SiriusXM: What am I missing? (Pricing)

[mnewsham]

I use 10+ GB a month on streaming music alone

I don't believe you.

Even at 320kb/s (generally the highest bitrate offered for streaming services, but most use even lower than this either 256, 192 or even 128kb/s) to reach 10GB a month would literally require you to be streaming 320kb/s music 24/7 for 30 days straight.

That would just barely hit over 10GB. So unless you were streaming music 24/7 for literally a month straight, no you didn't use 10GB+ of data on JUST streaming music.

 

[adairusmc]

They can charge me whatever they want, as long as they have Howard 100 and 101 broadcasting, they will get my money.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I really like their setup (different channels for different decades, all the talk options) but the reality is the smartphone killed satellite radio.

 

[Anubis]

I don't believe you.

Even at 320kb/s (generally the highest bitrate offered for streaming services, but most use even lower than this either 256, 192 or even 128kb/s) to reach 10GB a month would literally require you to be streaming 320kb/s music 24/7 for 30 days straight.

That would just barely hit over 10GB. So unless you were streaming music 24/7 for literally a month straight, no you didn't use 10GB+ of data on JUST streaming music.

Last month -
Gmusic - 12.08 GB
Befrore that - 9.98
before that - 13.32

doesn't go back any further due to new phone. its set to highest quality and has been this much since I started using gmusic. I don't cache anything its all streamed and its only music

ill screenshot it for you if you want but I cant upload to anything at work

 

[mnewsham]

Last month -
Gmusic - 12.08 GB
Befrore that - 9.98
before that - 13.32

doesn't go back any further due to new phone. its set to highest quality and has been this much since I started using gmusic. I don't cache anything its all streamed and its only music

ill screenshot it for you if you want but I cant upload to anything at work

I can only assume you basically leave it on all the time even when you aren't particularly listening.

Good for you I guess, but you're in the far minority in this regard. I stream ~4-6 hours of music per day and almost never hit over 4-5GB of data used in a month.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I think I figured out where I went wrong. My car had a trial built in but I was never really in their system so couldn't 'renew' as I'd never been a truly active subscriber. Just signed up for another trial and had to sign up for an account, email, address, phone #, etc. Got 2 more free months and assume that now I should be set to potentially get offers since I'm now in the database.

As for the content debate.

I do have Spotify. Pandora. Etc. to be honest the main reason I like sat radio is for the built in nav traffic, national sports talk, other talk radio, and live sports coverage. The music stations are just icing on the cake if I don't want to fiddle with Spotify.

 

[Genx87]

T-Mobile offers free Pandora streaming. Between that and ESPN radio. I got most covered what I wouldnt get from local radio. I stream maybe 150-200MB\month.

 

[Anubis]

I can only assume you basically leave it on all the time even when you aren't particularly listening.

Good for you I guess, but you're in the far minority in this regard. I stream ~4-6 hours of music per day and almost never hit over 4-5GB of data used in a month.

no its only playing when im listening to it which is my commute

according to the phone and VZW my 1 hour commute is ~250GB so 500 gigs a day, ~20 working days a month.....10 gigs

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Google Music has very good modern radio themes for download. The themes auto download refresh periodically when the lists change.

But yes, to your point, the DJs Sirius has are pretty damn good. Amazingly enough, they've played some great modern stuff that hasn't overlapped with my current playlist folders. Plus, you get Stern, NFL, MSNBC, etc.

If you have the $$$ then it's worth having both. I use both nearly equally. But I could easily work it with just the phone, at the cost of being more of a chore dealing with more than one app. Most people (like my family) aren't like me and lack the patience to fuck around with apps/downloads, which in that case, a Sirius subscription becomes much more compelling.

I agree, if I needed just 1, I would use the phone. I have Sirius, Pandora One, Spotify Premium, and Amazon Prime Music. They all have their uses for me. I don't really watch movies at all, but enjoy music of almost any variety. So for me they're good options to have.

 

[dainthomas]

I do enjoy listening to MoJo Dixon on channel 60 Outlaw country. and there is one DJ on the weekends that broadcast out of his barn someplace in Kentucky he is pretty decent too. oh and Johnny Knoxville has a night time show that is amusing.

Growing up in the 80's I listen to the 80's on 8 channel probably half the time. It's great listening to the old VJ's. They all have stories about hanging out with the artists back then and are very knowledgeable about the music in general. I find it's like that on most of their channels (Hair Nation has good ones too).

