Are you still stuck in the terrestrial radio rut, yearning for a more diverse and engaging listening experience? If so, then SiriusXM is calling your name. This revolutionary satellite (and internet) service has transcended the limitations of traditional radio, offering a world of possibilities that will leave you saying, “Wow, this is what radio should be!”
SiriusXM presents an incredible selection of music stations, talk shows, podcasts, news, sports, and even video content, all at your fingertips. But here’s the real game-changer: the tunes are carefully curated by human experts, ensuring a personalized experience that’s free from the cold grip of algorithms. Imagine a music experience that feels like a personal playlist crafted by someone who truly understands your musical tastes – that’s the magic of SiriusXM.
And the best part? SiriusXM has revamped its plans and pricing to suit every need and budget. From a budget-friendly $10/month streaming-only option to the feature-packed $29/month Platinum package with over 425 ad-free channels, there’s a perfect match for your listening habits. Ready to discover the possibilities of SiriusXM? Let’s dive in!
Tunes, Talk, and More
SiriusXM seamlessly blends the charm of the past with the convenience of the present. It delivers an amazing selection of music stations, talk-radio programs, podcasts, news, sports, and even video content – all easily accessible through user-friendly mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, as well as a browser-based web player. You can enjoy offline downloads, personalized station recommendations based on your listening habits, and the ability to beam your tunes to nearby Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi speakers.
This is where SiriusXM’s unique approach shines. Unlike on-demand streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music, where you have complete control over your listening experience, SiriusXM takes you on a curated journey. Just like traditional radio, you’re guided by the programming decisions of SiriusXM’s music experts, ensuring a consistently delightful listening experience.
SiriusXM Plans and Pricing
SiriusXM offers four main plans, each catering to different needs and budgets. Three plans include satellite service for car radios and streaming devices, while one is exclusively for streaming.
Here’s a breakdown of each plan:
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Platinum ($29.12 a month):
This plan offers over 425 channels, including ad-free music, and encompasses all available categories of channels, including exclusive podcasts and in-studio video content. It’s the ultimate SiriusXM experience.*
Music & Entertainment ($23.05 a month):
With over 400 channels, this plan features some ad-free music, channels from News & Issues, Comedy, and Sports categories, all the podcasts, and a selection of in-studio videos.*
Music Showcase ($16.98 a month):
This plan provides access to over 100 channels, including some ad-free music, select channels from News & Issues and Talk & Entertainment, and a sampling of exclusive in-studio videos.*
All Access ($9.99 a month):
This plan, launched in late 2023, is exclusively for streaming devices and offers the full breadth of content and features available on those devices. It’s perfect for those who want the full SiriusXM experience on their smartphones, tablets, and computers.Beyond these core plans, SiriusXM offers a plethora of a la carte options and station bundles, allowing you to personalize your listening experience even further.
Using SiriusXM over the Internet
SiriusXM’s mobile app and web player share a familiar aesthetic with other popular streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal, making navigation intuitive and user-friendly. As you explore and engage with the platform, the app becomes increasingly personalized, offering tailored recommendations based on your listening habits.
The Discover/For You page welcomes you with a rotating banner spotlighting recently listened to stations and popular music, talk, news, and other notable channels. Scrolling further reveals categories like Your Recent Channels, Channels for You, Live News, Politics & Issues, Shows & Podcasts For You, and From the SiriusXM Studios, where you’ll find HD video content.
The app’s user interface is a masterpiece of clarity and simplicity. Everything is organized into rows of colorful tiles, ensuring that you can effortlessly find what you’re looking for. This intuitive design extends to the Music, Talk & Podcasts, and Sports tabs, which you can access at the top of the app and web player.
The Music tab presents categories like Essential New Music, Exclusive Artists and Channel Shows, and curated playlist stations that blend multiple tracks and artists, such as Take it Easy, Party On, and Find Your Focus. Talk and Podcasts are meticulously categorized, and the Sports page highlights upcoming events with labels like Live & Upcoming NFL and NBA Games. You’ll also find numerous sports talk channels, with the ability to filter content by teams and leagues.
Playback controls are conveniently located at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to play, pause, skip tracks, and add stations to your personal library. You can even cast stations to compatible external speakers.
SiriusXM boasts an impressive one-hour listening buffer, allowing you to skip up to six times between stream-ready tracks. Your favorite stations, artists, podcasts, and sports programs are neatly stored in the Library tab. The mobile app also enables you to download certain podcast episodes and other programs for offline listening. Simply select the episode, tap the Download button, and all finished downloads will be accessible under the Downloads tab.
For a hands-free experience, you can use your iPhone’s built-in Siri to control some aspects of your SiriusXM listening, including play and pause commands.
Audio Quality
If you use both SiriusXM’s satellite service and app-based streams, you might notice a slight difference in audio quality. While the quality will also depend on your listening device (basic car speakers will always sound like basic car speakers), there’s a noticeable difference in bitrate between the satellite and internet streams. Although SiriusXM doesn’t publicly disclose these bitrates, the difference is significant enough to be noticeable even without being an audiophile.
While this might not be a deal-breaker for most listeners, it’s worth noting. However, considering that SiriusXM is beaming data to space and back, the audio quality is remarkably good.
The SiriusXM app and web player provide options for streaming quality. Unless you have limited bandwidth, it’s best to leave the setting at maximum. For those seeking high-resolution audio, SiriusXM doesn’t offer hi-res tracks. Audiophiles and 24-bit fans might find streamers like Tidal and Qobuz more suitable for their needs. However, it’s important to remember that comparing SiriusXM to on-demand music services is like comparing apples to oranges, as SiriusXM’s focus is on curated, linear programming.
How to Cancel SiriusXM
Canceling online services is generally straightforward, often requiring only a few clicks. If you’ve subscribed to the $10-a-month devices-only plan through your phone, canceling is easily done through the app store. However, if you’ve signed up through a free trial in your car, you’ll need to contact SiriusXM directly to cancel. This can be frustrating and has even led to a lawsuit filed by the State of New York against SiriusXM for making cancellation more difficult than the attorney general believes it should be. While not insurmountable, it’s a crucial point to be aware of.
SiriusXM offers a world beyond traditional radio, delivering a curated and personalized listening experience that will leave you captivated. With its flexible plans, vast content selection, and user-friendly interface, SiriusXM is truly a game-changer in the world of entertainment.
