SIRIUSXM: Still Lazy After All These Years (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

$3 a month for three years, cancel anytime

I think I have the "Music & Entertainment" plan for $6/month for a year (with the annual "threaten to cancel" dance each year). So that would likely be great for me...

But I don't find it anywhere on their site.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

This is the thing I hate about SiriusXM. There is always someone getting a better subscription deal than you.

I knew of the Music/Entertainment plan for 3 years for $100. That's been around for a while.

However, I have read reports from subscribers on Reddit who are getting the Platinum Plan for 3 years at $100.

 

[Bryan^H]

I think I have the "Music & Entertainment" plan for $6/month for a year (with the annual "threaten to cancel" dance each year). So that would likely be great for me...

But I don't find it anywhere on their site.

I haven’t been subscribed for a while now. I think it is for customers to rejoin their service, but….Just found they charge the whole amount at once $99 plus fees, so I guess I’m not going for it.

 

[Bryan^H]

However, I have read reports from subscribers on Reddit who are getting the Platinum Plan for 3 years at $100.

Wow

 

[Ronald Epstein]

My yearly renewal is coming up in another two months. I find myself listening to SiriusXM less and less. Not only have the playlists gotten smaller on all the channels I listen to (with multiple repeats daily), but 70s on 7 is sounding like a college radio station with DJs Lisa Evans and Jonathan (the pathetic voice of the channel), who blabber on endlessly about nothing between music.

The service, at least for me, has become fatigued and unlistenable.

I have come across yet another potential replacement for SiriusXM and I wanted to wait a few months before I came here to talk about it...



This Canadian music service has been around since 1997, but I only discovered it earlier this year while searching for SiriusXM alternatives. It received high recommendations in the search results.

Stingray Music has over 150 music channels that are available worldwide. Each channel is curated around a specific theme or genre and can have a playlist of anywhere from 150 to over 3,000 songs. Stingray Music's channels cover a wide range of genres, including pop, rock, jazz, electronic, and classical.

Upon launching the app, you’ll be greeted with a vast array of music channels. Select a channel that resonates with you and add it to your favorites list. Once you’ve curated your list of preferred channels, you’ll have access to your personalized radio station, allowing you to enjoy music in the comfort of your home or on the go.

The most advantageous feature of this service is that it's designed for music enthusiasts. Each channel is meticulously curated by DJs who ensure a fresh and ever-evolving soundscape, unlike Sirius XM, which plays a repetitive repertoire of the same (approx.) 200 songs daily.

The music is broadcast without commercials. No music personalities are talking over or between the music. Don't like a particular song? You can skip through as many selections as you would like.

Another significant advantage of Stingray Music over SiriusXM lies in its superior audio quality. While the free tier of Stingray Music provides 160kbps audio, SiriusXM’s abysmal 64kbps is a stark contrast. On the premium tier, audio quality is further enhanced to 320kbps.

The premium service costs $3.99 per month, which is an excellent price. There is a free 1-month trial to try it out.
So, I’ve been listening to Stingray Music for a few months now, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. If you exclude the repetitive play of only familiar music, the incessant chatter of the DJs, the constant promos, and the annoying bumpers, you’re left with pure musical bliss.

When I am at home, I have the service Airplay to my Sonos speakers. In the car, with an unlimited data plan, I can crank the audio quality to 320kbps and enjoy high-quality playback through my premium car stereo system.

It’s an incredible experience to break free from the monotonous repetition and FM radio-centric mindset that permeates SiriusXM. I discover a delightful blend of familiar songs from my favorite Stingray Music channels, interspersed with long-lost gems that have been forgotten for years. It’s evident that music enthusiasts with a deep passion for the genre are meticulously curating these channels. Unlike SiriusXM, the playlists undergo a refreshing monthly update, and new channels are regularly added to the service, enriching the listening experience.

The only downside that I can think of is that for traveling, this service is wholly dependent on your phone's data plan. Most people have unlimited data and for that reason, there should be no restrictions to using the app on Carplay or Android Auto.

Stingray Music can be accessed through an iOS and Android app as well as a web player for your desktop/laptop.

Life's on you, Music's on us | Music Streaming | Stingray Music

Listen to channels expertly curated for all of life's moments on all your devices. Start your free trial today. Streaming music ad-fee, 24/7.

music.stingray.com

 

[Jeffrey D]

For the first time in forever, I put on Ozzy’s Boneyard. Many moons ago, they would actually play all 20 minutes of Rush’s 2112 on occasion. Most of the time, they would play the first 2 pieces- Overture, and The Temples Of Syrinx. Yesterday, they skipped right over the instrumental Overture, and went right into Syrinx- that’s the only piece of the song that was played. I hated that- songs that are butchered belong to over-the-air radio, not subscription radio. I immediately switched to the Billy Joel Channel, which is on again, probably just for this month.

 

[TravisR]

I immediately switched to the Billy Joel Channel, which is on again, probably just for this month.

I thought the Billy Joel channel had become permanent.

 

[LeoA]

It's been there since I started subscribing in August.

That said, I'm usually on the 60s, 50s, 40s (so many songs from that decade that I'm unfamiliar with and I tend to enjoy them more often than not), or the Oldies channel (a mix of 50s and 60s).

 

[Jeffrey D]

I thought the Billy Joel channel had become permanent.

They put it on 2 or 3 times a year- always in January.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Today was my day to dance-the-dance with SiriusXM to cancel my subscription as my promotional period ended.

