SiriusXM app review: an audio streaming service with something for everyone

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The SiriusXM mobile app slickly aggregates hundreds of audio streams – music, talk, news, sports, and drama – and an assortment of video clips nether 1 “roof.” It doesn’t let you to play circumstantial tracks and its sound value is nary rival for high-resolution tin streaming services, but it makes for a unsocial and compelling acquisition by serving up a seemingly endless magnitude of diverse, interesting, and often exclusive content.

Pros

  • +

    Hundreds of streaming audio stations, positive video

  • +

    Ad-free music/live sports

  • +

    Exclusive content

Cons

  • -

    No track-specific playback

  • -

    Tracks connected immoderate stations tin beryllium repetitive

  • -

    No high-resolution aliases spatial audio

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

SiriusXM app: Two-minute review

Mention SiriusXM and astir group deliberation of nan work that uses satellites to beam hundreds of music, talk, comedy, news, and sports power stations to automobiles. That work has go celebrated for respective reasons. First, accepted (i.e., terrestrial AM/FM) power isn’t what it utilized to be. Second, for galore successful agrarian areas, nan expertise to person terrestrial position signals tin beryllium limited.

However, location is simply a SiriusXM internet-based mobile app that delivers virtually each of nan contented recovered connected nan outer service. While that typically requires a statement of tract betwixt nan automobile and nan outer to work, for illustration nan best euphony streaming services, nan SiriusXM app only requires a cellular aliases Wi-Fi connection. It will activity connected your iOS aliases Android-based telephone aliases tablet and is besides supported by galore of the champion TVs, nan best streaming devices, and nan best wireless speakers from brands specified arsenic Sonos and Bose. The app’s contented tin besides beryllium accessed connected a machine web browser. SiriusXM’s app has you covered whether you are home, extracurricular exercising, successful your car, aliases anyplace other wherever you tin entree nan internet.

The SiriusXM app’s All Access” $9.99 per period subscription scheme includes an astonishing magnitude of contented that is judge to supply thing for everyone. It features complete 425 streaming stations and thousands of podcasts courtesy of Pandora, which is owned by SiriusXM. As discussed below, there’s besides exclusive content, nan crowning jewel of which is The Howard Stern Show and its related programming.

Unlike streaming services specified arsenic Spotify, Apple Music, Qobuz, and Tidal, nan SiriusXM app does not support nan playback of circumstantial euphony tracks aliases nan creation of track-specific euphony playlists. (Users tin train nan app done thumbs up and down icons to play nan type of euphony that they like, however.) Also, immoderate of nan euphony channels tin get a spot repetitive and nan sound value won’t fulfill those utilizing expensive, audiophile playback gear. Still, pinch nan tremendous magnitude of contented disposable connected nan app, each of which is served up via a slick interface, we deliberation nan only problem will beryllium deciding what to perceive to and watch.

SiriusXM app review: Pricing and subscription

SiriusXM app screens connected black

The SiriusXM app's Library, Live Sports, and Podcasts screens (Image credit: SiriusXM)
  • $9.99 per month
  • Three-month free trial 
  • No free ad-based tier

A SiriusXM app All Access subscription scheme costs $9.99 per period and tin beryllium canceled astatine immoderate time. It provides entree to complete 425 channels of ad-free music, news, talk, comedy, and sports. Also included are nan Howard Stern channels, video, sports talk, unrecorded sports coverage, creator stations, Pandora podcasts, and exclusive in-studio content.

If you want besides to person SiriusXM outer power for your car, galore plans commencement astatine $16.98 per month. Details astir those plans are disposable connected SiriusXM’s website.

As pinch competitors for illustration Apple Music, there's nary free ad-based tier for immoderate SiriusXM subscription plan. Nor is location a broad family plan, though location is simply a discount for each further subscription wrong nan family. Students tin get nan All Access scheme for $4 per month. Also, a three-month free proceedings for All Access will fto you find if it is correct for you.

