SIRIUSXM: Still Lazy After All These Years (2 Viewers)

[David_B_K]

I need to remember to cancel Sirius before my subscription runs out in April. I listen primarily to the Sirius Symphony Hall classical channel (recently moved from 76 to 78). Through the years Sirius has shrunk the classical music radio offerings. At one time, they had, in addition to the Symphony Hall channel, Sirius Pops, which played short classical pieces, maybe an overture or a symphony movement or sonata. That was moved to online-only years ago. They also had the Vox Choral channel which featured classical choral music. That channel is just gone. They also had a Metropolitan Opera channel, which is now online-only.

What irks me is that after canceling the opera channel, they started featuring opera broadcasts on the regular Symphony Hall channel. So on Wednesday nights around 8:00 or 8:30 (Central) and Sundays at noon (central), they now feature a Met opera. So if I am going a short drive, or running some errands, I'm stuck listening to an opera in media res or a long introduction to the opera in which the composer, plot and singers are discussed, when all I want to do is just hear a little music during my drive time.

Since more and more people are switching to streaming, it is obvious that Sirius is heading to an all-streaming format. If I want to stream music, I think I will stick to the Apple classical app. Also, we have another classical channel in the Houston area (digital only) that I can listen to, or I can play thumb drives of my music. Sirius appears to have outlived its usefulness for me.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Since more and more people are switching to streaming, it is obvious that Sirius is heading to an all-streaming format. If I want to stream music, I think I will stick to the Apple classical app. Also, we have another classical channel in the Houston area (digital only) that I can listen to, or I can play thumb drives of my music. Sirius appears to have outlived its usefulness for me.

Hi David!

I know what you meant by Sirius moving to an all-streaming format.

That is mostly true. All their prime content is now online and gets streamed from their app.

However, they are still primarily a satellite radio service since every vehicle has the service installed and the signal comes from the satellite rather than phone data.

If you stick with getting the service in the car, through satellite signal, you get mostly generic channels that play the same songs repeatedly with little diversity. The app, however, offers more customized channels with better music rotation, though I still find that anything dealing with the decades (50s - 2000s) is the same headline songs played over and over with little to no smaller charted songs getting any play.

 

[jim_falconer]

When SiriusXM removed Deep Tracks, I was seriously considering canceling, as my radio doesn’t pick up channel 330 (or wherever they moved it to). But in trying to find a replacement station, I stumbled upon the Chill station. Have definitely enjoyed listening to it since December, but as with all other stations on Sirius, the repetition is starting to take hold. As it is, I’ll probably hang on till my promotional rate runs out (October), and then cancel for good

 

[Mike Frezon]

I need to remember to cancel Sirius before my subscription runs out in April.

I'll be dancing the annual dance early in March.

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I've seen a lot of posts recently which have mirrored a complaint of mine--that their older car radios (mine is a 2013 CR-V) aren't configured to receive the upper channels. So what do you folks do? Stream the Sirius XM app over your phone and through your car's BlueTooth receiver? Personally, I just find that too much effort.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I'll be dancing the annual dance early in March.

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I've seen a lot of posts recently which have mirrored a complaint of mine--that their older car radios (mine is a 2013 CR-V) aren't configured to receive the upper channels. So what do you folks do? Stream the Sirius XM app over your phone and through your car's BlueTooth receiver? Personally, I just find that too much effort.

Yes, that is a huge issue. I have a 2022 vehicle and I get all the channels. My prior vehicle could not.

This debacle was caused by the merger when Sirius and XM had separate satellites and required two different radios.

So, yes, you would have to stream through phone but so would I if I wanted the web only channels.

 

[Todd Erwin]

My 2023 Nissan Murano came with a 3-month trial, and was just offered a "free" 3-month extension (after paying a $2 processing fee) and then $24/month. My question is how well does this work in rural areas that have little to no cell reception? I used to stream iHeart Radio thru my phone over bluetooth when I lived in Southern California, but now only do so when driving around town or I'm in a large city, but then resort to local music stored on my phone when making long drives.

 

[Jeffrey D]

My 2023 Nissan Murano came with a 3-month trial, and was just offered a "free" 3-month extension (after paying a $2 processing fee) and then $24/month. My question is how well does this work in rural areas that have little to no cell reception? I used to stream iHeart Radio thru my phone over bluetooth when I lived in Southern California, but now only do so when driving around town or I'm in a large city, but then resort to local music stored on my phone when making long drives.

My first answer is you wouldn’t lose the satellite reception, unless you’re in an area with lots of trees that blocks the signal. If you’re in an open space, you’re OK.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

My 2023 Nissan Murano came with a 3-month trial, and was just offered a "free" 3-month extension (after paying a $2 processing fee) and then $24/month. My question is how well does this work in rural areas that have little to no cell reception? I used to stream iHeart Radio thru my phone over bluetooth when I lived in Southern California, but now only do so when driving around town or I'm in a large city, but then resort to local music stored on my phone when making long drives.

Agree with Jeffrey. This is satellite signal, not cell. You should be fine.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

One more thing I wanted to add...

Even if you have the newest radios that get all the high channels, there are exclusive channels that you can only get through the SiriusXM Carplay/Android Auto app. That is if your plan includes streaming.

So, I primarily use the satellite receiver in the car. However, I have selected a dozen favorite channels on the app that when I want to listen to them, use my unlimited cell data. The sound quality on the app channels is significantly better than the in-car satellite radio receivers as they use the Internet to deliver music. The satellite bandwidth is narrow and the channels are highly compressed.

