iHeartRadio, a free service known for merging live radio and a curated catalogue, is adding a new feature this week, which will be available for all users, free and paid.
Called Playlist Radio, the new option allows music lovers to listen to iHeartRadio-curated playlists without paying a subscription. To get started, you’ll need to head over to the playlists tab in iHeartRadio. From there you’ll be able to choose from any of the mood- or genre-specific playlists available.
Playlists are curated and programmed by radio DJs and other iHeartRadio staff. This means the new feature doesn’t use an algorithm to decide what you’d like to hear next. Instead, it relies on real people. But there’s a catch.
iHeartRadio opens Playlist Radio to everyone
While you’ll be able to pick your playlists, you won’t be able to choose individual songs to play or save the playlists for offline listening later on. These options are still reserved for iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All-Access subscribers.
The songs will play in their given order, but you can still skip up to six songs per hour within a playlist. The same is available for free users listening to iHeartRadio’s artist stations.
iHeartRadio says playlists will be updated every week. Except for those who focus on a certain particular era, like for example 80s music.
With the introduction of Playlist Radio, iHeartRadio’s 1,000+ existing playlists become available to a wider audience. Previously, these playlists were available only to subscribers of iHeartRadio Plus ($4.99/month), or All Access ($9.99/month).
Playlist Radio is currently rolling out users on iOS or Android. So if you’re curious about the new feature, don’t forget to check the playlists tab in iHeartRadio.
Don’t forget that in order to be able to save tracks from curated playlists or to listen to music offline, you’ll still need to sign up for a subscription. However, iHeartRadio gives you a free 30-day trial, so you can try out these features and see if you like them.
