Yacht Rock on SiriusXM hasn’t gone away, but it has moved around a lot and that’s what’s confusing people.

Quick Scoop

  • Yacht Rock used to be on channel 14/15 in the main lineup for many car radios, often as a “summer” or seasonal feature.
  • In 2024–2025 it shifted back to the streaming/extra-music tier as Yacht Rock 311 , so on many radios the old channel slot now shows a different station (like Pitbull’s channel) or appears empty for a bit during the transition.
  • As of early 2026, SiriusXM still runs Yacht Rock Radio as a dedicated channel; it’s just primarily at channel 311 and always available in the app/online rather than being a permanent, year‑round “core” channel in the low numbers for everyone.

What Actually Changed?

  1. Channel number shuffle
    • Listeners reported that Yacht Rock disappeared from channel 15 and that 15 became Pitbull’s channel, while Yacht Rock was moved to 311.
 * Some posts describe 15 showing as Pitbull but not actually playing audio yet, during the swapover period, which made it feel like Yacht Rock had just vanished.
  1. From seasonal main channel to “311”
    • For several summers, SiriusXM promoted Yacht Rock as a seasonal feature in a prime slot (for example, channel 14/15 or 17), then moved it off again after the season.
 * Over time, it settled in as **Yacht Rock 311** , which is part of the “extra” music tier and is always accessible via the SiriusXM app and compatible radios, even when it’s not sitting in one of the low-numbered car channels.
  1. Still alive, just “hidden”
    • SiriusXM’s own info and social posts emphasize that Yacht Rock Radio continues and can be heard on channel 311 and by streaming through the app or via CarPlay/Android Auto/Bluetooth.
 * Blog and fan writeups describe it as more of a programming reshuffle than a true cancellation: the brand and format remain, but the exposure on everyone’s dashboard is less prominent when it’s not in a headline channel number.

Why Did They Move It?

SiriusXM doesn’t give a single official “here’s why” explanation, but several patterns and reasonable guesses show up in fan and media discussions:

  • Rotating prime real estate : Low-numbered channels (10s, 20s) are valuable, and SiriusXM constantly rotates formats there to push big brands or broader-appeal stations (like Pitbull’s channel or pop/throwback concepts).
  • Seasonal strategy : Yacht rock is heavily associated with summer driving, lakes, and boating, so SiriusXM tends to spotlight it more in warm months, then slide it back into the 300s when the season ends.
  • Shifting to app‑first listening : SiriusXM increasingly encourages people to use the app, where themed channels like Yacht Rock 311 live permanently, while the satellite dial rotates special takeovers more often.

None of this means the genre is gone; it’s more like your favorite bar moved to a side street instead of main street.

Where To Hear Yacht Rock Now

If you’re wondering “OK, so how do I get it back?” :

  • On a satellite radio (car/home unit)
    • Tune to channel 311 (Yacht Rock Radio / Yacht Rock 311), if your subscription and hardware support the 300‑series music channels.
  • On the SiriusXM app or online
    • Search for “Yacht Rock Radio” or “Yacht Rock 311” and add it as a favorite; it’s listed as a smooth soft‑rock channel featuring artists like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, etc.
  • Related shows
    • There are also spin‑off or adjacent shows, like “Yacht Soul Sunday,” which sits under the Yacht Rock umbrella and plays 70s–80s R&B and soul with that same smooth vibe.

Mini forum‑style recap

“What happened to Yacht Rock on Sirius?” In short:

  • It moved off the low channel numbers.
  • It now lives mainly as Yacht Rock 311 and in the SiriusXM app.
  • Other formats (like Pitbull’s channel) took over its old slot.

So if your presets suddenly went silent or turned into Pitbull, you didn’t lose the music forever—you just need to sail over to 311 or fire up the app. ⛵ TL;DR: Yacht Rock on SiriusXM wasn’t cancelled; it was moved from the main dial (around channel 15) to channel 311 and is always available via the SiriusXM app, with the old slot repurposed for other stations.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.