Yes, it is common to have poor signal reception for marine radios. Some do get away with it in strong signal areas, but it feels like that is the minority. Might be worth reconfirming antennae connection to the head unit.
Most of us are running another music source through the aux inputs or usb port depending upon your head unit. Nanos and Ipods are popular on board, with some head units capable of controlling a dash stored unit. Others use SAT radios which work well.
What is your setup?