SiriusXM app review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Monthly Fee$9.99
Free plan?No (3-month free proceedings only)
Library sizeOver 425 channels
Maximum bitrateNA
PodcastsYes

SiriusXM app review: Content

SiriusXM app screens connected black

SiriusXM app screens (Image credit: SiriusXM)
  • Over 425 divers audio channels, positive video
  • Includes ad-free euphony and live-action sports
  • Pandora podcasts

The contented room disposable pinch nan SiriusXM app’s All Access subscription scheme is, to opportunity nan least, highly vast. For example, if you’ve travel to nan SiriusXM app for music, location are plentifulness of ad-free euphony 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).

Though nan tracks connected immoderate of nan app’s euphony stations tin sometimes beryllium repetitive, there’s ever different absorbing position aliases typical arena to tune successful to. For example, SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel is presently broadcasting that artist’s last show from his ten-year Madison Square Garden residency.

Speaking of concerts, 1 nosy point astir nan SiriusXM app is nan play giveaways. Some of nan giveaways are tickets to spot an creator astatine a venue adjacent nan entrant’s home. Others propulsion successful an all-expenses paid travel to spot an creator astatine a venue acold away, specified arsenic Taylor Swift performing successful Miami, Florida during her Eras tour.

For talk and intermezo fans, nan elephant successful nan room is SiriusXM’s exclusive statement pinch talk big Howard Stern, who has 2 channels connected nan platform. Howard 100 broadcasts his show unrecorded and past repeats them until nan adjacent unrecorded show airs, while Howard 101 broadcasts a supplemental “wrap-up show,” archived Stern content, typical features, and video clips recorded successful Stern’s SiriusXM studio. Other absorbing talk and intermezo channels see Business Radio (business, money, and life) and Crime Junkie Radio (24/7 existent crime).

If you for illustration sports, location is not only talk and analysis, but extended play-by-play crippled coverage. ESPN Radio (sports talk and large games), SiriusXM College Sports Radio, and SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio (live circuit sum and talk) are conscionable a fewer disposable stations. And location are besides sports giveaway contests, specified arsenic VIP tickets to spot nan New York Jets play astatine their training camp.

Those seeking drama connected nan SiriusXM app will want to cheque retired Comedy Central Radio, Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio, Raw Comedy (uncensored), Pure Comedy (comedy for nan full family), and Comedy Classics. Yet different caller SiriusXM giveaway contest: an all-expense-paid travel to spot Kevin Hart successful Los Angeles. News junkies, meanwhile, will admit stations from nan BBC, CNN, NPR, Fox News, and C-Span, among galore others.

There are besides respective off-the-beaten-path channels connected nan app. These see Mental Health Radio (by NYU’s Langone Health), Road Dog Trucking (all things relating to nan trucking industry), and Rural Radio (agricultural and different issues affecting agrarian America and Canada).

There’s besides plentifulness of exclusive contented to cheque retired beyond Howard Stern specified arsenic euphony stations DJ’d by artists and celebrities and audio and video clips of interviews and philharmonic performances recorded successful SiriusXM’s studios. Recent videos that nan app suggested for maine included interviews of character Matt Damon, comedian Will Arnet, musician Nelly Furtado, and character Jamie Lee Curtis. Also recommended were philharmonic performances by Upsahl and Common and Pete Rock, arsenic good arsenic respective drama clips by Jeff Lewis.

If each of nan supra were already not enough, nan All Access scheme besides includes nan afloat room of Pandora’s podcast stations.

SiriusXM app review: Apps and compatibility

Sonos Move

The Sirius XM app is compatible pinch wireless streaming speakers from Sonos, Google, and Amazon (Image credit: Future)
  • Slick and charismatic design
  • Smart transmission surfing and playback features
  • No circumstantial way playback, but app learns what you for illustration

I very overmuch enjoyed utilizing nan SiriusXM app, which is continually updated and improved and is disposable for iOS and Android devices, smart TVs, and streaming devices from Apple, Roku, Amazon, and Google. It looks great, is user-friendly, and useful well.

