The Good
- Access to public radio stations
- Includes popular NPR music programs
- Plenty of news and articles
The Bad
- Limited genres
If you listen to NPR for its music content, you’ll undoubtedly be pleased with the NPR Music app (Free). Those who like a lot of variety, however, should look elsewhere.
Looking for more free music? Check out our list of the top free music apps for the iPhone.
Lots of content, but little variety
The NPR Music app includes live streams of 75 public radio stations in a few different genres, including rock/pop/folk, jazz/blues, and classical. Needless to say, this isn’t the app for you if you like rap, techno, or top 40. However, indie rock fans will find lots to like here. You can also listen to popular NPR programs like All Songs Considered, Alt.Latino, World Café, and Thistle & Shamrock. On a side note, I saw a few complaints on the App Store that the app crashes when trying to play Thistle & Shamrock, but I didn’t have any problems in that regard.
The interface is very nicely designed, although it is a little “busy” and takes a few minutes to navigate at first. Content is broken down into several sections -- radio, new features, genres, programs, concerts, and blogs -- and each section has a scrolling feed that highlights several popular selections. It makes sense when you start using the app, but it is a lot of content to take in at once. Even so, it’s obvious that a lot of time and effort went into this app.
As you would expect from NPR, the music app includes a lot of news content, including articles, interviews, and editorial reviews. There is a lengthy artists section that breaks down news and articles by artist name. The NPR Music app also has a social networking component -- it integrates with Facebook and Twitter for sharing news or the song of the day.
The Bottom Line
I like the NPR Music app, but I also like listening to NPR in general. It’s a good resource for anyone who is sick of mainstream music, but those who want a lot of variety will probably be disappointed. The NPR Music app contains some excellent indie rock stations, but its genres are limited. But for the right audience, the NPR Music app will largely satisfy. Overall rating: 4 stars out of 5.
What You’ll Need
The NPR Music app is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later.