To be honest, I never used Slacker Radio until a couple of days ago. The only reason why I even downloaded the app onto my iPhone was because of the newly added Apple CarPlay-compatibiltiy.
So I set out to test Slacker and to see how it worked in CarPlay. Here's what I've found so far.
Slacker Radio & CarPlay
Rather than going into deep detail on the features of Slacker, I will summarize the best ones. Of course, Slacker isn't the first music/radio streaming app that has added CarPlay compatibility but it really works very well.
I haven't signed up for any of the paid subscriptions but I don't have any complaints about the free version. Of course, there are ads, but that's what you get for the free option.
- Finding stations is surprisingly easy. Content in Slacker is organized neatly into Genres, Featured Stations and Recommendations which makes things streamlined.
- Controlled scrolling through lists. There are two large Up and Down arrows to help you scroll through lists without swiping. But if you do choose to swipe, the list scrolls four items at a time. I personally think these options are better and easier to use while driving rather than having continuous scroll.
- Plenty of content to choose from!
- Album of the Week. A new album picked for you to stream every week. Awesome.
- Personalize Slacker. You can personalize Slacker by adding stations to your list of favorite stations. Doing so improves recommended stations too. You will have to favorite stations on your iPhone though.
- BAN THIS SONG! If at any time you hear a song you absolutely hate, just go ahead and ban it. You will never hear it again. Of course, other services also allow you to thumb down (Pandora) or dislike a song, but there's something about the word 'Ban' that makes you feel like you're in control of what you listen to.
- Sound quality. Although Slacker is no Deezer Music, sound quality is quite good. I haven't had any issues with buffering or the stream cutting out so far.
Ok. Maybe some of the points I've made also apply to other streaming music apps that are CarPlay compatible. But Slacker Radio is currently my favorite app to stream content in CarPlay. I've already reminisced a couple of times about my SiriusXM days while listening to Slacker.
What's your favorite music/radio streaming app?
I with you on Slacker. Great interaction with CarPlay. It also has a station I can't find anywhere else...Radio Disney Jr. My kids are a little too young for regular Radio Disney and the Jr. station is a big hit. As you stated, sound quality is great and the app is easy to use. I'musing it more than Pandora or Spotify now.
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