AOL Radio iPhone App Review

AOL Radio iPhone App Review

There are plenty of good options for listening to music on your iPhone, as evidenced by our list of the best free music apps. The AOL Radio app (Free) doesn do much to set itself apart from the competition, but it doesn include any dealbreakers either.

Pre recorded or liveAOL Radio includes free access to more than 350 preset radio mixes in a variety of genres, in addition to about 150 live stations. The preset stations, which are designated as AOL Radio stations (confusing, I know), allow you to skip up to six songs per station, per hour. I checked out the Pop Mix, and it included a good mix of popular hits think Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne. I also like that the app shows how many skips you have remaining at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, you can skip commercials.

There is no shortage of variety, and the app includes everything from gospel to metal and a variety of subgenres in between. The stations load quickly, and I didn encounter any quality issues while listening over a Wi Fi connection. You can add any station to your favorites or share them on Facebook, Twitter, or email. I also like the this song feature, which provides a remainder so you can buy it later.

Not surprisingly, you can skip songs if you listen to the live radio stations. You can find local radio stations with the AOL Radio app, but only if you live in select metropolitan areas. My only complaint is that the live radio stations are grouped in with the preset mixes. I think the app would be easier to browse if these two categories were listed separately.

The Bottom LineAOL Radio works very well, and it gives you the option to listen to either prerecorded mixes or live radio stations. The stations load quickly, and audio quality is good, but I don think AOL Radio does much to set itself apart from other good music apps. Apps like Pandora or TuneIn Radio gives you the ability to pause and rewind live radio. Even so, AOL Radio is a solid app for what it does. Overall rating: 4 stars out of 5.

The AOL Radio app is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.