TuneIn rolls out its immersive map experience for mobile listeners

TuneIn, the radio service that allows users to livestream news, sports, music and podcasts, today rolled out its interactive map feature, TuneIn Explorer, to iOS and Android devices, giving mobile listeners the ability to listen to stations from across the globe.

TuneIn Explorer lets users access over 100,000 local AM/FM radio stations from nearly every country in the world. The feature has been available on the web since mid-February, but now TuneIn is expanding it to mobile devices.

To use the new feature, users click on the “Radio” tab at the top of the TuneIn mobile app. They are then transported to a world map where they can zoom in to find a specific region or simply type a location or station into the search bar at the bottom left-hand side.

There are also filters that users can select, which include music genres like classical, rock and hip-hop, as well as news, sports, talk and more. You can also search stations by language, whether you’re looking for English, French or Spanish-language stations.

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Since launching TuneIn Explorer last month, the company found that listeners who use the feature listen to twice as many stations as other listeners who don’t, CEO Richard Stern and SVP of product engineering Moksha Adyanthaya told TechCrunch. TuneIn has 75 million monthly active users, according to the company.

“By offering TuneIn Explorer in a mobile format, our listeners have easier access to TuneIn’s vast collection of audio content in a unique and easy-to-navigate format,” Stern and Adyanthaya added.

The feature will likely be handy for users who are either homesick and want to hear their hometown radio station or wanderlust-stricken listeners who want to experience new cultures.

TuneIn Explorer is free for all users. However, if you want a “nearly ad-free” experience, the company notes, then you can subscribe to TuneIn Premium for $12.99/month and get exclusive access to news and sports networks like CNN, Fox News Radio, CNBC, Bloomberg, MLB, NFL, NHL and more.