I've been using the iHeart app for a while now, and it's become my go-to for pretty much all my audio entertainment. It's a free music streaming, live radio, and podcast app all rolled into one. The app launched a good few years back and you can easily download it from the Google Play Store or the App Store. It has millions of installs, which isn't surprising given how much it offers. You don't need to register to listen to the live radio stations, but if you want to save favorites or create playlists for the music part, you'll need to sign up for a free account. There are ads in the free version, and they do offer a paid subscription to remove them and unlock some extra features like offline listening.

Using the app is pretty straightforward. I mainly use it to listen to local FM radio stations while I'm working – it's great having that traditional radio feel on my phone. The 'For You' tab is handy for discovering new music based on what I've listened to. A good tip is to 'heart' the songs or stations you like; the app uses that to improve its recommendations. For podcasts, I just search for a show and hit play. It's simple, and having everything in one place saves me from jumping between different apps.

Compared to other apps, like TuneIn Radio or even Spotify, I keep coming back to iHeart. TuneIn is great for radio, but iHeart's music library and personalized playlists feel more integrated. Spotify is obviously a powerhouse for music, but I miss the seamless access to real, local radio stations. With iHeart, I get a solid mix of both worlds without needing two separate apps. It might not be the absolute best at any one thing, but it's incredibly convenient for someone who listens to a bit of everything.

• 🎵 Live Local & National Radio: This is the app's bread and butter. You can tune into thousands of live radio stations from across the country, including all your local FM favorites. It's like having a portable radio that works anywhere, which is something pure music streaming apps like Spotify don't really offer.
• 🎵 All-in-One Audio Hub: Instead of having one app for music (like Apple Music), another for podcasts, and another for radio, iHeart combines them. I can switch from a curated workout playlist to a live news station to my favorite true-crime podcast without ever leaving the app.
• 🎵 Personalized Music Mixes: Beyond the radio, the app creates custom stations and daily playlists like 'My Favorites Radio' based on the artists and songs you've 'hearted.' It's not as deep as Spotify's algorithms, but it's surprisingly good for discovering new music within the app's library.
• 🎵 Podcast Library Integration: The podcast section is built right in, with a huge catalog of shows. You can subscribe, download episodes, and pick up where you left off, making it a genuine alternative to dedicated podcast apps for casual listeners.

• 👍 Unbeatable for Live Radio: If listening to actual, live broadcast radio is important to you, iHeart is top-tier. Apps like Pandora or Spotify focus on streaming, but iHeart gives you that authentic, real-time connection to local stations and events.
• 👍 The Convenience Factor: Having music, radio, and podcasts under one roof is its biggest strength. It simplifies everything and saves phone storage compared to installing multiple separate apps.
• 👍 Completely Free Core Access: You can download, install, and use the app to listen to live radio and a vast amount of music without paying a cent. The ad-supported model makes it very accessible.

• 👎 Ads on the Free Tier: The ad breaks in the music and podcast sections can feel frequent and a bit disruptive, more so than on some other free apps. The upgrade to Premium is the main way to avoid them.
• 👎 Music Library Limitations: While decent, the on-demand music catalog isn't as extensive as Spotify's or Apple Music's. You might occasionally search for a specific album or song and not find it available to play on demand.
• 👎 Can Feel Cluttered: With so many features (radio, music, podcasts, events), the app's interface can sometimes feel busy or less streamlined than a focused app like Pocket Casts for podcasts or a pure music streamer.