iHeart: Music, Radio, Podcasts is a streaming app designed to help you listen to live radio, on-demand music, and podcasts all in one place. I've been using it for a while now, and it's basically my go-to for everything audio. The app launched a few years back and you can download it for free on both Google Play and the App Store. It has millions of installs on Google Play, which shows how popular it is. You don't need to pay anything to get started with the basic download and install. You do need to make an account, but it's a quick sign-up. There is a premium version you can subscribe to for extra features like skipping more songs and listening offline, and you will hear some ads if you stick with the free tier, but it's not too intrusive.

Using the app is super straightforward. When you open it, you're greeted with a home screen that mixes your recent listens with recommendations. I mostly use it for live radio from stations across the country; it's great for catching my local news or a sports game when I'm not near a real radio. For music, you can search for any artist or song and usually find it to stream. A simple tip from a regular user: make sure to 'heart' the songs and stations you like. The app uses that to build better custom stations for you, kind of like a personal DJ. The podcast section is also huge. I found it easier to discover new shows here than on some other apps because the categories are really clear.

Compared to other big names like Spotify or TuneIn, I keep coming back to iHeart for a couple of reasons. First, its live radio integration is the best. It feels seamless, and the quality is consistently good. Spotify is amazing for curated music playlists, but its live radio offering isn't as deep. TuneIn is all about radio, but iHeart gives you that plus a massive music and podcast library without needing to switch apps. For someone who wants a bit of everything—music for a workout, a talk show for the commute, and a local station for background noise—this app just makes more sense. It's less about being the absolute best at one thing and more about being really good at three things in a single, simple download.

• 📻 Live Radio Everywhere: The core feature is access to thousands of live radio stations from across the US. Unlike apps like Spotify that focus on on-demand streaming, iHeart lets you tune into actual local AM/FM broadcasts in real-time, which is perfect for news, sports, and local events.
• 🎵 All-in-One Audio Hub: It combines music streaming (like a simpler Pandora), live radio, and a massive podcast directory in one app. You don't need separate downloads for different audio types. Compared to using Apple Podcasts for podcasts and a separate radio app, having it all here is super convenient.
• ❤️ Personalized 'For You' Mixes: The app creates custom music and podcast stations based on what you 'heart.' It learns your taste over time. While not as hyper-personalized as Spotify's algorithm, it's effective and feels more radio-inspired, introducing you to new songs within a familiar genre.
• 📱 Simple, Familiar Interface: The design is clean and easy to navigate. Finding a local station or browsing top podcasts is intuitive. Compared to some cluttered radio apps, iHeart's layout makes the huge amount of content feel manageable right after you install it.

• 👍 Unbeatable Live Radio Selection: The depth and quality of live radio streams are its biggest strength. It simply has more local stations than competitors like TuneIn, and the connection is very reliable.
• 👍 Great for Discovery: The blend of curated radio, music stations, and popular podcasts in one feed makes discovering new content effortless. You might install it for music but end up finding a favorite podcast.
• 👍 Truly Free Tier: You can use the app extensively without paying. The free music streaming with ads and unlimited live radio is a solid offering compared to some apps that are very limited without a subscription.

• 👎 Music Library Limitations: Its on-demand music catalog isn't as vast as Spotify or Apple Music. You might not find every obscure album, which can be a downside for hardcore music fans.
• 👎 Ads on Free Version: The ad load on the free music streaming can feel heavy compared to some other free services, with frequent interruptions.