Using radio apps provides convenient access to thousands of music tracks and podcasts. Not only can you listen to new playlists outside of your go-to music player, they can also help with discoverability.
You can find an assortment of genres and indie tracks more often than on popular media platforms and our favorite streaming devices. You can even tap into your phone’s FM tuner or use the internet to check out home-brewed playlists and podcasts that wouldn’t otherwise be heard. If you’re looking for budget-friendly ways to check out new radio apps, we’ve curated a list of our favorite free ones for Android.
Our list includes free radio apps with subscription options; we’ve evaluated our favorites based on all the accessible features you can acquire without paying.
1 RadioDroid 2
If you’re looking for a free, community-based, open-sourced project for radio stations, RadioDroid 2 is solid. The goal of the app is to bring accessibility to users by collecting radio stations from RadioBrowser, a community-driven project that’s acquired over 50,000 stations.
The app includes free features like adding radio stations, recording streams, and integrating sleep timers and alarm clocks. It also has Chromecast support, which can be cast on your Google TV (if supported). Given the open-sourced nature of RadioDroid, there are a plethora of customization options to work with, like adding themes, layouts, and playback settings.
2 TuneIn Radio
Endless supply of content to explore
TuneIn Radio
- In-app purchases
- ✅ Yes $0.99 – $149.99 per item
- Subscription
-
$10/month (Premium)
- ChromeOS support
- ✅ Yes
- App Publisher
- TuneIn Inc
- Publish date
- September 2, 2010
- Categories
- Music and audio
TuneIn Radio has an excellent selection of live radio broadcasts. Its diverse collection includes sports and news as well as standard music streaming. However, a Premium subscription is required for ad-free listening and exclusive live sports broadcasting. Given how much is offered in the base free app, the Premium upgrade seems entirely optional — and we love that.
3 AccuRadio
An app created by humans for humans
AccuRadio
- In-app purchases
- ❌ None
- ChromeOS support
- ✅ Yes
- App Publisher
- AccuRadio
- Publish date
- February 27, 2013
- Categories
- Music and audio
AccuRadio is another free radio station supported by ads, but it does a decent job of not locking you out of premium features. It’s one of the best free radio apps for unlimited skips, and you can easily use the AccuRadio app to save your favorite music channels and re-visit your history.
AccuRadio also doesn’t depend heavily on algorithms, but instead relies on human music experts to program the channels; you will find various genres on AccuRadio, so whether you’re into country or jazz, there’s likely a channel that fits your music tastes.
4 Simple Radio
The app’s UI is incredibly easy on the eyes
Simple Radio
- In-app purchases
- ✅ Yes $0.99 – $19.99 per item
- Subscription
-
$6/month (Premium) or $20/year (Premium)
- ChromeOS support
- ✅ Yes
- App Publisher
- Streema, Inc.
- Publish date
- December 12, 2014
- Categories
- Music and audio
Simple Radio app has an excellent UI; it is clean and straightforward, like a radio app should be. You can access the majority of the app for free using ads, but if you purchase the Premium version, you remove ads, gain a sleep timer, and receive priority status for customer service.
Otherwise, you can find all the core services for free, like access to thousands of radio stations worldwide, and find more based on preferred genres. It also has background playback, so you can use other apps while listening to the radio.
And if the selection does not entirely convince you, Simple Radio has a great search function; stations are easy to find if you’re looking for a specific one. It’s truly an app without obstacles, thanks to its genius design.
5 Motorola FM Radio
It works just like a traditional radio
FM Radio
- In-app purchases
- ❌ None
- ChromeOS support
- ❌ No
- App Publisher
- Motorola Mobility LLC.
- Publish date
- November 13, 2013
- Categories
- Music and audio
If you own a Motorola phone with an enabled FM chipset (Android 6.0 and higher), you already have access to a decent free radio app. Though this app does not enable the discovery of new, non-local stations in your area, it does aid in scanning for nearby stations, building a favorite track list, recording songs, and seeing what’s playing.
