XM and Sirius are satellite radio services. They were formerly two separate companies with different music programming, but merged in 2008. Currently, programming on both services is nearly identical except for a few programs which are proprietary to each service. Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, NASCAR radio, and NFL radio are exclusive to Sirius. Bob Edwards, Oprah Winfrey, and MLB baseball are exclusive to XM radio.

To receive satellite radio, a special receiver is needed. There are a wide variety of models to chose from, depending on where the user will be listening to the radio. There are radios which are designed to be used in a car, models which are designed to be used in a home or office building, and some units which are portable and can be taken anywhere. Some radios have additional features, such as: the ability to record programming, an SD slot so that personal mp3s can be listened to as well, and a seek feature which will alert the listener when a selected artist or song is playing. A clear view to the sky is needed, as the radio needs to receive an unobstructed signal from the satellite in the sky. In some large cities, ground repeaters have been added to boost the signal. However, both services also stream most of their programming over the Internet, which the listener can access for a small fee.

The satellite services feature a wide variety of music and programming. There are decade channels, which play music from the selected decade from 1940-1990. There are also a host of channels which feature music in a specific genre, such as: bluegrass, praise music, classical music, opera, jazz, rap, latin music, and easy listening. Of course, there are plenty of channels which feature rock and popular music as well. There are also many selections of talk radio. There is a liberal talk channel and a conservative talk channel, as well as several options which feature programming from National Public Radio. Additonally, all of the major 24-hour news channels simulcast their programming on satellite radio.

Satellite radio can be a great option for people who live in a small area with limited radio options, or people who drive cross-country.