In a world where almost everyone uses the internet, it might seem like people don't use the radio anymore. After all, you can access news via social media, listen to music through streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, learn about products from online ads, and get motivation from podcasts. If you think that radio is obsolete in 2022, you are misinformed.

Currently, there are more than 6,000 AM radio stations in the US, and the stations have thousands of listeners. People listening to these stations get information about traffic, weather, and news. In most cases, these listeners are in their cars or trucks. In the stations, the broadcasters discuss various topics, including sports, latest news, and politics, which keeps the listeners entertained.

Statistics show that there are 15,445 commercial radio stations in the US, which is more than double the number of radio stations in 1970. If you are thinking of starting listening to the radio now and escaping all the chaos on the internet by listening to your favorite music via radio, this article is for you.

What's the Primary Difference Between AM and FM Radio?

When you buy a radio, you will notice that it has an AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation). From both, you can listen to the radio and enjoy music and stay updated with the news. While both serve the same purpose and transmit information through electromagnetic waves, they are still different.

AM modulates the amplitude of the signals according to the information being sent, and the frequency stays constant. On the other hand, FM keeps the amplitude constant.

a SANGEAN radio displayed in SANGEAN museum

Advantages of Listening to AM/FM Radio in 2022

While listening to the radio may not be as popular as in the 1970s, listening to it in 2022 still comes with many advantages. These advantages include:

It is the easiest format to listen to

There are many ways you can listen to the radio or music, but nothing comes easy like a radio. If you have an AM/FM radio with Bluetooth, all you need is to turn it on and listen. You can move from one radio station to the other with ease. Other listening formats, like streaming, require extra steps, although they are not complicated either.

Radio is very convenient

Listening to the radio is very convenient. You can put the radio in your car, travel across the United States and listen to multiple radio stations without difficulties. With streaming, you could have a bad connection, and you may miss a few good bits.

You can change to stations with different genres

With radio, you can always know what different radio stations play at which time if you are an active listener. For that reason, you can switch from one station to another to find the genre of music you want to listen to.

Local news

While you can gather a lot of news from social media and watch TV, the best place you are likely to get local news is the radio. Radio stations dig deep to give the listeners news about their localities, which keeps you updated with the things happening in your locality.

Buying radio cheap

It is easy to assume that everyone has money to buy a smartphone to keep them updated. However, that’s not always the case. If you are on a budget and don’t want to get yourself an expensive device but still want to keep yourself updated, you can get a portable AM/FM radio. You can move with it anywhere, listening to your favorite music and getting updated about the happenings in society. What's more, listening to the radio is free; you don’t need any premium subscriptions, saving you even more money.

a SANGEAN old radio

Where Can You Buy AM/FM Radios

Radios are still widely available in electronic stores, and you could always find one with ease. In fact, buying one from a retail store is the advisable since you get to test the reception quality in person. However, the convenience that comes with online shopping cannot be ignored. Responsible online shops like SANGEAN sell AM/FM radios of the highest quality and still provide customer service that will help you get the best out of your product.

Conclusion

While social media and streaming services have taken over the world, there are still a lot of people who listen to AM/FM radio the old-school way. Moreover, modern radios are more improved than ever, which makes them convenient and of high quality. Now, you can get yourself a portable AM/FM radio with Bluetooth and enjoy the radio from anywhere.