There have been a few great free apps released for the iPad lately, and TuneIn Radio is proving to be one of them.  Put simply, TuneIn’s app is an extension of a service that they already provide via a web browser: Free Internet radio.  The problem is that the web version operates via a pop-up window written in Javascript, which won’t work on most mobile devices, so another way was needed to access these radio stations.  Enter: TuneIn Radio for iPad.

Now, a quick note to say; versions of this app are also available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows phones.  But an iPad is what we have to hand, so an iPad we’re reviewing it on.

Looking at the screenshots shown on the website, the app varies quite substantially depending on the type of device you’re using it on, so bare in mind that some of the features we discuss here may not be available on your device, iPad users should be fine though.

The main screen of the app is fairly simple, you have a navigation menu on the left hand side of the screen, as well as a “now playing” area towards the bottom.  The right hand side of the screen is reserved for your preset radio stations, those that you’ve accessed recently and stations that are local to you based upon either a pin-marking from Google Maps, or a location selected from a list.

The first thing that we noticed was the sheer volume of radio stations available.  They are broken down by genre but it’s still a massive list to navigate, so it’s a good thing that a search bar is included in the navigation menu on the left.

The station list on the right hand side of the screen lists all search results, including thumbnails where available.  Selecting the drop down arrow will expand the station to show you the schedule, as well as “Play”, “Favourite” and “Alarm” buttons which do what they say on the tin.

To play a station it’s just a question of touching the name or logo for it, the app will automatically begin buffering and then play the station within a couple of seconds, depending on your Internet connection.  Speaking of connections, TuneIn can stream radio stations via either Wifi or the cellular network, and can tell you exactly how much data you’ve used via the settings menu.  If you want to avoid heavy network charges you can turn off the 3G option and only use WiFi connections.

Once a station is playing the app will default to the “full screen” mode which gives a larger view of the station, it’s program listings and what’s currently playing.  Artworks are shown where provided by the station:

Hitting the “Back” arrow will send you back to the menu screen, with the “Now Playing” section now being populated by any information provided by the radio station.

Sound quality is what you’d expect from net radio stations; on par with DAB and definitely better than FM, though the audio quality is hampered by going through the iPad’s speaker.  Headphones will improve your experience significantly.

If you’ve used TuneIn’s web service before they you probably have a login for the site, if you use it on your iPad then your personal preferences will automatically be downloaded, so syncing your favourite stations between devices is easy as pie.

You’ll notice the ad’s shown in some of the stills above, these pop up from time to time, and are the reason that the app can remain free.  For us, it’s worth it; TuneIn is a great way to listen to your favourite radio stations on the go.  No matter if it’s the nation’s number one radio station, or some obscure rock station from Florida that you picked up while travelling in the US (yo).

TuneIn Radio for iPad is top of our list of free iOS apps for now, give it a go, even if you’re not a radio fan, you may find that after downloading this app; you are.