SomaFM Radio Player

i've been listening to SomaFM since "Groove Salad Classic" was just "Groove Salad". it's one of the last handful of survivors of the early web that still fulfills its stated mission, and the SomaFM app Just Works. that said, while i know it's dangerous to say "it seems like it would be trivial to add Feature X", it seems like it would be trivial to add the capability to reorder stations in the Favorite tab with hold-and-drag, instead of having to remove and re-add Favorite status. another, more aspirational feature i'd like to see would be the ability to add third-party audio streams — not podcasts, but other stations. anyway. keep it up, SomaFM!

Update: Since I wrote the first review four years ago the default rate in the app has gone up to 128k. This makes me happy and I use it much more! Old: I love the SomaFM network. Love! I have a monthly donations set up and stations like Poptron, Secret Agent, and Suburbs of Goa power my commute. But why is the bandwidth on the official app so low? I have it set to “Always High” but most of the stations play at 64k AAC. I have the same station playing on a generic radio app and it’s 128 AAC. So the stream is there. Even with cheap earbuds the quality difference is enough to skip the app. It seems a shame. This would be one of my most-used apps if it simply played at a higher bitrate.

I’ve enjoyed SOMA-FM for two decades! I’d have had various streams playing in my home for hours, sometimes days(!) at a time. Seemed like there was a station for almost any gathering, or any mood. Friends I’ve told about SOMA-FM are all grateful for the tip. (Lots of friends also proudly wear Soma-FM t-shirts. Cool, until three of us arrive at a party wearing the same shirt. Haha) As much as I’ve loved the website and stations, I began heavily using streaming apps, and those got all my attention in the past decade. I’ve come to highly value ease-of-use music apps which are conveniently on my iPhone. Web-based services didn’t get my love any longer. Sadly, SOMA-FM got back-burnered. But, wut?!! SOMA-FM now has an app for iOS?!! Game-changer! I’m so happy to discover this app! The user interface and performance functionality is professional-grade, as though they’ve got a massive tram of developers supporting it. All my old favorite stations are there, plus a boatload of new stations! The ease-of-use is particularly impressive. Beautiful user experience with lightning-fast execution of tasks. And again, I am stoked about the new stations! Thank you, SOMA-FM! I look forward to the third decade of enjoyment of your wonderfully-, lovingly-curated stations.