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Discord’s recent integration with TuneIn offers a unique way to connect with friends over shared radio experiences. Let’s explore the TuneIn activity, its potential, and its limitations.
A Look at Discord’s New TuneIn Activity
Discord is no longer just for gamers. Nowadays, almost anyone who enjoys participating in online communities uses Discord. Consequently, an increasing number of users prefer having everything they need on Discord.
That’s where Discord activities come in. These are casual games and apps that you can enjoy with your friends. While most Discord activities are simple video games, some also serve as utility tools for entertainment, like TuneIn.
Many people may be unfamiliar with TuneIn. I first learned about it through Discord. However, TuneIn has been around for a while, and its main idea is straightforward: you can listen to live radio, podcasts, and news with your friends on Discord. Everything is synced, so everyone hears the same thing when you change stations or pause the playback. Think of it as a virtual listening room you can share with your Discord buddies.
Similar to the popular Watch Together feature, TuneIn doesn’t introduce entirely new functionality. Instead, it takes a familiar activity—listening to audio—and adds the social dimension of shared experience on Discord. This eliminates the need to switch between apps and avoids subscription fees for your friends who might not use Spotify or other music streaming services.
TuneIn’s appeal lies in its vast library of radio stations. It includes numerous radio stations as well as well-known news stations such as the BBC and CNN. TuneIn has also teamed up with iHeartRadio to provide access to a wide range of popular podcasts. All of these are accessible through the TuneIn Discord activity.
The Limits of Radio Dialing
I’m not big on radio. Although I listen to news, podcasts, and a lot of music, I listen to what I want and when I want. The only thing I use resembling a radio station is Spotify Radio. However, unlike Spotify Radio, traditional radio stations don’t cater to your specific taste. Finding a suitable song on a radio station can be a matter of luck, even within your preferred genre. You’re essentially surrendering control to the radio gods.
While TuneIn offers podcasts and news alongside radio stations, the question remains: how often do we actively listen to news or podcasts with friends? Podcasts are essentially pre-recorded conversations, and actively talking over them would require constant pausing and rewinding. News, on the other hand, might not be the most engaging group activity.
TuneIn excels when you and a friend have already decided on a specific podcast episode to listen to together, but as a casual background activity for conversation, it falls short. Discord’s activities are designed for easy jumping in, fostering casual fun and shared experiences. Thebest Discord activitiesare always ones that don’t need a plan or a tutorial.
TuneIn, however, requires a more deliberate approach. Its true value lies in situations where you specifically want to listen to news or podcasts with friends or if you all share a love for a particular radio station. This focus on specific use cases might not align with the typical Discord user—a younger demographic that might not be as invested in traditional radio or scheduled news updates.
Finding Your Tune
On the software side and as far as the activity is concerned, my experience with TuneIn was straightforward. You start Tunein the same way youstart any activity on Discord. Searching for stations and podcasts was easy, and listening with friends was seamless.
The experience is smooth, but it’s not entirely perfect. I had my fair share of radio stations not playing due to regional restrictions and podcasts returning unknown errors. However, the majority of the provided audio worked fine.
The point I made earlier still stands: TuneIn’s true value depends on your habits. If you and your friends already enjoy listening to news or podcasts together, or have a shared favorite radio station, then TuneIn is a perfect fit.
But for the casual user, navigating the vast library of radio stations can be daunting, especially without curated suggestions based on mood or activity. Imagine browsing through countless radio channels without a clear idea of what awaits you. Although the interface is loosely categorized by mood or activity (think “chill vibes for studying” or “pump-up music for gaming”), I found that they’re usually not accurate.
In the end, Discord’s TuneIn Activity offers a platform for those seeking a shared audio experience with friends. However, its focus on traditional radio and scheduled content might not resonate with all Discord users. With some interface tweaks for easier discovery and a lean towards more casual listening experiences, TuneIn has the potential to become a more widely adopted feature within the Discord community.
