The ways people listen to music have drastically changed over the years. Music became so accessible that many websites and apps started streaming music. One such site is TuneIn, which is considered one of the best digital radio platforms today.
Continue reading this review to find out more about Tune In and see if it is the best digital radio platform today!
What is TuneIn?
Radio Time, the original name of Tune In, was established in 2002 by Bill Moore in Dallas, Texas. What is significantly unique about TuneIn is that it allows you to listen in various ways. You can listen to your favorite tunes through the TuneIn website, the app, a smart speaker, or any supported device that has a connection to the internet Think of TuneIn as your one-stop shop to access over 120,000 radio stations across the world. It only gets better because you also have access to millions of podcasts through TuneIn.
TuneIn offers a relatively comprehensive portfolio of music, news, sports, talk shows, on-demand programs, and many more! Since its inception, TuneIn has become a global phenomenon (it is currently active in more than 190 countries worldwide!) and is now available in more than 20 languages. Current statistics show that TuneIn has over 75 million active users monthly.
TuneIn is your one-stop-shop for all your listening needs — be it the latest Taylor Swift Album, the headlining news, the most current football score, or if you want something new to learn through your favorite podcast! Name it, and TuneIn has it!
If you’re looking for a more podcast-centric platform, check out our review of Audioboom!
What Do They Offer?
TuneIn offers a plethora of listening solutions depending on your mood for the day! Let us look at the different features that TuneIn offers.
Radio Stations
There is nothing like opening your favorite radio station and starting your morning commute to work. This activity seems almost therapeutic, akin to the calm before the storm that will indeed be brewing up in your office. With TuneIn, you can say goodbye to surfing the radio because you can add your favorite radio stations to your favorites with the touch of your fingertips! What more is that TuneIn is also integrated with over 50 car models so you would have a hassle-free experience when going for a long drive.
TuneIn is also connected with over 120,000 radio stations worldwide, so unless you are incredibly picky, there is undoubtedly a radio station for you out there. TuneIn automatically picks up your local stations and suggests the top radio stations people listen to as of the moment.
Sports News
Sports fans will have a ball with TuneIn because it has access to over 120,000 radio stations across the world for sports fans. But what makes it a tempting choice is the fact that TuneIn partnered with the biggest names in the sports industry to provide you with the latest in basketball, soccer, tennis, wrestling, and football. They offer non-stop sports talk brought to you by ESPN, KNBR, and SN590, among others.
TuneIn also provides the hottest sports debate talks featuring many sports experts regarded across the globe. Lastly, TuneIn is affiliated with a global sports radio portfolio such as TUDN Radio, BBC Radio Five Live, TSN 1050, RMC, and more.
Unlimited Music
If you want to hear the latest albums of all the up-and-coming artists, then TuneIn is the place to be! They offer a comprehensive musical genre portfolio from the blues to rock music. They also have a trending portfolio if you want to listen to all the latest hits.
Aside from providing unlimited music, TuneIn is also affiliated with major music festivals and concerts that can only be listened to exclusively on TuneIn. Examples include the Newport Jazz Festival, the Newport Folk Festival, the Firefly Music Festival, and the Hangout Fest.
Podcasts
Podcasts are all the rage nowadays. While audiobooks were established way back in the late 1880s, they started to boom around the late 2000s. Of course, they are affiliated with many podcasts out there in whatever genre or topic with TuneIn. Popular podcasts in the news category include Anderson Cooper 360, BBC, CBS Evening News, and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.
True Crime series is also becoming a hot podcasting trend, and popular podcasts with this theme include The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, Forensic Files, and Today in True Crime. Other podcast topics in TuneIn include Business and Economics, Arts and Culture, Technology, and Career.
Audiobooks
In 2015, TuneIn also partnered with the famous Penguin Random House and HarperCollins to offer you a selection of your favorite audiobooks!
How to Sign Up to Tune In
With all the fantastic TuneIn features, we are sure that you are all geared up to sign up! Signing up with TuneIn is extremely easy. All you have to do is follow the steps below:
Step by Step Registration
Just follow these three steps, and you are all set to go! From here, you can log-in to TuneIn from any device you want!
- Go to the TuneIn site with this link: https://tunein.com/
- If you already have an existing Google account, Facebook account, or Apple account, you can choose to link your accounts and automatically sign up for TuneIn. If not, proceed to the steps below.
- Fill out your first and last name, your email address, your chosen password, your birth year, and your gender. After accomplishing these, click the Sign-Up button.
Payment Methods
It is important to note that the basic package of TuneIn is free for everyone! However, you can opt to have premium plans that give you a little extra when it comes to your music experience or to gain access to exclusive content that would not be available otherwise. The payment methods for TuneIn are convenient for you to make.
You can pay for TuneIn by linking your account with Google Pay or Apple Pay. To use Google Pay, you can connect your credit or debit card and transfer money so that your Google Pay is automatically charged with TuneIn if you choose to invest in their Premium account. The same principle applies to Apple Pay; you only need to use the Apple app or use any Apple gadget to make the purchase.
