Quick Phone/Streaming music question

Riboflavin

I want to stream radio stations or music to my phone but don't want to download an app. This is not debatable. I just want to go to the website and stream like I would from my pc. Everytime I go to a website like iheartradio or pandora it refuses to let me do anything other than click "download app".

Is there a way to block it knowing I am using a phone or a radio/music service I am unaware of?

It is an android phone.

I feel I am missing something obvious.

SmokeStacks

If you're using Chrome on your Android phone you should be able to hit the menu button to the right of your address bar, then scroll down and tap on "request desktop site" (hit the checkbox to request the desktop version of that site every time).

Depending on what codecs the streaming site in question uses you may not be able to stream music from a mobile browser though.

Mai-Kero

For various reasons streaming on a mobile browser, even in Desktop mode, doesn't really work the way it would on an actual computer. Even if you were viewing the Pandora desktop site and it let you play music from it, you would encounter issues you wouldn't on an actual computer, like the music stopping when you move from that app to a different one, or when the screen shuts off. Your only option may be something like Youtube that doesn't care if you're what type of device your using, but obviously then you're not just getting music, but also video which may drain your battery faster.

I don't think you're missing anything obvious; most of the streaming services want you to download their app because it's simply a better experience than their website. You can do a lot more in an app than you can in site either optimized for mobile or viewed in desktop mode on a 5" screen. The companies don't really think anyone would rather view the content on a website instead of downloading an app, especially when the app itself is free, and generally tiny in size for most music streaming options.

Local H Jay

SoundCloud has an in-browser player. I don't like it that much because it seems to automatically shuffle songs but it does work.