18 interesting internet radio stations from around the world

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

When even the most favorite songs get bored, the radio saves. Lifehacker has compiled a selection of Internet radio stations that you can trust no less than copyright playlists.

• BBC Radio. A group of radio channels comprising a dozen stations, ranging from BBC Radio 1 with mainstream music in rotation to BBC Radio 6 Music with a focus on alternative genres.
• SomaFM. The station of the American radio amateur Rusty Hodge has more than three dozen channels of various genres for every taste. Of particular interest are the experimental Mission Control and SF 10–33, which combine ambient music, recordings of NASA conversations with astronauts, and radio messages broadcast by San Francisco police.
• RTÉ Radio. A group of ten serious radio channels from Ireland: here you can find a lot of interesting music and practice your English comprehension skills. There are also two channels that do not broadcast around the clock: the nighttime RTÉ Chill and the daytime RTÉ Junior with entertainment programs for children.
• Newtown Radio. One of the largest American "free-form" stations, which lacks the concept of "format" and does not have dedicated music libraries: the authors of the programs are solely responsible for the musical content. If you are desperate looking for new good music, Newtown Radio will help you find something interesting where you never thought to look.
• KEXP. A public radio station based in Seattle, which is dominated by alternative rock, but also features programs dedicated to hip-hop, electronica, blues, ethnic music and other genres.
• Dublab. Another Los Angeles-based non-profit multi-genre station that pays attention to new trends, but does not forget about the history of music, as evidenced by the slogan Future. Roots. Radio. Twice a year Dublab hosts live music marathons with guests such as the Flying Lotus or Animal Collective.
• New New World Radio. NNW Radio is based in Moscow, but the programs are written by people from all over the world. The station's format excludes the presence of any genre boundaries, so you can hear anything here, including radical noise and Chinese pop music.
• KXRY (XRAY.fm). Opened as a result of a successful Kickstarter fundraiser, the American station, on the air of which you can find music programs of different genres, as well as various conversational programs with interesting comedians, journalists and musicians.
• NTS Radio. A radio station that can break any records in terms of versatility and multi-genre: there are more than 150 programs in the rotation of NTS Radio, the authors of which play music of different styles, up to Japanese pop music or rock and roll of the 1950s.
• Radar Radio. Radio London, which is dominated by influences from new British music of various genres, often from young and unknown performers.
• MJoy Radio. Ukrainian radio, including eight genre substations. Of particular interest is the Greatest Songs Radio channel, where you can hear popular songs of the last decades.
• DKFM Shoegaze Radio. The station, which always plays shoegaze, is an alternative rock style that originated in the late 1980s. This music is characterized by melancholy and dreaminess, attention to guitar effects and often blurry vocals.
• Rinse FM. London radio station, dominated by British dance music. Often, well-known performers of Foggy Albion present their tracks on Rinse FM before the official release.
• RBMA Radio. The station at the Red Bull Academy of Music is suitable for those who are interested in new electronic music. In addition, many exclusive performances were broadcast on RBMA Radio, which can be found in the station's archives.
• Ralph Radio. Moscow station for those who do not have enough broadcasts with Russian-language music and the native speech of the presenters. In some programs, full albums are played, and you can also hear live performances of musicians on the air.
• Pedro Basement Broadcast. A radio station broadcasting exclusively tracks from the personal library of French DJ and techno musician Laurent Garnier. The music is of different genres, but most of the air is still occupied by various electronics.
• KUTX. A radio station operating from Austin, Texas. New indie and pop hits, time-tested disco hits and even Latin American music can be heard on the air.
• FIP. French public radio station founded in 1971. Listening to France Inter Paris, it's easy to imagine yourself in France: the corresponding music gives way to hourly, ad-free news broadcasts. Main genres: jazz, chanson, ethnic music. If you wish to focus on a specific style, there are six genre substations to choose from.

How to listen to radio on the Internet

Browser

Most channels (at least all of the selection above) support radio playback directly on the station page. To make the music play, just click on the Play or Listen button.

Playlists

Using a browser is not always convenient. Playing the radio from your favorite player will save you an extra tab and allow you to quickly navigate between stations. Many radio channels provide playlists in M3U or PLS format for downloading: when you open the file, the radio will be played in the familiar audio program. In addition, by compiling additional playlists, you can create individual selections of radio stations.

Sometimes the sites of radio stations have links to download playlists, in other cases you have to resort to trick.

Special services and applications

In addition to the fact that many serious stations have their own applications in the App Store and Google Play, there are special aggregators that include links to dozens and hundreds of radio channels: for example, TuneIn or Radionomy. Such services help to search for new stations and listen to them on mobile devices.