I subscribed to the Music and Entertainment plan. It costs $25/month but I had been paying $7.27/month for the service.

I was surprised that the virtual rep for Sirius gave me this option when I asked to cancel my membership.

Thank you, Michael. Before we proceed with the cancellation, I wanted to let you know about our Advantage Music and Entertainment 25 Plan. It's a special offer for loyal customers like you, priced at just $8.49 per month. This plan is called the Advantage plan because it won't automatically switch to the full price after a year, so there's no need to call us back for a new discount. With Advantage25, you save over 40% off the current full price of Music and Entertainment. It includes all the same features as your current plan, allowing you to enjoy the same great programming in your car, online, or on the SiriusXM app. Would you be interested in this offer?

The emphasis above is mine.

I asked if I could cancel at any time. The answer is yes. And I double checked that my service wouldn't change.

Yes, Michael. The Advantage Music and Entertainment 25 Plan includes all the same features as your current plan. You'll be able to enjoy the same great programming in your car, online, or on the SiriusXM app. This includes over 165+ channels of ad-free music, news & issues, talk & entertainment, exclusive in-studio video, comedy, original and popular podcasts, sports talk, plus live NASCAR® & PGA TOUR® coverage, live NFL, MLB®, NBA, NHL®, NCAA games, Howard Stern Channels & Video, and personalized artist stations.

So, I went for it. And I guess I won't have to dust off my dancing shoes next year.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Mike,

I hate to tell you this, but I got a better deal than that a month ago.

I got their ALL ACCESS which includes every single channel for car and streaming $85 a year ($7.08 a month)

I don't think ADVANTAGE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT includes every channel.

You can never know the best deal because it involves a lot of haggling. I had to call twice after I cancelled my subscription.

It's sickening that one has to go through this process every time one's subscription is up for renewal.

 

[Mike Frezon]

It's sickening that one has to go through this process every time one's subscription is up for renewal.

Kinda why I decided to go for it. The service I get is worth the $8.50 month to me. I don't need a lot of choices. I mostly listen to talk radio in the car. And what's there is plenty for me. When I need music I've got a couple channels on my pre-sets (including the '70s) but I have a ton of my own music (more satisfactory to me) on a flashdrive.

But I would prefer $7.02 to the $8.49, for sure.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I started listening to the Road Trip channel. Mixed genres and eras. Unfortunately they seem to have too limited a library- I’ve already heard several songs at least a couple of times in a very short period. They played
Rush’s Tom Sawyer, from their Moving Pictures record. The song that better fits in with their criteria from that album is Red Barchetta- a song about a classic car, and the thrill one gets from driving it. Hopefully they do have this one in their library- it was put out as a single, even though it was not as popular as Tom Sawyer.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I started listening to the Road Trip channel. Mixed genres and eras. Unfortunately they seem to have too limited a library- I’ve already heard several songs at least a couple of times in a very short period. They played
Rush’s Tom Sawyer, from their Moving Pictures record. The song that better fits in with their criteria from that album is Red Barchetta- a song about a classic car, and the thrill one gets from driving it. Hopefully they do have this one in their library- it was put out as a single, even though it was not as popular as Tom Sawyer.

SiriusXM Loses 303,000 Self-Pay Subscribers, Quarterly Revenue Drops

The audio giant, led by CEO Jennifer Witz, reported its first-quarter results as it faces the impact of U.S. tariffs on new car sales.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

The company continues to lose money. They blame car sales, but something tells me that listeners share your frustration of hearing the same songs played daily, with little to no attention given to the playlists.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Another frustration about SiriusXM- their choices of songs they play single edits of, as opposed to the album cuts. A couple of examples, on Road Trip Radio- they’ll play the album cut of Skynyrd’s Free Bird, while playing only the first half of Foghat’s Slow Ride. Today, they played the album cut of Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back In Town
(70s on 7 plays the single edit), then right after that they played the single cut of GnR’s
Sweet Child Of Mine. My thinking about this is maybe certain songs are cheaper for SiriusXM to acquire in the shortened versions.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Another frustration about SiriusXM- their choices of songs they play single edits of, as opposed to the album cuts. A couple of examples, on Road Trip Radio- they’ll play the album cut of Skynyrd’s Free Bird, while playing only the first half of Foghat’s Slow Ride. Today, they played the album cut of Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back In Town
(70s on 7 plays the single edit), then right after that they played the single cut of GnR’s
Sweet Child Of Mine. My thinking about this is maybe certain songs are cheaper for SiriusXM to acquire in the shortened versions.

This has been another ongoing issue

Radio Edits are generally preferred over album cuts for some reason. I have also heard them censor profanity in songs.

 

[TravisR]

I have also heard them censor profanity in songs.

I'm sure there's more examples but the only channel I've heard censored versions of songs on is the 90's On 9. I assumed it was because they treat those decades channels as more family friendly or for a more casual audience. If someone tunes into Shade 45 or Howard Stern, they can expect to hear profanity but if they turn on 90's On 9 because they want to hear I Will Always Love You, it could be a bit much for the follow up to be the real version of Nuthin' But A G Thang.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I stopped listening to Road Trip- they committed the egregious sin of playing the single edition of Deep Purple’s Highway Star. Ridiculous. Now listening to the Classic Rewind channel- this one seems OK- they do tend to play the album versions of popular songs.