We got a note from RIM this morning letting us know about a new app they will be debuting in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. Later today, select Beta Zone users in the US will get to try out BlackBerry Radio, which is a radio station discovery app. According to RIM, "this app is a one stop shop for downloading your favorite radio services. Whether you're in the mood for pop, rock or jazz, your radio stream is just a click away!"
Key features of BlackBerry Radio include:
- Access popular internet and terrestrial radio services like Slacker, Pandora, Clear Channel, and Corus in one place
- Quickly browse genre-based radio stations
- Enjoy seamless integration with your BlackBerry smartphone for quick and easy access to BlackBerry radio partners and the Amazon MP3 storefront
- Try premium radio apps within BlackBerry Radio for free
- Just start rockin'! No set-up required
We'll be grabbing a copy of BlackBerry Radio for ourselves to give it a go and will report back soon. In the meantime, Doug posted more info about BlackBerry Radio over on the Inside BB blog.
Reader comments
New BlackBerry Radio radio station discovery app hitting the Beta Zone today in limited release
Would it work in Malaysia?
us only :(
I got the email this morning, but its not showing up in my Eligible Programs :-(
Got the email this morning went to check it out but it isn't listed in my eligible programs!
Same here. I guess they have enough beta testers..
No love for Filipinos? =[
This is single handedly the reason I'm losing patience with BlackBerry lately. Why are so many apps US only? Espcially the RIM created ones.
Disappointing.
I'm happy with my BB 9700 but the lack of app lovin' is annoying
Licensing issues. It's not like they are going, "Oh, we only want Americans to have this!".
I'm not sure this is RIM. I know that some apps are blocked in Canada because the regulator there doesn't want you to be able to pull in US and other stations that don't meet Canadian content rules. This applies to iPhone apps as well so nothing to do with RIM necessarily.
To become selected as a participant for this program you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
Be a resident of the United States
Own a Torch 9800, Bold 9780, or Style 9670
No love for 9700? Wow that sucks
Until then, Tunein Radio app is the best !
Guess it is only OS6. Oh well.
i got my invite, waiting paitiently for it to releas in beta zone this afternoon.
I got the app listening to it now as a matter of fact so far so good.
Hmm.. yet more "no love" for Storm / Storm2 owners. No OS6, No OS6.1, no new OS at all... why is that I have a Blackberry... oh yeah, my contract. Can't wait until my early upgrade in July to get something new.
Problem is I'm not happy with my girlfriends Android phone (the new Samsung... don't recall the name), and the iPhone is OK.
I'm not upset with my BB per se, but upset with RIM and their technology road map. The Storm had no upgrade path from the start, and I'm worried my Storm 2 won't work with a Playbook seeing as it might require an OS the Storm2 doesn't get to run.
I can see my tablet choice is going to determine my phone provider... I hope RIM has something worth getting come July.
You can't go wrong with tunein radio..It works everywhere, even internationally!
I couldn't see @ 1st, when I went thru the BB browser, but then went on my PC & it was showing under "Eligible Programs". I tried to download from there, but no luck....informed me that it's an OTA only download. So went back to my 9780 & continued to download from there. (FYI - had a little problem with copying & pasting the code....but hit trackpad and then pasted it from there.)
Trying it out now....seems pretty cool, also giving you the option to buy the song playing...hmmm, interesting. Well, hope that helps.
I also really like tunein, especially for sport broadcasts. I live in Vancouver, but am not a fanboy of the canucks, so I enjoy being able to listen broadcasts of the games by the visiting team's radio station.
App appeared after refresh :-D
Meh! I already use TuneIn Radio. Best free radio app there is for the BlackBerry.
I'm kind of confused, I'm eligible to beta zones standers, but it is not showing up in "My Programs" on my PC & BB Browser, but i meet the requirements *Be a resident of the United States* & *Own a Torch 9800, Bold 9780, or Style 9670*
Is there something in my profile i have to edit?
Any help or ideas would be great. I'm really looking forward to this programs as i loving beta testing.
tune-in radio is the absolute best radio every for listening to whatever stations you want. Pandora is next in line.. i'm not liking this Blackberry radio though..
Okay, I guess if this combines all of the other free services (like Pandora, Slacker, Nobex, TuneIn, etc.) into one interface, that would make it worthwhile. But we've seen this over and over again with RIM putting out 1st party apps WAY late in the game, and a lot of times, they aren't even as good as the 3rd party options already available. Twitter for Blackberry, BB Podcasts, and BB Newsfeeds are prime examples of this. The ONLY real advantage I could see to developing this kind of stuff is if you preload it on the new devices so that the less tech savvy BB users could find it. Short of that, I don't really know who this benefits...which is frustrating when you consider all of the other apps BB could use work on!
I have a BB Storm 2. I use TuneIn Radio, Yourmuze, and iHeart radio. TuneIn Radio does a nice job; however, the BB Storm cannot handle a significant number of radio stations listed...especially those that use a WMA broadcast format. This is very frustrating! Does anyone know of a good fix for this...or is is a hopeless case? Yourmuze does a fantastic job, but falls a bit short in terms of station naming and station organization...but it really is good to have. IHeart does a good job, but fails in the limited number of stations it carries. Overall, I am disappointed with BB (RIM) when it comes to streaming radio. I am going to switch & upgrade this year to a Droid phone. RIM...get your act together so that our BB devices have no limitations on radio streaming like other smartphones our there.
cant find it????????
you have to Own a Torch 9800, Bold 9780, or Style 9670 to be eligible
I Love It. Thank you Blackberry
im pissed, only for Torch 9800, Bold 9780, or Style 9670
:(