 

[Malcolm R]

My 2023 Nissan Murano came with a 3-month trial, and was just offered a "free" 3-month extension (after paying a $2 processing fee) and then $24/month. My question is how well does this work in rural areas that have little to no cell reception? I used to stream iHeart Radio thru my phone over bluetooth when I lived in Southern California, but now only do so when driving around town or I'm in a large city, but then resort to local music stored on my phone when making long drives.

As others have said, it's not related to cell reception so you should be fine. I'm in Vermont and mine works fine in all areas unless I'm driving by something that blocks the signal from the south, usually a building or hillside/mountain. In most open spaces, it's fine. In Nevada you'll be farther south, closer to and a better angle to the satellite, so your experience should be better as it will take more of an obstacle to cause a signal dropout.

 

[Todd Erwin]

As others have said, it's not related to cell reception so you should be fine. I'm in Vermont and mine works fine in all areas unless I'm driving by something that blocks the signal from the south, usually a building or hillside/mountain. In most open spaces, it's fine. In Nevada you'll be farther south, closer to and a better angle to the satellite, so your experience should be better as it will take more of an obstacle to cause a signal dropout.

I'm in Northern Nevada, just south of Reno, and there are long stretches of road with nothing but hills and mountains.

 

[TonyD]

I still haven’t allowed the iPhone app to update as that new app is horrendous.

I think they finally added the skip forward button back last week.
The major issue for me is that they removed/moved Favorites.
There is no tab or button now for favorites. You have to find them jumbled in with something they call library and it doesn’t separate favorites.

Also my car has the app built and is a 2023 so it gets all the channels they make available. Still I find myself only using the app through the iphone as it is easier to navigate.
ANother thing is there is a ton of those Music only versions of Deep Tracks and Yacht Rack and the Cassette channel. There may be 20 of these channels and the songs are much more random. Looks are listed as Deep Cuts music only.

On sending it to the car using Bluetooth it generally really easy once it is connected.
Turn on the car and it connects in a couple seconds. Easy as pie.

My car doesn’t have wireless CarPlay so I bought a thing that allows CarPlay to connect wirelessly and like Bluetooth I turn the car on and it connects in a few seconds.

My current deal and my wife too is about $8 a month for the super duper ultimate tier or whatever they call it.
Includes every channel in car or app.

 

[TonyD]

.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

SiriusXM laying off 160 workers after dismal earnings report

SiriusXM will issue pink slips to around 160 workers in an effort to curb expenses amid a broader restructuring of the company's operations.

thedesk.net

It seems like SiriusXM continues to lose subscribers and tighten their belts

I realize I sound like a broken record, but it's the same advice I offered 15 years ago when Sirius took over XM, who had a vision to revolutionize radio...

You can't expect people to pay for what they get for free on FM radio. When you are playing the same (what seems like) 200 songs every single day, listeners get bored. Where XM Radio mandated its programmers to curate their playlists and integrate rarely heard gems, SiriusXM took the opposite approach playing only the same tired popular songs daily.

A simple Google search by SiriusXM execs would reveal the problem. I searched this morning on "SiriusXM repetition" and was astounded at the complaints that have accumulated over the past decade.

I'm sorry to keep going on like this, but I have a passion for music and it kills me that nobody can put the effort into running a music service that keeps listeners engaged. Playlists should be updated not ignored. There should always be WOW moments of songs you haven't heard in nearly a lifetime. If you are going to ask people to pay for radio, make it worth their money.

 

[jim_falconer]

Well stated. The only other thing I could add to your post would be for SirusXM to ditch their DJs. Not only do they interrupt the listening experience, many times they will give you their unsolicited views on world events and politics. And even if you agree with them, no one signs up to SirusXM to listen to the DJs babble on, when they could be playing music.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Well stated. The only other thing I could add to your post would be for SirusXM to ditch their DJs. Not only do they interrupt the listening experience, many times they will give you their unsolicited views on world events and politics. And even if you agree with them, no one signs up to SirusXM to listen to the DJs babble on, when they could be playing music.

In my opinion, the DJs are a huge problem with some exceptions.

The original MTV DJs on the 80s channel are a nice throwback to the era. Flash Phelps is very good on the 60s channel and his interactions there work very well. JJ Walker is a seasoned personality who comes across well on the 70s channel as well as Hits One.

On the other hand, they have this guy Jonathan on 70s on 7 who has taken over as the "voice" of the entire channel with terribly unfunny promos. During his shows, he rambles on endlessly, mainly promoting his Instagram page. There is a female DJ on that channel who is not much better. I have heard these guys talking about visiting family and those personal experiences that have nothing to do with the music and that nobody wants to hear.

But in all, SiriusXM lets the DJs just ramble on about stuff that has nothing to do with the music being played. They also ad-lib awful jokes and talk over music. It's not entertaining at all.

The only time there should be a DJ is during a countdown show.

If SiriusXM feels that there needs to be some sort of entertaining breaks between songs, I think that TV/Movie/News sound clips from the era would be more appropriate, invoking fond memories which is more effective than a DJ rambling on about a personal life none of us care about.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I have grown tired of Alan Hunter on the 80s
channel- he babbles on between songs. I think he’s on another channel too- Classic Rewind, maybe?

 

[jim_falconer]

Meg Griffin and Rachel Steel really annoy me

 

[TravisR]

In my opinion, the DJs are a huge problem with some exceptions.

Any of the people on Little Steven's Underground Garage (ch 21) or on The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen channels are good because they're knowledgeable and interesting. Maybe you need to be really interested in garage rock or the Fab Four or Bruuuuce to care what they're saying though.

 

[Dennis_H]

George Bailey on Deep tracks is good. Jim Ladd was very good also but has recently passed. Carol Miller is the one that is very hard to listen to but usually on Classic Vinyl