The app lets you play through a wired headset, Bluetooth headset, or loudspeaker, but for the best performance, Motorola recommends using a wired headset or connecting a Digital TV dongle to act as the FM antenna. And since the app utilizes your phone’s FM tuner, no internet or data is required.
6 Spotify
A safe choice for modern-day discovery
Spotify
- In-app purchases
- ✅ Yes $5.99 – $400.00 per item
- Subscription
-
$12/month (individual); $20/month (family)
- ChromeOS support
- ✅ Yes
- App Publisher
- Spotify AB
- Publish date
- May 27, 2014
- Categories
- Music and audio
You’ve likely heard of Spotify if you’re an avid music lover. It’s an easy-to-access app that connects well across several devices and even integrates with Android Auto. Spotify has some of the best discoverability, thanks to its advanced AI algorithm and how it collects data from listeners.
Spotify tracks listening behaviors like the time of day, listening mood, and keywords you select when opening a new playlist. It also takes into account your likes, dislikes, and follows. Spotify sends a weekly playlist that it curates for you based on the collected data, enabling you to discover music you’ve never heard of. Of course, the algorithm isn’t perfect, but it’s still an excellent way to find new content.
Spotify’s radio section is great for finding music you wouldn’t know about. You can use its algorithm to curate stations that complement your preferences, and customize these stations by adding, removing, and sending feedback. Essentially, this app is a great starting point when you need a radio station, but also want to discover new tracks. You can access this through Spotify as a free user if you can handle the occasional ad.
7 Pandora
Offers a simplified, personalized listening experience
Pandora
- In-app purchases
- ✅ Yes $0.99 – $10.99 per item
- Subscription
-
$6/month (Plus), $55/year (Plus), $11/month (Premium), $121/year (Premium)
- ChromeOS support
- ❌ No
- App Publisher
- Pandora
- Categories
- Music and audio
An old popular classic for customized radio listening is Pandora. Pandora came out in 2000, and it started with the idea of creating a separate, individualized radio station for each user filled with music they like while leaving out music they dislike. It’s what Spotify does, but with a bit less control; Pandora will suggest music, and if you choose to listen to it, you can then rate the song using a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Pandora offers a paid ad-free option and a free option with ads. Free listeners can still create stations based on their favorite genres and artists, and gain access to podcasts and skips if they’re willing to sift through ads. You can also bypass the 40-hour limit with ads.
Unfortunately, offline listening and limitless skips are exclusive to the Plus and Premium experiences. If Pandora offered higher audio quality and weren’t restricted to the US, it would be even better. Still, Pandora is a well-regarded platform with good musi and radio discovery — even if it’s a bit dated.
8 Audials Play
Easy access to international radio channels
Audials Play
- In-app purchases
- ✅ Yes $0.99 – $35.99 per item
- ChromeOS support
- ✅ Yes
- App Publisher
- Audials Radio Software
- Publish date
- December 8, 2011
- Categories
- Music & Audio
Audials Play is a streaming platform for music and podcasts that lets you browse stations by country and genre and even find local ones. You can also browse suggestions, top artists, and hits on the app’s home page. Audials Plays supports downloading and recording music, too.
Everything in Audials Play can be accessed for free without banner ads. The only downside is the inability to create playlists, but it lets you explore over 100,000 radio stations and organize them into favorites. It also has compatibility with a PC and Android Auto, so you don’t need to worry about missing another beat if your phone isn’t nearby.
Going beyond radio apps
Android is home to fantastic apps, ranging from productivity and entertainment to education and finance. Thanks to the immeasurable number of apps and public APIs, our mobile devices can easily download and connect to whatever you need.
Whether you’re looking to laugh at how bad the Borderlands movie is on Amazon Prime Video or re-listen to Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Ring book series by Robert Inglis from the Google Play Store, there are many options to experience.
