How Do You Feel About Internet Radio?

[Plate Blocker]

On the other hand, you have Amazon and Alexa where you can call up streams and stations easily.

Yeah.....sorta.....

.....if the stream operator has that worked out......and the popularity is worth it to the carrier......and if it works financially for everyone.

I like a radio where I'm in control. I can program in the URL for the stream I want (for instance, I'm a Calm Radio subscriber, and as such have access to hundreds of streams (in three different bit rates), commercial and break free, by URL custom made to my account.

Alexa and Google Home are good for "play me some of this or that", but not for really specific stuff. They will play you some smooth jazz.......with a URL through a streaming radio you pick among hundreds of sources all over the world.

For example.......*IF* Google Home or Amazon has a deal worked out with Radio Itakaru FM in Yuty, Paraguay, you're all set. But with your tabletop streaming internet radio, you can go to:

https://stream-163.zeno.fm/c4zvrrvh02quv

Just an example I pulled up for this message....if I analyzed it further I could likely eliminate in the leading ad stream.

Too complex for most? Probably...hence my comment which elicited yours. But if you have a Paraguyan market in New York that wants it on their PA in the store, I suspect Alexa isn't going to be much use.

 

[Plate Blocker]

On the other hand, you have Amazon and Alexa where you can call up streams and stations easily.

Answered in previous message

 

[Kelly A]

An update: I still feel good about streaming. Listen all the time.

 

[davideduardo]

Alexa and Google Home are good for "play me some of this or that", but not for really specific stuff. They will play you some smooth jazz.......with a URL through a streaming radio you pick among hundreds of sources all over the world.

If you have the Amazon music subscription, you can ask for specific artists and songs.

For example.......*IF* Google Home or Amazon has a deal worked out with Radio Itakaru FM in Yuty, Paraguay, you're all set. But with your tabletop streaming internet radio, you can go to:

https://stream-163.zeno.fm/c4zvrrvh02quv

Just an example I pulled up for this message....if I analyzed it further I could likely eliminate in the leading ad stream.

Too complex for most? Probably...hence my comment which elicited yours. But if you have a Paraguyan market in New York that wants it on their PA in the store, I suspect Alexa isn't going to be much use.

I know this is an intentional niche example, but there are probably no more than a coupla' hundred Paraguayans in New York.

My point is that the vast majority of music types and significant stations can be heard on the Amazon device which is now in over 30% of all households. That is vastly greater than Siris/XM which is only in about 13% of all vehicles and a much lower percent of all homes and work locations.

And I brought that up because you seemed to think that finding types of music or types of stations "on the Internet" was too hard. Alexa is your internet BFF who can find nearly anything you want. And Alexa speaks better Spanish than the average Paraguayan.

 

[Plate Blocker]

And I brought that up because you seemed to think that finding types of music or types of stations "on the Internet" was too hard. Alexa is your internet BFF who can find nearly anything you want.

We seem to be on non-intersecting paths whilst having this discussion, and its probably moot to continue.

My original post made the point that Joe and Mary Sixpack, perhaps your Amazon Alexa user, would find derivation of a URL of a particular stream difficult, and by extension their use of an internet radio. Although somehow I seemed to have been lumped into that category (I'm good, borderline great at finding those) later in the post, it appears that we seem to agree.....Amazon Alexa is the "easy" way to stream popular stuff.

My later presented point was that unique streams, certainly private ones and also those not already curated by Amazon, are programmable and receivable on tabletop radios, but not on Amazon Alexa. I'm not sure we disagree on that either.

I'm willing to let this side discussion die the death it deserves if you are.