If you’re a public radio junkie, you should check out the WNYC app (available free for iOS or Android). The app gives you access to live streaming radio, or you can pick and choose from your favorite shows like Fresh Air, Marketplace, This American Life, and so on. But what’s really cool is the “Discover” feature built into the app.
Select from a list of topics that you’re interested, from Arts to Media to Transportation, and then pick a duration from 20 minutes to 3 hours. (You can tell the app is built for New Yorkers because it asks “how long you’ll be underground.”) The app will then build a custom playlist for you—5 minutes from Radiolab, 20 minutes from Fresh Air, 14 minutes from Car Talk—and then gives you the option of downloading the audio so that you can listen to it while you’re offline.
If you’re going to be on the subway for a long commute, flying on a plane without wifi, or even going on a long drive through patchy cellphone signals and multiple radio towers, this seems like a great way to get your public radio fix while you’re on the go. It also seems like a fun way to get a custom playlist tuned to your preferences, since it will cut segments from shows—if you’re listening to podcasts, you usually get the entire show.
To download the app, click the links above or visit the WNYC page.
