A new streaming music plan is available for SiriusXM users which is called SiriusXM Essential. At $8 per month, it provides access to more than 300 channels that range from talk radio, music, comedy, sports, and more. A notable exclusion from this package are Howard Stern’s two channels. Those who want access to those channels will have to pay more for the Premier service.
SiriusXM has traditionally served drivers with its radio service so it has created this new tier to appeal to a more younger generation. “We’ve now created the Essential subscription as an appealing option for the many people, particularly younger consumers, who don’t have a car or don’t spend a lot of time in their car,” the company said in a statement.
Moreover, the SiriusXM Essential plan is primarily meant to be used for online streaming. So even if your car has got satellite radio, this plan can’t be used with it. With that out of the way, you can use this tier to get ad-free music listening online, whenever you want.
Some might question the value proposition here at $8 per month since it’s not that far from what you can pay for the premium tiers of services like Spotify which then allow you to skip songs and play any track on demand. You can skip tracks on the SiriusXM “Xtra” channels online, though.
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