radiosure.com
Traditional PC radio streaming apps like Radio Sure are experiencing a decline in demand as online streaming services such as Pandora, Live365, and Slacker Radio occupy a larger share of the market. There used to be a time when people would actually install an app on their desktop or laptop to access the online content, but with streaming services becoming more popular, that number has dwindled down.
What is Radio Sure?
RadioSure is more like an app than an online streaming site. It's one of the most popular software when it comes to recording and listening to radio files. Not many people know about it, but by downloading this app, you can stream top-quality music from the best radio stations around the world.
The interface is easy to use and features a lot of radio stations which can be sorted in more than one way. On top of that, you can add or delete stations from the network.
Radio Sure - A RadioZilla alternative
Furthermore, with Radio Sure, users can even listen to the radio offline which is an extremely useful feature for those who are on the go.
History
Radio Sure doesn't have a clear description of its ownership. All we know is that the software was developed in 2008 by a company called "The Best Ware Studio." As per the developer, Radio Sure because of its cutting-edge design and ease of use was able to cut through the competition quite easily.
If you're looking for web-based radio stations, Radio Sure has a pretty extensive database. As of December 2017, they had nearly 40,000 individual units. But out of these, only 20,000 might be genuine stations - because users can add and remove their own stations as well. So when it comes to quality content, you'll probably start browsing from the first 10-20 pages.
Why should you stream on Radio Sure?
Unlike other streaming services, you can listen to Radio Sure in a variety of ways. You can use the main interface, use the small bar, or minimize the taskbar. That's the advantage you get with traditional Windows apps. There are many reasons why you should stream using this app.
Recording feature
Though this feature might sound old-fashioned compared to what we have today, it is really handy. The ability to record your favorite station is a great alternative to offline listening. Today, the services offer offline listening as part of a premium plan - with Radio Sure, you can record content from your favorite channel. Sure, there are limitations to the number of simultaneous recordings but it still remains an important feature.
Quality Feed
Radio Sure has a strong feed that loads quickly. I tested more than two dozen stations and there were no hiccups in the form of signal cutouts or audio breakage. The testing was smooth. I liked the content I saw within the app and was able to navigate and test out different features with relative ease.
Clear interface & Easy Setup
One of the best things about Radio Sure is that it is extremely easy to set up. You can download the app and run it on a USB stick. There are just a few buttons that help you navigate across different panels. The interface remains super clean and simple, with just a few buttons.
Configurable settings
What an awesome feature! You can crossfade between stations, which is really cool. You can also change some of the features, like how the crossfade works or what shows up in the system tray. And lastly, you can choose the bitrate and other preferences.
Easy content consumption
After starting the app, you will find the radio stations immediately. You can view the stations and sort them on the basis of language, genre, title or country. You can also access the search function so you can find content directly. Additionally, someone thought about these innovative sorting features in 2008 - making the whole process even sweeter.
You can add stations to your Favorites, record a song in an MP3 format and adjust the volume. Watching and utilizing these features sometimes makes me wonder about the present approach, which seems to be dumbing down the streaming model and capabilities.
Design
Radio Sure provides convenient access to a variety of radio stations, but I find the website's default theme to be bare- bones and unpolished. It's ironic that this "premium" service charges subscription fees, because the website's appearance is downright dated. Just visit the site and you'll see that it's not very professional. I get it that Radio Sure doesn't offer streaming services, but they can't have their website look like this.
Header
Radio Sure has a bleak header with only five options - Download, Features, Stations, Forum and Feedback. Out of these options, the Download and Features options have sub-categories which each have their own dedicated inner pages.
Hero Section
An Editor's review from softonic.com is featured prominently on the Radio Sure homepage, competing with the more traditional banner and slider. The placement of this review seems off to many users, who feel that it should appear before the footer rather than in the hero section. This negatively affects the overall appearance of the website, as it detracts from the user experience.
Body
Finally, some graphical elements can be seen in the body section. As you scroll down, you'll find Radio Sure's popular radio channels with nine tiny thumbnails which yet again have a poor graphic approach. You would see such design from Apple back in 2007. As you scroll further, you'll find other content related to but not limited to Preinstalled radio stations, Radio Player, and Radio Skins.
Footer
The website's footer has a small selection of options, including registering, logging in, viewing entries and comments, and finding information about WordPress.org.
Inner Pages
Upon entering the inner pages of the website, you'll find the list of stations with Station Name, Genre, Country, and update date. Hundreds of radio channels are updated each day. These include channels such as Hit 40 Radio, Pure FM, Variety 80s, Vinyl Days, KSDJ 90.7 to name a few. The only part I like on the website is the ability to edit a station - with a proper form like structure, you can add information on the network.
Content
You can access over 20,000 radio stations with Radio Sure. The sorting feature lets you choose a station based on your favorite genres and countries. You don't have to compromise on the quality of content, as Radio Sure has some of the best stations available. Whether you're into music or radio programs, you'll find something that interests you here.
Some of the top radio stations on the network include 97.7 music, 1.FM, PureFM, ShoutedFM, Sky.FM, Serve.FM, Energy, 101.ru. Apart from channels and genres, you can choose from a wide range of formats such as Hip Hop/R&B, Pop, EDM/Dance, Rock, Country, Classics, Vinyl and Metal to name a few.
Desktop/Mobile experience
I downloaded Radio Sure on my desktop and had a good time. There are hundreds of quality radio stations on the app which will make you stay glued to it. Again, it's the app that offers quality, not the actual website. I didn't like the website on my desktop screen and similarly, my experience with the mobile site was the same. As of the streaming experience, it was top-notch at a steady 128kbps quality.
Plans & Pricing
Radio Sure is available for free, but if you want to enjoy premium features, you'll need to pay $9.99.
Suggestions I have for Radio Sure
While I don't have any issues with downloading an app, I do have an issue trusting a platform. For a general user looking for an app, he/she might be dissuaded after looking at the website - which does appear spammy with little to no visual appeal. Thus, I'd advise the developers to work on it.
Conclusion
Since the Radio Sure program has a large database of content, it uses a fair amount of memory. The response time is decent and the streaming quality is steady. If you're looking for a user-friendly Internet radio player with customization options, you should check out Radio Sure.