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    Entertainment & Media
    Beginner
    3 min read 5 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Listen to Free Radio Stations and Podcasts with iHeartRadio

    iHeartRadio is a free app that streams thousands of local and national radio stations, plus podcasts — all without a subscription.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Entertainment & Media
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    3 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    iheartradio
    radio
    streaming radio
    free music
    podcasts
    online radio

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Download and open iHeartRadio
    2. 2.Find a local or favorite radio station
    3. 3.Create a custom music station
    4. 4.Listen to podcasts
    5. 5.Save your favorite stations
    1

    Download and open iHeartRadio

    ~15s
    Search "iHeartRadio" in the App Store or Google Play Store. Install the free app. You can start listening to live radio right away without creating an account, though making an account (free) lets you save favorites.
    2

    Find a local or favorite radio station

    ~22s
    Tap the Search icon and type your city name plus "radio" (like "Nashville country radio") or a specific call sign if you know it (like "KABC" or "WGN"). You can also browse by genre: news/talk, country, classic rock, gospel, jazz, oldies, and more.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: Type just your city name — iHeartRadio will show you all the radio stations broadcasting in that area.

    3

    Create a custom music station

    ~16s
    Tap "Create Station" and type an artist name — "Johnny Cash," "Frank Sinatra," "Taylor Swift," or any artist you like. iHeartRadio builds a station that plays that artist plus similar ones. It works like Pandora. Tap the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to refine the station over time.
    4

    Listen to podcasts

    ~15s
    Tap the Podcast section to browse thousands of free podcast shows. You'll find news, true crime, health, humor, and just about everything else. Tap a show, then an episode, and it starts playing.
    5

    Save your favorite stations

    ~15s
    While a station is playing, tap the heart icon to add it to your Favorites. Your Favorites appear on the home screen for quick access next time. You can create a free iHeartRadio account to save favorites across multiple devices.

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    iHeartRadio is a free app that lets you listen to live radio stations from anywhere in the country — and the world. If there's a radio station you loved but can no longer pick up over the air, iHeartRadio probably streams it online. If you move to a new city and miss your hometown stations, they're a tap away.

    Beyond live radio, iHeartRadio also has custom artist stations (like Pandora — you pick an artist and it plays similar music), podcasts, and curated playlists. The basic version is completely free with occasional ads, similar to regular radio. A paid tier removes ads.

    Installing and using iHeartRadio is about as simple as it gets — no account required to start listening to live radio.

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    iheartradio
    radio
    streaming radio
    free music
    podcasts
    online radio

    Official Resources

    Netflix Help CenterSpotify SupportHow-To Geek — Streaming

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