How to Listen to Free Radio Stations on Your Phone or Smart TV

Internet radio gives you access to thousands of live radio stations from across the country and around the world — completely free. Here is how to tune in.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Download TuneIn Radio for live news and local stations
2.Use iHeartRadio for music radio stations
3.Listen to internet radio on a smart TV
4.Try Pandora for personalized music radio

Download TuneIn Radio for live news and local stations

~35s

TuneIn has the widest selection of live radio, including news stations, sports radio, and international stations. Download the free "TuneIn Radio" app from the App Store or Google Play. No account required for basic listening. Open the app and browse: the "Local Radio" section shows stations broadcasting from your area. The "By Location" tab lets you search for stations from any city in the US or abroad. Tap any station to start listening.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: TuneIn carries many major news networks live: NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Radio, BBC World Service, and local news/talk stations. For news radio listeners, it is an excellent free option.

Use iHeartRadio for music radio stations

~25s

Download the free "iHeartRadio" app. Create a free account (just an email and password). Search for your favorite station by call letters (like WNYC, WXYZ) or search by city and genre. iHeartRadio also offers "Artist Stations" — stations that play music similar to a specific artist you like. Tap the play button on any station to start listening. You can "Favorite" stations by tapping the heart icon to add them to your collection for fast access.

Listen to internet radio on a smart TV

~21s

TuneIn and iHeartRadio apps are available on most smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Install the app from your TV's app store (search "TuneIn" or "iHeartRadio"). You can also ask Alexa on an Echo device: "Alexa, play WNYC on TuneIn" or "Alexa, play NPR" — Alexa is integrated with TuneIn and knows thousands of station names.

Try Pandora for personalized music radio

~38s

Pandora is a personalized music radio service — you type in an artist or song you like, and Pandora creates a custom station that plays music similar to your taste. Download the free "Pandora" app. The free version plays with occasional ads. You can thumbs-up or thumbs-down songs to refine your station over time. Pandora is one of the original internet radio services and has been around since 2000 — it is widely trusted and works well for discovering new music in genres you already enjoy.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Amazon Echo/Alexa devices work well for internet radio. Try saying "Alexa, play some jazz" or "Alexa, play NPR" to start listening on a smart speaker without picking up your phone.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Listen to Free Radio Stations on Your Phone or Smart TV

Need more help? Get Expert Help from a TekSure Tech

Internet radio lets you listen to live radio stations over your Wi-Fi or phone data connection — without a traditional radio receiver. You can listen to your hometown station from anywhere in the country, tune into a radio station from a city you love, or discover stations by genre: jazz, classical, country, oldies, talk radio, sports, and more.

Most internet radio apps are free. The most popular options are TuneIn Radio (which carries major news networks like NPR, BBC, and local news radio), iHeartRadio (which has thousands of US stations), and Pandora (a personalized music radio service). This guide covers TuneIn and iHeartRadio, both of which are free to use.

Rate this guide

How helpful was this guide?

internet radio

tunein

iheartradio

radio app

free streaming

music