Radio Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Gone Mobile Through The TuneIn App
They say radio is dead, but they are mistaken
What HAS changed, however, is how we listen to live radio.
While in the past we might have a radio in the kitchen or in the car, my iPhone is how I listen to radio these days …
And radio is still relevant for immediate access news & emergencies, sports, and really just music that you can’t find on a streaming service or anywhere else
Today’s app is TuneIn which gives you access to live radio through
- a free app where you get ads and pre-roll commercials,
- a “Pro” app for a one-time price of $9.99 that takes off the ads,
- and a Premium subscription for $99 a year that gives you commercial-free music stations, news stations, and live NHL games.
Definitely try the free app to make sure TuneIn is right for you, and my recommendation is to upgrade to the Pro version for the one-time fee.
I’m aware that TuneIn isn’t the only option available, since there’s Radio.com and iHeart Radio … but I’ve found TuneIn to suit my needs beautifully. Radio apps like TuneIn give you access to live radio stations around the world, which is different than something like Pandora, or streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.
What I listen to …
For example, there is one radio station in New Orleans called WWOZ which I was only able to listen to when I visited the city … but now I can hear that wonderful music ANYTIME through TuneIn.
I also grew up around the Dallas / Fort Worth area and sometimes I like to hear live news from the area (WBAP), or tune into some of the radio stations I remember as a teenager.
I’ve also used TuneIn to find some amazing jazz music stations from around the world, like one of my favorites is Radio Swiss Jazz which just plays a wonderful assortment of jazz and blues, and they REALLY appreciate this music over there!
In a similar vein, I also discovered The Jazz Groove through TuneIn which is a perfect soundtrack to read a book and relax in the evening.
And on the sports side, I’ve had the honor of traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia to present CLEs to attorneys there, and we always end our sessions right before a Mountaineer football game. Even though I don’t get to stay for the game, I always listen to it on the West Virginia Football radio station while I’m driving home. … yes, they LOVE their Mountaineer football in the country roads of West Virginia.
Plus I can listen to NPR stations from around the country, or even Christmas music stations from around the world!
Ways to listen to TuneIn…
There are several different ways you can listen to TuneIn …
Of course, you can listen to all this directly through the app your phone or iPad
You can listen on your computer in a web browser – go to www.tunein.com
Or connect your mobile device to a Bluetooth speaker …
Or connect your iPhone through CarPlay …
Or I connect my TuneIn account to our Sonos speaker …
And you can use it through Alexa.
My favorite stations are the ones that actually show the artwork and song title / artist of what they’re playing. This is dependent upon the radio station, and not all stations will send this information. But I just find the information makes for a more enjoyable experience.
TuneIn account…
I recommend signing up for a free TuneIn account in the app, which will mainly allow you to “Favorite” stations
Once you find a station that you like and want to add your “Favorites” list, there should be a little heart on the “Now Playing” screen that you can tap to “Favorite” or “Unfavorite” the station.
This means that station will now appear in your “Favorites” which you can find by tapping the “Library” button in the bottom middle, then tap “Favorites” and scroll down to find your station.
Search and discover…
You can also search for stations or artists, but I find the best way to explore new radio stations is to use the tabs at the top for Local Radio, News, Trending, Music, etc.
My favorite tab is “By Location” which allows you to drill down to a specific geographic location to discover radio stations from that location.
The TuneIn app is a great option for accessing live radio stations from your mobile device. Definitely worth trying out the free app, and if you like it, I recommend upgrading to the “Pro” app for a one-time price of $9.99 or you have the option of the Premium subscription as well.