I'll stream sometimes, but data around here starts getting spotty as soon as you get away from the Portland area or I5 corridor. So enjoy listening to whatever's on your ipod or farm reports.

 

[skimple]

I pay $57 every 6 months for XM All-Access. Online access, in-the-car, all channels.

But every six months I have to call them and tell them to renew at the current rate or I'll cancel. Sometimes the rep does it right away, and sometimes I have to go through 2 or 3 people.

But for less than $10 per month, its definitely worth it. Just did a 6 hour car ride last weekend with the kids.

People people streaming with their phones complaining about the audio quality of satellite radio? Really?

 

[SearchMaster]

So what's the secret here? Pay the ridiculous cost up front and then play the cancel/renew game to get good deals going forward?

As you've seen in these responses, the answer is "yes". I've never tried to get Traffic thrown in with the $5/mo deal so I don't know if that's typical. I got 6 months free with my car and used the traffic a handful of times - Waze does it better anyway - because most of my driving is quite local and traffic is a non-issue.

To be honest I'm shocked by their business model. The pricing is outrageous considering there are so many streaming options for radio stations, Spotify, Pandora, etc.

If you'd be happy with these, I'd recommend you use them over Sirius. I like Sirius just fine - the stations are fine for my limited driving and I really enjoy Stern's interviews. But if your primary usage is just music, the streaming apps are very good. Verizon is the only carrier in my area that has excellent coverage (we're somewhat rural) and we can't get unlimited data from them, and data usage is a constant issue between me, my wife, and three teenage sons.

 

[SP33Demon]

no thanks. Garmins are far superior.

Waze shits on Garmin. I know you said Google Maps eats too much data (Waze is owned by Google) for you but knowing where the cops are speed trapping is priceless to me. If your Garmin allows you to report the police, then I'd be willing to check it out. Not messing with a radar detector either.

 

[John Connor]

I want to like the concept of Satellite radio, but the execution is just terrible. They have far too many stations with way too much overlap and the audio compression just murders any quality to the streams.

If all you do is news/talk radio that will do. But anything musical just sounds like digitally compressed poo.

That's pretty much all I care about with Sirius/XM is the news. If not that then you'll find me flipping to the 80's, Electric Area and Sirius/XM Chill.

 

[OutHouse]

Waze shits on Garmin. I know you said Google Maps eats too much data (Waze is owned by Google) for you but knowing where the cops are speed trapping is priceless to me. If your Garmin allows you to report the police, then I'd be willing to check it out. Not messing with a radar detector either.

again i go back to not having cell service. I live in Colorado and there are some desolate areas here in CO, WY, ID, KS, UT, NV, NM that do not have cell coverage. I do use Waze from time to time and yes its useful in urban areas or along a interstate metropolitan corridors.

i tossed my radar detector out the window after my 3rd ticket 10 years ago. guess what, no tickets since.

 

[OutHouse]

That's pretty much all I care about with Sirius/XM is the news. If not that then you'll find me flipping to the 80's, Electric Area and Sirius/XM Chill.

Radio Classics is a good station for road trips. they play radio shows from the 30's 40's and early 50's.

https://www.siriusxm.com/radioclassics

 

[John Connor]

again i go back to not having cell service. I live in Colorado and there are some desolate areas here in CO, WY, ID, KS, UT, NV, NM that do not have cell coverage. I do use Waze from time to time and yes its useful in urban areas or along a interstate metropolitan corridors.

i tossed my radar detector out the window after my 3rd ticket 10 years ago. guess what, no tickets since.

I just looked at Waze and it looks nice. Now I think the biggest thing here though is that you won't have traffic in areas where there isn't cell reception. So you really don't need Waze then. But if Waze can download whole states for GPS navigation like the Here Maps App, then that would be awesome.

 

[KK]

I call after my promo 5/25 or 6/30 promo runs out to cancel. They ask the reason I'm cancelling and I tell them price. They will look in the computers for deals and I keep saying thats not low enough. eventually they'll read off a 5/month plan for 5 or 6 months and I bite. This last time I called to cancel, the first person I reached to cancel couldn't offer me any deals, but he then transferred me to the retention people it seemed and they had the deals.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

I listen to a book via blue-tooth from audible while I drive.

I love David Wong:

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits

 

[ultimatebob]

I listen to a book via blue-tooth from audible while I drive.

I love David Wong:

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits

I listen to Podcasts during my longass commute, but I gotta admit that SiriusXM came in handy when you ran out of downloaded content. Terrestrial radio with it's 20 minutes of commercials an hour and repetitive playlists gets lame fast.