iHeartRadio Logo
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4.7

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: January 14th, 2024

iHeartRadio is an Internet radio platform. Since its creation in 2008, the service has expanded its offerings to include music recommendations, customizable stations, podcasts, and a radio network with content from more than 800 iHeartMedia stations across the United States. In 2014, iHeartRadio introduced the iHeartRadio Music Awards, which continue to attract hosts of popular artists. In 2015, artists Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, and Sam Smith won the “Innovator,” “Artist of the Year,” and “Best New Artist” awards, respectively. iHeartRadio regularly hosts concerts in Los Angeles and New York City, with ticket contests featured across the 800 stations. 

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The Good

iHeartRadio is a platform for curated music, with a wide range of features:

  • The service is completely free. There are no hidden charges or paid packages available. However, you can choose to upgrade, which is not free.
  • iHeartRadio offers 19 genre stations, more than 400,000 artists, 15 million songs, and 1,500 live radio stations.
  • Users may create their own stations according to genre or artist. These curated stations display lyrics and artist bios and include links to purchase songs from other vendors, like Amazon and iTunes.
  • All custom-made stations are commercial-free.
  • While listening to live radio, the website displays a station page with links to the station's official website. The page also displays the station's genre, location, and latest tweet, in addition to the current host's name and the schedule for other hosts that day.
  • Users can upvote or downvote songs as they play. Upvoting a song will make it play more often, while downvoting a song will ensure it never plays again.
  • Live radio station pages display the name, artist, and album art for each song that plays. This display updates constantly, even when users aren't currently listening.
  • iHeartRadio is available in an app.
  • The iHeartRadio platform also offers a wide range of podcasts, sorted by popularity and category. Categories range from Health and Food to the Paranormal.
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The Bad

  • As an online streaming service, iHeartRadio's music quality is subject to the strength of users' Internet connections. Songs are not available for download through the site, even for a price.
  • iHeartRadio does not allow users to make playlists of their favorite songs, which means that users are at the mercy of the station's song order.
  • Custom stations are limited to one seed, which means that users can't create stations that feature more than one artist or genre. Stations generated by artist-especially composers with a wide range of material-are rarely harmonious.
  • Users can't navigate music on the iHeartRadio site using their keyboards.
  • Compared to other curated radio services, iHeartRadio offers relatively few songs.
  • Users may only skip fifteen songs per day, and six per hour per station. Once a user has reached this limit, the only way to switch songs is to switch stations entirely. Returning to a station will only replay the current song. The skip limit also applies to songs longer than three or four minutes.
  • Upvoting, downvoting, or skipping a song cannot be undone. Once a song has been skipped, even in error, that skip counts toward the daily limit and users can't play it again until it returns organically. Once a song has been disliked, it will never play again unless a user locates it through the search tool and upvotes it independently.
  • There is no option to censor explicit lyrics.
  • Users can't rewind, fast-forward, or record music while it's playing.
  • When using Google Chromecast or the Xbox app, users can only stream iHeartMedia-owned radio stations. Radio stations owned by other media companies are only available on the website or the mobile app.
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The Bottom Line

iHeartRadio's extensive offerings set it apart from most other radio streaming services available online. It is available on more platforms, with more options for customizability, but interaction is fairly limited. iHeartRadio's curated service is best suited for people who enjoy live radio and don't mind switching stations or enduring mediocre sound quality to find music they enjoy. Audiophiles, look elsewhere.
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Star Rating

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3.7

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156 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

38%

4 grade

26%

3 grade

15%

2 grade

7%

1 grade

14%

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Kylie Howes Provo, UT

iHeartRadio is a good way to get radio stations through the internet, but that's pretty much all it does. You can choose radio stations, podcasts, or their preset playlists, but there's really no room for customization. I've never been able to make a playlist of my own or curate their existing playlists with them, and so I would recommend using Spotify over iHeartRadio for that reason.

5 years ago

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Nathan D. Warrendale, PA

I haven't used iHeartRadio in a few years however I remember being able to find my favorite local radio stations from anywhere which is a neat feature. The concert they put on yearly is pretty neat to watch too, great artists.

5 years ago

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Lindsey A Brown Lehi, UT

I would like to be able to use iHeartRadio more but being that there have been lots of songs that are unclean for kids to listen to, I can't listen most the time. I like the songs that I can play on there but usually for my ears only. I wish I could remove the explicit content.

6 years ago

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Cody Linden Lehi, UT

I like the fact that with IHeartRadio I can set stations for music that I like, and I like being able to find radio stations from all over. But I was disappointed with how many commercials and ads I had to listen to. It got annoying and I deleted the app.

6 years ago

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Brayden Ibert Houston, TX

iHeartRadio used to be the music service I used, but I found that the music selection was not as good as other options. While the cost was fair, the app was confusing and slow.

5 years ago

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bryce parker

only problem i find is it keeps dropping out after about 10 mins. no issues with other apps so nit using it as much now

5 years ago

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Jacob American Fork, UT

iHeartRadio is pretty good. With the ability to skip ads and to select the songs you want to hear off playlists, it is easy to design your own playlists.

5 years ago

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Anna Schouten Provo, UT

Easy way to listen to music online. Good for discovering new music. There is no filter for explicit music, however, and limited number of skips. Very few ads which is nice.

5 years ago

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Sadie Scoville Pleasant Grove, UT

I really like iHeart radio, but all of the songs that they play are the same and there is no variety. I hear the song "the middle" all the time and the songs just get old.

6 years ago

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Sinister Babe Kyle, TX

Wasn’t horrible I just don’t like all the ads. I also feel like the wait time between music is super long.

1 year ago Edited January 15, 2024

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Russell Randant Azle, TX

I like them but they have way to many advertisements and about half in spanish o can't understand!!!

2 years ago

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Lauraine Pleasant Grove, UT

iHeartRadio is great for around the house or places where there's a strong connection to wifi, but forget it if you're traveling.

5 years ago

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Breanne Stanko Logan, UT

When it worked, it worked good. Lots of time trying to listen it would cut out and never worked. Super sad cause it had good music!

5 years ago

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Noelle Pleasant Grove, UT

I had iHeartRadio for just a little bit and found that I did not really like it. I thought it was confusing and just sort of difficult.

6 years ago

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Dasha Directo Provo, UT

iHeartRadio is good if you're more into popular music. It isn't the best for streaming though because there aren't options like making playlists.

6 years ago

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Don Montegut, LA

Probably better than Pandora but you'll never figure that out because navigating this system is frustrating and well... very frustrating.

6 years ago

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Rocio Diaz Tallahassee, FL

This music streaming service feels outdated due to its lack of music options. Very limited use for this app.

3 years ago

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Karina Aguilar Managua, MN

heart radio kept me up to date with all the popular songs and played a great mix of songs on their station

5 years ago

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Cody Enslow Pleasant Grove, UT

Feels like when I used this it was just a lower level version of pandora, which already not a top tier product.

6 years ago

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Seth Boudoin Long Beach, MS

Allows access to some great radio stations but the ads seem to be too frequent for my taste.

5 years ago

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bailey jo Orem, UT

Not the best selection and didn't love how many ads they had and how frequently they popped up.

5 years ago

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Cindy Bailey Lehi, UT

I used for awhile but when I was surprised that there was a charge I cancelled it

6 years ago

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Tony's Babygirl Staton MO

Plenty of stations but too many ads between

2 years ago