Review: Record and replay live radio with TuneIn Radio Pro for iOS

With an abundance of radio and podcast apps swarming the App Store, any new radio app has to bring something different (or better) to the table in order to grab your attention. TuneIn Radio Pro—a $1 app for iPhone and iPad—does just that: it creates a sort of audio DVR for your iOS device.

Apps like iHeartRadio already provide access to thousands of radio station streams for users to listen to on their iPhone or iPad. Stitcher Radio combines that live stream access with a podcast library that lets users create an audio-on-demand experience. But TuneIn Radio Pro, on the other hand, has radio feeds from 70,000 stations and reportedly more than 2 million podcast selections, while also offering users the option to record live radio feeds.

That recording can take place in real time—just push the red “record” button if you like what you’re listening to, just like teenagers of the 1980s did with their boom boxes and cassette tapes. Or you can set the app to record a specific time. If, for example, you know that Terry Gross will be conducting a particularly interesting interview while you’re away from the radio, or if there’s a “morning zoo” crew you love to listen to without the kids, TuneIn Pro lets you schedule the recording and listen later.

TuneIn Radio, the free version of the same app, doesn’t include the recording option and features banner advertising. Otherwise, both the pro and free versions offer the same features. TuneIn Radio Pro also offers a live buffering stream, so you can pause a song in the middle to take a call, or rewind and re-listen to a song you just heard two minutes ago—similar to how you can rewind live video on a DVR-equipped television.

The app offers other nifty options, including the option to create a list of “favorite” preset radio stations and the ability to buy the song you’re hearing on the radio directly from iTunes.

Bottom line

TuneIn Radio Pro offers users nearly unmatched power to create an individualized listening experience, which is both different and better than many other streaming radio apps available.