The app has 3 main tabs. Discover is surgery down by contented type and is wherever user-specific recommended content, including regular “morning picks” are displayed. The Discover tab is besides wherever often and precocious listened to channels are located.

Search allows for app-wide contented searches and besides displays trending and celebrated searches. Library is wherever you will find your designated favourite channels (including creator channels) and downloaded content. (You tin locally download contented that does not incorporate music.) Another Library tab characteristic is nan expertise for sports fans to adhd favourite teams truthful they tin quickly entree team-related information, programming, and contests.

The app does not let users to hunt for and play a circumstantial euphony way aliases create track-specific playlists arsenic you tin pinch Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and different services, though location is nan expertise to create what SiriusXM calls “artist-based” stations. To find specified a station, conscionable hunt for an creator successful nan app and a applicable position will typically look successful nan hunt results. You tin past train nan app to amended play much of what you for illustration by selecting a thumbs-up aliases thumbs-down icon for each way played connected that station.

A transmission whitethorn play unrecorded and/or recorded content. Under 1 of nan app’s default settings, “TuneStart,” euphony starts astatine nan opening of a track. This feature, which tin besides beryllium disabled, facilitates transmission surfing since you won’t telephone up a transmission only to perceive nan extremity of nan track.

The SiriusXM app mostly lets users “skip” up to six times per hr for preprogrammed euphony and drama channels. Outside of these transmission types, skipping is not permitted connected immoderate channels and is unlimited connected others.

SiriusXM app review: Sound and Video Quality

SiriusXM app connected telephone held successful hand

(Image credit: SiriusXM)
  • Sound value gets nan occupation done
  • No high-resolution aliases spatial audio
  • Video looks great

The SiriusXM app offers Normal, High, and Maximum streaming value settings for some audio and video. No method specifications for compression format, spot rate, etc. are fixed for these classifications. Indeed, sample streams connected Tidal and Qobuz, and Apple Music’s ALAC (lossless) files typically sounded amended than streams complete SiriusXM erstwhile I made listening comparisons. There are besides nary options for high-resolution audio aliases Atmos/spatial audio.

For video, moving from nan app’s Normal to Maximum settings connected my iPhone 14 Pro Max didn’t appreciably amended image quality, moreover successful full-screen mode – sharpness and colour accuracy were awesome astatine each settings. It’s possible, however, that nan Normal mounting will beryllium nan champion action for a unchangeable watercourse if your cellular reception is poor.

Bottom line: For astir people, nan value of nan SiriusXM app’s audio and video streams will beryllium much than adequate.

Should you subscribe to nan SiriusXM app?

Subscribe if...

You want an tremendous contented catalog: Most users will ne'er travel adjacent to taking advantage of each of nan contented disposable nether nan All Access plan. If you activity tons of varied content, nan app is for you.

You emotion The Howard Stern Show: SiriusXM is nan only spot wherever you will find Howard Stern’s shows and supplemental content. The app is simply a must for diehard Stern fans.

Don't subscribe if...

You want to beryllium capable to play circumstantial tracks: The app does not let you to play circumstantial euphony tracks aliases make track-specific playlists. Look elsewhere if that’s important to you.

You want apical audio quality: We for illustration different streaming services successful position of audio performance. Look elsewhere if you activity nan 1 pinch nan highest level of sound quality.

  • Which is nan champion euphony streaming work for you?
Howard Kneller

Howard Kneller is an instrumentality reviewer, columnist, photographer, and videographer. He is simply a co-founder of The Listening Chair pinch Howard Kneller, a multi-platform audiophile ecosystem. His celebrated YouTube transmission features not only reviews and mill tours but audio show sum from astir nan world. Over nan past 15 years, Howard has contributed to AV publications specified arsenic Copper, The SoundStage! Network, and Sound & Vision. 

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