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Tune into global radio on your phone

Radio apps not only provide your daily dose of music, but also keep users updated with live news and sports coverage

TuneIn Radio Pro is slightly upgraded version of popular radio app TuneIn.
TuneIn Radio Pro is slightly upgraded version of popular radio app TuneIn.

Listening to global radio stations no longer requires a separate radio with high frequency antennas. Your smartphone not only provides access to your local radio stations but can also live stream radio stations located in any part of the world. These apps use a Wi-Fi or your 3G/4G connection to stream content. Not only have these apps offer better quality of transmission than a radio in bad weather. The apps have also widened their portfolio to bring more and more radio stations in. It is one of the reasons why many phonemakers have started leaving out the FM antenna on their smartphone. Here are some radio apps that can cater to all age groups.

Majority of the radio stations available on Apple Music are music and entertainment oriented.

Apple Music

Free ( ₹120 per month)

Android, iOS

Popular for its vast collection of songs, Apple Music can also be used to listen to radio. However, majority of the radio stations available on it are music and entertainment oriented. We couldn’t find many stations catering to news and sports coverage, though. The app provides full access to all content including radio for a monthly subscription fee of Rs120. Though there is an offline mode, the option to record and save radio broadcasts is still not available.

TuneIn Radio Pro provides users with some additional features that you won’t get on the TuneIn app.

TuneIn Radio Pro

₹636

Android, iOS

This is slightly upgraded version of popular radio app TuneIn. It provides users with some additional features that you won’t get on the TuneIn app, such as the option to record a radio broadcast for access in offline mode and complete immunity from advertisements. You can see your favourite station on the home page. There is a search button too to help user find a radio station quickly. This app includes many of the popular international radio stations covering news, sports, films technology and music.

All India Radio Live app provides access to AIR FM Rainbow, Vividh Bharati, FM Gold, Air Raagam and 9 regional language radio stations

All India Radio Live

Free

Android

If you are into radio stations that cater to users in regional languages, you can try All India Radio Live app. It provides access to AIR FM Rainbow, Vividh Bharati, FM Gold, Air Raagam and 9 regional language radio stations run by Prasar Bharati for listeners in various parts of the country. The regional language services are currently available in Urdu, Tamil, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. The app doesn’t carry advertisements, nor does it suffer from performance issues like other AIR apps we have used.

FM Radio by FM India Team is an online radio app that provides access to radio stations beyond your city limits.

FM Radio India

Free

Android

Local radio stations are very popular with young audience for their funny jokes and non-stop dose of Bollywood music. If your phone doesn’t have a radio app, you are not missing out anything. FM Radio by FM India Team is an online radio app that provides access to radio stations beyond your city limits. Also, the transmission is much clearer even if the local weather is bad. The radio stations are clubbed according to cites such as Mumbai Live, Kolkata Live, Delhi Live and Bangalore Live. The sheer collection of radio stations is impressive. Its free to use but shows advertisements frequently.

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