SiriusXM has been around for a while and with the way how we are slowly and gradually getting away from FM radio, in favor of music streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, it seems as though this service feels a bit out of place.
With that said, what are my thoughts on SiriusXM fit in 2020?
During my test of the service, I was not able to use it in my car radio due to the fact that my car is a used car and the VIN number for it had already been used by the previous owner.
As for the functionality of it, the service still has plenty of stations to choose from. It is a service where there is a station for everyone. This includes Top 40 songs, pop, rock, country, hip-hop, rap, bluegrass and many other genres.
In addition to that, the service has a lot of comedy, sports and political talk radio stations to listen to as well.
However, that’s about it. For me and the way I use the radio, I’m better off not using it. Sure, the stations that play the Top 40 songs can be a gateway to introduce you to new artists and songs, but is it worth the monthly fee?
SiriusXM starts at $10.99 a month that gives you a little bit of everything, in terms of music, sports and political talk. The costs go as high as $21.99 a month after that, which includes video-on-demand services and access to live professional sporting events.
Meanwhile, Apple Music and Spotify cost $9.99 a month and both enable its customers to listen to music they choose, whereas with SiriusXM, it’s whatever the SiriusXM DJs decide for you.
I can see how it would come in handy for the talk radio (sports and politics), but on the other hand, a lot of those stations are available to stream on other apps like iHeartRadio and TuneIn for free.
Additionally, some of the shows like “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on FOX Sports Radio are available in podcast form on Apple Podcasts and other podcast apps too. On top of that, it doesn’t cost anything to listen to podcasts (after they air live on the radio) on the Apple Podcasts app and SiriusXM has that premium monthly cost we just talked about.
To make matters even worse for SiriusXM, the company doesn’t even have an app available on the Apple TV. Those that want to stream content to their Apple TV from SiriusXM will have to use AirPlay to do so.
The good news is that they are available for cars that have Apple’s CarPlay.
SiriusXM does have live and on-demand video content to watch too, but you have to think if it is something that you actually need and whether or not you would use it. Plus, I cannot imagine why that content would not be on YouTube or someplace else on the internet to watch for free too.
All in all, while SiriusXM may come in handy for some, it certainly is not winning me over in 2020. With a lot of young people in the millennial and Gen Z generations using Apple Music and Spotify for their music, and using other free methods for listening to podcasts (as well as not watching or listening to live shows/podcasts), I don’t think SiriusXM is worth the money today.
Due to my thoughts on the service and my usage of it, it gets 1/4 stars from me. It seems like the company is living off the older generations in a time where everyone in the younger generations is listening to its own music and podcasts from their smartphones. Yes, SiriusXM is available on those same smartphones the young people are using, but I do not believe it will be enough to save it.
Rating: 1/4 stars
