The Pros and Cons of Alternatives to Terrestrial Radio
So what’s a music lover to do when you are done with terrestrial radio but still want to listen to music online? I think most people default to Pandora, but I don’t because I HATE their recommendations and apparently there is a limit on how many hours you can listen to for free. FAIL. Here is a rundown of some options and the pros and cons of each.
Sirius/XM
Pros:
- A gazillion choices by genre and decently programmed
- You can listen in your car, online or via iphone and Blackberry apps
Cons:
- lack of on air personalities for music stations
- not free (obviously)
Slacker Radio
Pros:
- Best programmed stations online - the stations are programmed by radio professionals who know the genre and have excellent taste (I’m talking to you Scott Riggs, Mat Diablo, Marco Collins and Kallao - you guys pretty much rule.)
- You can ban songs/artists - never listen to Sublime, Incubus or RHCP again!!!
- You can favorite songs/artists - hear more of what you like
- You can skip songs
- iphone and Blackberry apps for portable listening
Cons:
- Because your experience is customized, you won’t hear the same music as anyone else listening to the same station.
- the actual player you can purchase is just okay - it won’t replace your mp3 listening device.
Legitradio
Pros:
- A relative newcomer on the scene but started by radio industry vet, Chris Cantore
- Decent playlist and users can vote songs up or down
- Interactive experience with other listeners through live video, chatroom and twitter
- Specialty programming hosted by radio vets and social media saavy people
Cons:
- No apps to listen via iphone or BB
- Other listener’s bad taste in music (example: someone gave Cat Power a thumbs down? WTF?)
I guess I’m not really endorsing one choice over another since I do listen to all three of these alternatives to terrestrial radio; what I listen to depends on what I feel like listening to at the time. Also, there are some terrestrial stations that you can listen to online that aren’t horrible - KCRW and KEXP if you weren’t already hip to them, you should check them out. If you know of any other sites I should check out, let me know and I will take a listen and do a similar rundown.
