Radio is a medium that has not lost its relevance even in today’s digital age. What’s more, with the abundance of radio apps for iPhone and iPad, you can tune in to radio stations from all over the world, anywhere, anytime.
It’s a fun and enriching way to enjoy a variety of music, news, sports updates, talk shows and more. You can listen live or even offline and discover new types of content. If you are a music lover, keep reading to find out about the best radio apps.
What is the best radio app for iPhone?
Here are some factors to consider when choosing the best radio app for your iPhone or iPad:
- Make sure the app offers the specific radio channels you want to listen to. Sometimes there may be location restrictions that prevent apps from streaming certain channels that you may need. Luckily, you can try the apps for free to see if they offer what you like.
- Diversity is the spice of life, so you might want to get an app that offers many different channels offering different content. Get an app that brings you an eclectic mix of music, talk shows, news, sports, and more.
- Check for additional features such as offline listening and podcasts. They can be expensive, but they are often worth it when you need them.
- Make sure the app is updated frequently to avoid bugs, keep up with fresh content, and enjoy new features.
- simple radio
- MyTuner Radio
- SiriusXM
- Tune in to the radio
- simple radio
- iHeart
- radio application
- LiveXLive
- Pandora
- RADIO.COM
- radio tuner
1. Simple Radio – Editors’ Choice
Simple Radio by Streema is truly the easiest app to tune into live AM, FM and online radio stations for free. You can access over 50,000 radio stations worldwide and it’s very reliable. If you prefer any particular stations, you can bookmark them and quickly access them. In addition, background playback features let you listen to music when iPhone is locked.
I liked the classification of content by interests. You can find popular music of certain genres, live sports commentary, breaking news, talk shows, etc. The best part is that it offers a sleep timer so you can fall asleep while listening to your favorite radio. In addition to your iPhone, you can listen to radio on Apple Watch, CarPlay, and external devices via Bluetooth.
Price: Free (in-app subscriptions start at $1.99)
2. myTuner Radio – live broadcasts
Your radio app search ends here. You can tune into stations from all over the world for news, music, talk shows and more. It boasts over fifty thousand stations from over 200 countries and territories with crystal clear reception.
I especially liked the feature that allows you to see which songs have been recently played on the radio station. And the “similar stations”function allows you to find more things to listen to. Plus, you can find exactly what you’re looking for by searching by country, genre, state, or city. It also supports Apple Watch, Apple TV, AirPlay and CarPlay.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
3. SiriusXM – music, comedy, sports
Enjoy over 300+ channels including ad-free music, sports, comedy, news and chat on iPhone with SiriusXM. Get personalized recommendations and discover new music and radio channels so you always have something interesting to listen to. There are also over 100 ad-free Xtra music channels for any mood, occasion or activity when you upgrade to a paid plan.
When you subscribe to premium, you get ad-free access to news from CNBC, CNN, FOX News Radio, MSNBC, Bloomberg Media, and more. I appreciate that this app also offers video interviews, music performances, podcasts, and more. It’s a one-stop platform for every audiophile.
Price: Free
4. TuneIn Radio – music, live news
The highlight of TuneIn Radio is its gigantic collection of 100,000 stations. You can tune in to live radio broadcasts from all over the world. Whether you like news, sports, music or talk radio, it has everything to suit your interests.
In addition, the app also has an extensive library of over 60,000 audiobooks. Watch podcasts at your convenience. In addition, you can also download music over Wi-Fi to listen to it when your device is not connected to the Internet.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $4.99)
5. Simple Radio – Live AM FM App
This is a great radio app that provides an easy and reliable way to listen to various AM, FM and online radio stations on your iPhone, iPad and even Apple Watch. It offers over 50,000 radio stations from all over the world to keep you entertained.
In addition, you can save your favorite stations and listen to them with the touch of a button. It’s a great way to discover new music, stay in touch with other countries, practice a foreign language, or make your daily commute more enjoyable.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
6. iHeart – radio, music, podcasts
Considered one of the best streaming radio apps for iOS, iHeartRadio is what you should use to access your huge music library. Explore the many local AM and FM radio stations and choose the one that suits your preferences perfectly.
You can stream podcasts from famous personalities including Ryan Seacrest, Elvis Duran, Bobby Bones and Colin Cowherd. In addition, you can fine-tune music stations based on multiple factors such as genres, countries, etc.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $5.99)
7. RadioApp – simple radio
If you prefer a clean and simple user interface, try this free radio app that boasts a unique analog FM/AM tuner. This makes it feel like a traditional radio, giving you global access to many stations.
Also, it’s a great tool for finding new music as it shows the title of the currently playing track. Multiple countries are supported at the same time and it has some extra features like alarm and sleep timer.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $2.49)
8 LiveXLive
Developed by Slacker, this completely reimagined music streaming app lets you listen to your favorite tunes and watch live streams for free. It has worldwide coverage and an impressively wide selection of music.
There are hundreds of interactive, handpicked stations and live video streaming of world festivals and concerts. Have fun creating and sharing your favorite songs and playlists.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $3.99)
9. Pandora – Music and Podcasts
Any list of the best radio apps for iPhone and iPad would be incomplete without a mention of Pandora. It is a must for millions of music lovers due to its ability to provide a personalized music experience. To get started, create your own radio station according to your favorite artists, genres or countries.
You can also create a custom playlist for quick access to the songs you like. Plus, you can upgrade to the premium version to unlock many more features. For example, you can play ad-free music, have unlimited skips, and even download songs for offline listening.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $3.99)
10. RADIO.COM
For a local flair, check out this radio app with over 950 AM/FM music, news, sports, talk and comedy radio stations from across the US.
It’s America’s fastest growing digital media platform, bringing you the best national news, music stations, sports news and the best podcasts – a one-stop solution for all your audio needs.
Plus, it has handy features like the ability to rewind and listen to shows and clips you missed for up to 24 hours. The best part is that it boasts the largest selection of news and talk radio stations of any free radio app.
Price: Free
11. Radio tuner – live FM stations
Here is another popular iOS radio with over 70,000 worldwide radio stations in different languages and genres. Users can choose from a list of categories and filter radio stations according to their needs.
One useful feature is that you can record any radio stations you like to play back later. The sound quality is top notch, and the stations you play are stored in history so you can enjoy them again without having to remember the station names.
Price: Free
I hope this list will help you make your decision. If you know of any others that I missed, please share them in the comments below.