Does "internet radio" mean the same as "streaming audio?"

March 8, 2020 1:06 PM

I'm confused about these terms. I want to listen to SomaFM on a tabletop radio next to my bed instead of on my iPhone, which has too many distractions. I'm looking at "internet" table radios. Does that mean they provide streaming capability? Something along the lines of this, (only with better ratings.) Do please help.
posted by BostonTerrier to Shopping (8 answers total)

They connect to all the usual stations but over the Internet instead of by radio waves.
posted by TheRaven at 1:14 PM on March 8, 2020

It should have SomaFM.

I went to LEMEGA's site, and they appear to use this as their "internet radio" provider - they don't seem to have a list of supported stations, but their FAQ says they add suggested stations within 48hrs - you could try contacting support before buying and checking with them.
posted by motdiem2 at 1:30 PM on March 8, 2020

Looking at the one you listed, plus a few others, it seems that most of them have one or more apps that connect to your wifi and allow you to stream audio to the device from various online radio stations.

I couldn't find one that mentioned having SomaFM though. For that, you'd need to make sure that the radio allowed you to stream from your phone so you could listen to SomaFM via their app. I have it on my phone and am currently listening to Indie Pop Rocks streaming through the Bluetooth speaker on my desk.
posted by ralan at 1:33 PM on March 8, 2020

I use Grace internet radios and they have the SomaFM stations in their lists. You can search their list here.
posted by Mid at 2:10 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

Sonos products support TuneIn radio, and TuneIn has Soma FM as a choice. The Sonos app would be in your phone, but once you've selected your station you can control volume using the buttons on the Sonos device.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 4:57 PM on March 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

If you have an IKEA nearby, their Symfonisk Bookshelf speaker is basically a $99 version of the $179 Sonos One SL. Or drop $199 for the Sonos One with a mic for Alexa/Google assistant support. They all sound good, are AirPlay2 compatible, and are part of an extensible ecosystem if you find you want additional linked speakers in other rooms.

(n.b. SomaFM is also available via Apple Music, so if you fancy voice control but opt for a mic-less speaker, you can just say to your iPhone "Hey Siri, play 'SomaFM: Groove Salad' in the Bedroom," and it will play it to the appropriate Symfonisk/Sonos speaker.)
posted by mumkin at 6:41 PM on March 8, 2020

Broadly speaking, I think that "internet radio" usually means the same thing as "streaming audio", but unfortunately these are vague terms without a single standard protocol or shared station directory. Therefore different devices will be able to connect to different stations and you will have to check this on a case by case basis.

Luckily, it looks like SomaFM have put lots of effort into supporting all the various protocols on offer. They have a page on different listening options here: https://somafm.com/listen/players.html. It seems to me that there is a good chance that any standalone device labelled "internet radio" will support SomaFM, but I think the answer to your question is that you will have to check to be sure.
posted by richb at 7:42 AM on March 9, 2020 [2 favorites]

Digital radio vs streaming
posted by JimN2TAW at 6:09 PM on March 10, 2020