Report updated Apr 22, 2026
Times Radio - Listen Live
For news-conscious individuals and professionals in the UK and globally who value high-quality, expert-led political and social commentary.
Times Radio - Listen Live is a well-regarded news app that is completely free. With a 4.8/5 rating from 329 reviews, it maintains solid user satisfaction. Users particularly appreciate high-quality content, though playback navigation issues remains a common concern.
What is Times Radio - Listen Live?
Current Momentum
v55.5 · 1w ago
MaintenanceTimes Radio - Listen Live is currently in maintenance mode with no recent major feature updates.
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
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What Are The Key Features?
24/7 live broadcast of Times Radio featuring news, debate, and expert analysis.
Content hosted by respected presenters and journalists from The Times and The Sunday Times.
Access to a library of flagship podcasts including 'The Story' and 'Off Air'.
How much does it cost?
- Free to download and listen
The app serves as a free distribution channel for Times Media content, likely driving brand loyalty and traffic to their broader subscription-based digital newspaper ecosystem.
Who Built It?
Times Media Limited (Apps)
Providing premium journalism and intellectual stimulation to help news-conscious professionals stay informed and engaged with global affairs.
Portfolio
5
Apps
What other apps does Times Media Limited (Apps) make?
Explore the full Times Media Limited (Apps) report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Times Media Limited (Apps).
What do users think recently?
Medium confidence · Latest 100 of 329 total reviews analyzed
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a excited sentiment. Users appreciate high-quality content and app simplicity, but report playback navigation issues and technical stability.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Times Radio - Listen Live?
How's The News Market?
How does it evolve in the News market?
Rank progression
17 active rankings tracked — 30-day window
The rivals identified
The outtake for Times Radio - Listen Live
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Exclusive access to The Times' journalistic talent
- High user trust and perceived content superiority over BBC
- Clean, simple UI focused on core audio utility
Critical Frictions
- Non-responsive playback slider (major UX friction)
- Lack of iPad-optimized version
- Intermittent stream stability issues
Growth Levers
- AI-generated chapters and transcripts for long-form debate
- Introduction of 'Skip' functionality for live segments
- Expansion into broader platform ecosystems (iPad, CarPlay)
Market Threats
- Global Player's multi-station ecosystem and 'Skip' features
- BBC's dominance in personalized news feeds
- AI-driven discovery tools like Snipd disrupting linear consumption
What are the next best moves?
Re-engineer the playback slider UI component
Users report navigation within shows is 'almost impossible,' creating a significant barrier to consuming catch-up content.
Investigate and resolve stream 'cut out' triggers
Technical stability is a recurring complaint despite recent bug-fix updates, directly impacting the core 24/7 listening value prop.
Develop a dedicated iPad layout
Specific user feedback highlights the absence of iPad support as a 'strange' omission for a premium news app.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Live segment 'Skip' function (available in Global Player)
- Integrated live video stream (available in Sky News)
- AI-generated chapters/transcripts (available in Snipd)
- Persistent player for seamless transitions (available in NPR)
Key Takeaways
Times Radio has successfully built a high-intent audience through superior editorial content, but technical debt in the player UI is a critical churn risk. To maintain its lead over commercial rivals like Global Player, the PM must prioritize playback responsiveness and stability over new content features.
Where Is It Heading?
Improving
Users cite content as superior to BBC and NPR — strong editorial moat.
Technical debt in playback controls remains unresolved in recent v55.5.0 update.
Recent updates focused on maintenance/bug fixes rather than feature expansion.