Satellite radio broadcasts clear, static-free digital signals from satellites orbiting Earth. Instead of using terrestrial transmitters to send a signal, which can be blocked by buildings and hills, it beams its signals into space for transmission across North America. You can listen on a mobile device, such as a smartphone or car dashboard, or through a home satellite receiver. Many services require a subscription, while others are free to use.
The most famous satellite radio services are XM and Sirius, which merged to form SiriusXM in 2016. In addition to their music channels, these services offer news, sports and talk radio, as well as exclusive content. They also have streaming-device options, which let you listen to satellite radio through apps on smartphones and other devices.
When satellite radio first launched in the 1990s, it offered something that AM and FM stations couldn’t: Hundreds of channels curated and personalized for your musical tastes or interests, with no commercials. In addition, it was a great marketing tool for established legacy musicians, such as Bob Dylan (his Deep Tracks channel and show) Tom Petty (the Buried Treasure channel), E Street Band guitarist “Little Steven” Van Zandt (“Bluesville”) and B.B. King (his own channel and shows).
In recent years, the popularity of satellite radio began to wane as competition from streaming services, including Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher and Pandora, increased. In addition, a growing number of consumers were increasingly comfortable listening to satellite radio on their phones and tablets. Unlike most other tech media platforms, which tend to lean younger, such as social media and podcasts, satellite radio skews older. One reason for this is that it’s heavily connected to cars, whose owners typically receive a short-term free trial subscription for the service as part of the purchase price.
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