Sirius XM tuning in to iPhone application
Update at 8:19 a.m. PDT, with comment from Sirius XM.
Sirius XM is planning to launch an iPhone application by June in a move to expand its market, the satellite service provider said Thursday during an analyst conference call.
The iPhone application will be available to Apple's U.S. iPhone users and Sirius XM customers, as well as to iPod Touch Wi-Fi users.
Sirius XM charges $12.95 per month for its Internet radio service. It is not immediately clear whether iPhone and iPod users will incur the same service fees.
A Sirius XM representative declined comment, other than to refer to the statement made by President Jim Meyer during the fourth-quarter conference call with analysts. In it, Meyer said:
On another exciting front we have been testing a number of initiatives to make the Sirius XM content and experience more ubiquitous. As noted during our shareholders' meeting in December, Sirius XM has been working on an application that will allow subscribers to stream our Internet content to their iPhones and iPod Touch devices. When released, this application will permit an estimated 7 million U.S. iPhone users and additional iTouch users to access Sirius and XM Internet content.
This will allow existing subscribers with a paid streaming subscription to access our content. This will also allow new customers to subscribe to our service without having to buy a radio. This is a large and interesting opportunity that will maintain our subscription-based economics while providing customers easier access to our content through means other than our traditional satellite-based platform. We are currently in rigorous applications testing and plan to launch in the second quarter."
For Sirius, the Apple deal is something its been working toward for at least four years. Back in 2005, Sirius expressed interest in partnering with Apple to put its satellite service on the iPod. But Apple CEO Steve Jobs didn't reciprocate.
In securing a deal with Apple, Sirius may be able to expand its market by riding on the popularity of the iPhone and iPod.
The company completed its long-sought mega-merger with XM Satellite Radio last year, a deal that executives of the companies had said was necessary as they faced increased competition from Internet music services, such as Apple's iTunes.
Dawn Kawamoto covers enterprise security and financial news relating to technology for CNET News. E-mail Dawn. 
The satellite radio service is great for vehicles where you do not have to worry about cell phone signals or finding a terrestrial radio station you like. However, when it comes to in-home listening, the online options from other providers are far superior for music-based content; talk based content, however, does not seem to have a comparable online equivalent to what Sirius XM offers. I personally listen to more music because the talk stations have too many commercials; they are just feeds from the content providers, such as CNN, Fox News, etc., and nothing more than that. Due the music leanings, I find utilizing services such as Slacker, Pandora, etc. a far more pleasurable experience than Sirius XM's clunky online player and additional costs for preprogramed content, as opposed to customizable content.
Which IMHO blows!!
Check their stock - they're about to belly up, so don't be surprised oif you service gets interrupted with no refund!
Why wouldn't a company start charging some sort of fee in order to raise its profits. Its a financial jungle out there. The survival of the fittest. Slacker and Pandora are good features, even still, how long do we think they'll remain free? One thing about Apple, even if they have to make changes, they always look out for their customers. Its only fair that we understand their position, and continue to support them. Trust them.
http://www.iphonewishlist.com
This may sound stupid, but would I be able to listen to sirius stream while driving in car or do you have to be in a Wi Fi hot spot?
I'm new to using cell phone for internet... Thanks : )
- by iphoneapps April 27, 2009 5:50 PM PDT
- If I already subscribe to XM Sirius for my car radio, will I still have to pay for their iPhone app? The app should be free to people who already have subscriptions. On another note, I would rather have a standalone app with only one favorite radio station on it than have an aggregation of hundreds or thousands of stations. At the Toy Lounge - http://thetoylounge.com/radio-stations - we create iPhone apps for radio stations, both terrestrial and internet only.
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