Part of the long-rumored SXM 2.0 technology, SiriusXM will soon be a service akin to a TiVo for music. Beyond the new music discovery features, the company plans to make 25% more channels available.
But to use these new features and channels, you'll need a new radio. At the end of this year, SiriusXM will roll out two next-generation radios capable of handling these new features, and an unnamed auto maker will roll out a 2013-model car equipped with the 2.0 tech next year.
According to Seeking Alpha, SiriusXM said in its quarterly earnings call:
SXM 2.0 is a major upgrade and evolution of our satellite- and internet-delivered networks that span our hardware, software and audio and data content. We are rolling it out in phases, bringing more content and capabilities to our satellite platform, while also employing connectivity technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth and the Internet to create exciting complements to our core radio services.
This is big. SiriusXM has just eliminated the main reason why I stopped subscribing to the service last year: I preferred the music discovery features of Pandora. With the new radios, bandwidth and features, Sirius will now be able to compete on more of an equal footing with other Internet-based music services.