample streams on Tidal and Qobuz, and Apple Music’s ALAC (lossless) files generally sounded better than streams through SiriusXM when I made listening comparisons. There are also no options for high-resolution audio or Atmos/spatial audio.

For video, switching from Normal to Maximum app settings on my iPhone 14 Pro Max didn’t noticeably improve image quality, even in full screen mode – sharpness and color accuracy were great at all settings. However, the Normal setting may be the best option for a stable stream if your mobile reception is poor.

Bottom line: For most people, the quality of the audio and video streams from the SiriusXM app will be more than adequate.

Should you subscribe to the SiriusXM app?

Subscribe if…

You want a huge content catalog: Most users will never come close to taking advantage of all the content available under the All Access plan. If you are looking for a lot of varied content, the app is for you.

You like the Howard Stern Show: SiriusXM is the only place you can find Howard Stern’s shows and additional content. The app is a must for diehard Stern fans.

Don’t subscribe if…

You want to be able to play specific songs: The app doesn’t let you play specific music songs or create track-specific playlists. Look elsewhere if that’s important to you.

You want top audio quality: In terms of audio performance, we prefer other streaming services. Look elsewhere if you want the one with the highest level of sound quality.