How Much Does Satellite Radio Cost?
Satellite radio, unlike terrestrial radio, relies on satellites in the sky to receive its signal and sends it to your car, home radio or is broadcasted over the Internet. Because of this, you can receive a radio station just about anywhere in the United States and Canada.
How much does satellite radio cost?
As of 2017, there is only one satellite radio service: SiriusXM. As of this moment, they offer three packages: SiriusXM All Access, SiriusXM Select, SiriusXM Mostly Music and SiriusXM Internet Radio. Each plan, depending on the package chosen, can cost $10 to $20 per month; however, these prices go down if you purchase your plans annually. Refer to the table below to see what each plan costs and what it includes. This price will be the same, regardless of what kind of radio you have. It will be the same regardless of if it’s a car or a stand-alone system inside your home. No contracts will be necessary.
For the satellite radio alone, without a subscription, plan on spending anywhere from $40 to $225+, depending on the type of radio you want. The most popular types of radios include the plug and play; home radio; personal satellite radio you can carry around or one designed for the car’s dashboard. Depending on the promotion, you may be able to get a radio for free if you’re a new customer. With most newer cars, the radio should be able to broadcast the satellite radio and no equipment will be necessary.
According to the website SatelliteRadioUSA.com, the cost of a plug and play receiver is going to cost $100 to $150 while the installation kit will be around $40 to $75. The professional can range from $85 and beyond.
| Plan | What's Included? | Price (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| SiriusXM A La Carte | Only pick 50 channels (requires special A La Carte-capable radio) | $8 |
| SiriusXM All Access | 175+ channels | $20 |
| SiriusXM Internet Radio | 155 channels (online only) | $16 |
| SiriusXM Mostly Music | 80 channels | $11 |
| SiriusXM Select | 165 channels | $16 |
Satellite radio overview
Each Sirius XM package, just like cable television, will offer its own inclusions. For example, the highest tiered package — the All Access plan — will include commercial-free music, premium music channels, Howard Stern, Fox News, CNN, every NFL game, NASCAR, every MLB game, every NBA game, every NHL game, traffic, weather and PGA Tour coverage. The Mostly Music plan will only include the commercial-free music channels and nothing else.
What are the extra costs?
An activation fee, which can oftentimes be waived, will be about $15 per unit if they don’t. It will be more to activate over the phone when compared to activating it online.
Car kit packages, if it isn’t included with the package or professional installation will cost more on top of buying the receiver. Most receivers are rather easy to install since they are portable and professional installation won’t be required. It will simply be a plug and play receiver. For a professional installation job, the cost can start at $75 and go up from there, depending on the in-dash player you purchase.
Travel Link, which offers additional options in certain vehicle models, can include movie listings, fuel prices, stocks, sports scores and more. This premium add-on can cost $1.99 per month for Travel Link or up to $8.99 for Travel Link, NavTraffic and NavWeather.
If you choose the A La Carte plan, any channel outside of the Base 50 will be an additional $0.25 per channel.
How can I save money?
The company is always offering a special such as six months for $30 or a full year for less than $60. Even if you’re a current customer, calling the company can often bring the prices down, especially if you commit to a year or longer. Those who have had success with saving money have said you have to call in order to see savings. The Sirius radio phone number is 1-866-635-5027.
The easiest way to save money, according to Money Ning, is simply by paying a full year in advance. As long as you know you’re going to use it, it could save you up to $40.
For new customers, you should be able to take advantage of the Sirius free trial for 30 days.
A Sirius XM multi-radio discount may apply if you have more than one radio.
Military discounts are available, up to 25 percent off, according to some reports online.
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