Everyone loves Spotify. It’s, simply put, the way we get music now. Oh sure there are other music services but when you talk about music in the ’20s you’re talking about Spotify. It’s the gold standard for streaming music.
Of course you know Spotify…
…because it’s in so many devices that you’re already using. It’s on your phone. It’s in your car, too, if your car supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. It’s also available in that hottest of hot vehicles, the Tesla. But what if you want to listen from home? What are your options?
DIRECTV’s history with music
In the years that DIRECTV has had music channels, it’s been a little bit touch-and-go. The company had a years-long alliance with XM and then SiriusXM. While this meant that a lot of the most popular content was available on music channels, SiriusXM wasn’t really designed to be carried over cable or satellite. Many a DIRECTV fan found themselves in awe of how the music channels on basic cable functioned.
DIRECTV stepped away from SiriusXM and aligned themselves with Sonic Tap in the mid-2010s. There was nothing particularly wrong with Sonic Tap but it didn’t have some of the personalities of Sirius XM. It also didn’t bring the multimedia experience people had seen with cable.
Finally, about two years ago, DIRECTV moved to Music Choice, which is the same service used by most pay-TV platforms. It brought with it a rich multimedia experience that’s as good or better than what other pay-TV providers have.
But no, Spotify isn’t part of that experience.
Spotify isn’t used on DIRECTV receivers. But, there are other options on the receivers, and other options if you truly want Spotify. You can get to these choices by going to the “Apps” section after you press MENU.
Music Choice
Music Choice is DIRECTV’s “house music” service. It’s available in channels in the 800s but if you really want the whole experience, choose the app instead. You’ll get on-demand content, videos, search, and visual aids.
Pandora
Of all the music options on DIRECTV, this is the one that’s the most Spotify-like. You might remember Pandora from back before you started using Spotify. It’s still pretty good although it doesn’t have a search or playlist function.
iHeartRadio
This is the one for folks who miss the genuine radio experience. It’s real radio stations that stream to your TV. So yes you get 57 minutes of commercials every hour but then you also get DJs and morning shows and whatever.
If you really want Spotify
There’s an excellent chance that your streaming box or smart TV has Spotify built in. It’s on Apple TV, Roku, and Samsung Smart TVs, plus I’m sure it’s on plenty of others. Those are just the ones I know about.
The upside is you get real honest Spotify the way it was intended. The downside is you have to change inputs on the TV. I don’t know why, but that’s a real issue for some people.
Listen to your music, your way. Then shop at Solid Signal
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