"I HEART RADIO" Android Player is unlistenable

[the maildude]

Recently, two new Droid phones appeared in the household, a Droid X and a Droid 2. I downloaded the Droid "I Heart Radio" app.

When either phone connects, either through 3G or WIFI, every 45 seconds or so, the audio stops while the app reconnects to the server and re-buffers.

I sent an email to ClearChannel's support email address with "return receipt". And I got a return receipt that said "deleted without being displayed on the recipient's workstation".

I did a Google search and subsequently found this is a problem for just about every Droid user.

Although our local CC outlets heavily advertise "I Heart Radio", it's a piece of garbage. Completely unlistenable.

Doesn't CC care?

 

[V.Riley]

I haven't tried the "I Heart Radio" app for the Droid, but I can confirm the Droid can bring in a standard Shoutcast audio stream without a problem. I use http://www.yourmuze.fm/ on a daily basis. They even have their own App, but I've not tried it yet as it cost money, so I just stream my favorite stations using YourMuse. Of course if the station requires me to use "I Heart Radio", then it is highly unlikely they will ever be my favorite station.

I think requiring you to use "I Heart Radio" is a way for them to control who listens.

 

[Jay Peninger]

Radiotime.com has their own Android App as well and it works pretty damn good I am able to listen to just about anything in their directory and that is a lot of dang stations...

 

[KeithE4]

Radiotime.com has their own Android App as well and it works pretty damn good I am able to listen to just about anything in their directory and that is a lot of dang stations...

But it doesn't carry Clear Channel stations.

 

[nd2023]

ooTunes has just about every station owned by every company. One nice feature of it is that you can select your city and it lists every station in order by frequency, plus the Internet only stations based in the city.

 

[Kent]

I have several friends with Androids, and streaming is a mixed bag on them. Some of my friends can listen to iHeartRadio just fine while others have problems like you're describing. I've been told part of the problem is that the Android doesn't necessarily have a standard system. So, some, depending on who makes them, will play the audio codecs for iHeartRadio while others won't.

I've been told that Google will be requiring more standards in the near future. So, you might be able to run iHeartRadio on your Android with a future firmware upgrade. Also, iHeartRadio is releasing an Android upgrade in the next few weeks. The current one has about half the stations available on the iPhone and BlackBerry, and this one will supposedly bring the Android app up to par with the others. I don't know if it will help with your unit's inability to stream it, but it might.

By the way, don't forget iHeartRadio has a Twitter account. You can send your questions, comments and concerns to them that way, and you might have better luck.