Subscription Tiers
The basic plan for TuneIn is absolutely 100% FREE! Yes, you read that right! You get access to over 100,00 radio stations worldwide, all the hippest music, and all of its podcast content without paying a single cent! However, you want access to exclusive content or listen to shows ad-free, there is also a premium plan you can invest in for a small fee. Let us take a look at the difference between the TuneIn Free Plan and the TuneIn Premium Plan.
The Free Plan costs absolutely zero on your part, and you have access to over 100,000 radio stations across the globe. You’ll also get live breaking news from major news stations such as BBC and CNN, live sports talk and play-by-play, and over four million podcasts from all over!
The Premium Plan costs $9.99 per month and gives you all the Free Plan perks plus a bit more! It provides you commercial-free news broadcasts, and it also has significantly fewer ads on the radio station. There is a seven-day free trial period for the Premium Plan, so you can decide if you want to get it or not.
TuneIn Features & How to Use Them
The major features of TuneIn were already discussed in the section above. In this section, let us look at the different nifty deatails that make TuneIn unique compared to other online radio sites on the web.
Car Mode Feature
TuneIn has partnered with over 50 car models so you can enjoy a hassle-free morning drive towards your office or while doing your errands for the day. Gone are the days where you become increasingly frustrated in finding the best radio station with the best sound and music quality.
With TuneIn, you can simply connect your phone to your car’s TuneIn Car Mode Feature. Thanks to this, you can automatically browse through your favorite radio stations in just one click! Do make sure that you browse before you start or if your car is idle, though. After all, your safety is important.
Record Live Broadcasts
With this TuneIn premium feature, you can record your favorite live broadcast and listen to it afterward. You no longer have to miss the witty banter and commentary during your favorite NFL game because of this useful TuneIn feature.
Restricted by Broadcasters Feature
While you are browsing through the local radio stations on the TuneIn site, you might come across some radio stations labeled “Restricted by Broadcasters.” This means exactly what it is — the broadcasters are restricting this radio station. Fortunately, you would not have to be afraid of missing out because TuneIn would recommend a similar radio station that offers the same music genre or themes and topics!
Pros and Cons of Using TuneIn
With the TuneIn features now properly highlighted and discussed, here is what users have to say when it comes to the pros and cons of using this service.
Pros
With TuneIn’s comprehensive radio station portfolio, you have access to over 120,000 radio stations across the globe, over 40,000 podcasts and news, sports news, and celebrity gossip for free! One of TuneIn’s nifty features is for you to have the ability to save all your favorite radio stations. This way, you don’t have to sift through all the radio stations to find the perfect music for you.
While other radio streaming sites may have the free or basic premium package, they bombard it with ads that it gets to the point where you feel so annoyed and just have to purchase their premium package. With TuneIn, even if they have ads, it is significantly lesser than other radio streaming sites, and most of their ads are just to promote TuneIn premium.
Cons
There have been user reports that performance bugs affect track and station information. However, TuneIn regularly collects feedback from clients. It also provides you regular updates about the bugs that they have fixed, so you don’t have to worry about any issue staying as one for long.
Comparing TuneIn to Similar Platforms
With all the other radio streaming sites out there, here is an objective comparison of TuneIn with other popular radio streaming sites.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is the two-in-one music and listening combo that acts as a radio streaming site and a podcast distribution service. Because it offers so much more than a radio streaming site, users tend to listen to music and show via SoundCloud more. However, the radio streaming feature and the podcast distribution combo are part of a double-edged sword. The following reviews from its clients, such as confusing search results that show user content and official artist music, affect its reputation. The are also limitations to access when it comes to their basic package, and you have to pay for their premium plan just to listen to other major music labels.
Spotify
Spotify was established back in 2008 that offers many promos when it comes to listening to unlimited ad-free music! While Spotify has gained momentum through the years, users have reported navigational quirks that do not seem user-friendly. Moreover, their free package comes with ads and skip restrictions that you may just end up buying their premium package.
Anchor
The Anchor is a popular podcasting site that offers all your podcasting needs at absolutely zero cost! While it is primarily a podcasting platform, it also allows you to listen to music. One of the disadvantages of using Anchor is it has lenient security features. This is painfully obvious when you’re uploading your podcast logo. There may be the promulgation of unoriginal content when it comes to images or your logo, so you have to be careful with what you upload there.
Apple Music
For Apple fanatics out there, you can appreciate all that Apple Music does for you and more! Aside from boasting a large music library and free live internet radio, music discovery is also a neat feature that Apple music has. Some of the downsides in using Apple music are that it has no internet radio offline playback and its lack of collaborative playlists.
Is TuneIn The Best Online Radio Platform Today?
With numerous features for listeners and broadcasters, this app is one of the best radio streaming services out there. Mix in functionalities that fit the 21st-century listener, and you have the perfect site to soothe your aural needs. It is a platform that you have to consider whether as a listener, artist, or podcaster. The best way to see is to try and check out its features for yourself.
