With thousands of mobile apps buzzing about, Radial (@radialtt) is offering the Caribbean massive a way to tune out the noise and focus on the original music near and dear to the melting pot we call home.
Radial - Redefine Radio is a music app available on Google Play from Yabil Ltd. that allows users to exclusively stream authentic Caribbean music. The genres included are Soca, Chutney, Calypso, Reggae, Hip Hop, Alternative, Dancehall, Funk, Dance, Parang, Soul and more. This is surely enough to keep me going until the next Carnival season. With only 1.5MB being used from the phone, this app has already pocketed a star in my book.
The app also has 660 Soca songs available for now (I expect more will be added soon), and also exposed me to new genres that I had no idea Trinis delved into. Trini hip hop, who knew?
Key Features according to the developers:
✓Feed: Scroll through a gorgeous display of suggested music catered to you and listen instantly with one simple click
✓Search: Whether you search by title, artiste, riddim, or album, the Radial search engine will find it.
✓Explore: Discover music based on genre and/or any of our curated categories
✓Queue: See upcoming music that suits your musical taste and make your own additions at any time
✓Add to Queue: See a song that you want to hear later, hit the 'Plus' button and send it to your Queue
✓Comment: Leave a piece of yourself on any track
✓Like: Give any song your own endorsement and help Radial better learn your musical tastes
✓Lockscreen playback: Be in control of your music whether you are in Radial or elsewhere
✓Follow: Find your friends, add a stranger, or locate authorities in music and see what they are listening to
My take
How to use it:
New users, after downloading the app, will be presented with a sign up page after choosing to register.
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After signing up, your new world of Caribbean music is at your fingertips. Users are able and encouraged to make use of the comment section, as seen below.
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Pros:
- The app continues to play the song when you exit the app, which is always good.
- Songs are in continuous rotation (no need to manually select a song every time)
- Sound quality is great out loud and with headphones. (I'm using the app on the Samsung S3)
- The user interface is inviting. It's easy to use and the colours are attractive.
- Radial learns what you like based on the songs you rate highly.
Cons:
- Skip buttons aren't available yet. (They are in the works)
- More songs are needed, after all one can't fight the haunted feeling without plenty songs.
- Shuffle option not available yet.
- Some songs I searched for weren't available yet (I didn't see Benup- Porgie and Murda, but I suppose it's because that song is from Barbados)
Conclusion:
Overall I like the app a lot. It's easy to use, the user interface is fantastic, and its great to have playing while I work on other things. I've also heard that the developers plan to get more involved in the music scene of other islands to incorporate their music. So I'm definitely looking forward to the improvements in the near future.
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