SiriusXM: Music, Sports & News

SiriusXM is a subscription radio service, and the app is how you listen to it away from a car. Music runs across curated channels rather than algorithmic playlists, which is the point: Yacht Rock Radio, Alt Nation, SiriusXM Hits 1 and The Highway are programmed by people with a taste and a remit, and the music channels play without advertising interruptions. Sports coverage is the reason many subscribers stay. Live play-by-play, sports talk and analysis run on dedicated channels including MLB Network Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and ESPN Radio. Hosts like Stephen A. Smith, Christopher Russo and Rich Eisen deliver the unfiltered version of sports argument that highlight packages leave out. Talk radio, comedy and news fill the rest of the schedule, including Howard Stern's show, which remains one of the service's defining draws. Podcasts sit alongside the live channels, covering SiriusXM originals and widely followed shows such as SmartLess, The MrBallen Podcast, Freakonomics and Call Her Daddy, so a single app handles both scheduled listening and on-demand. Recommendations adapt to what you play. A subscription is required for full access, and the app works on phones and tablets over wi-fi or mobile data. Listening is not limited to the phone. Playback continues in the background and connects to car systems, headphones and smart speakers, so a single subscription covers the commute, the kitchen and a run. Which channels you can reach depends on the subscription tier you hold.