Online radio stations offer a great way to enjoy a wide range of music from home. I checked out dozens of these sites to find the best options across different genres, including country, instrumental, party music, and more.
Each station has music curated by DJs, similar to traditional radio. Some even stream the same shows that are broadcast locally. You can listen for free at each site, but there are upgrade options if you care to use premium features.
These websites are true radio programs, not on-demand music streaming services. While a streaming music service gives you the freedom to play specific tracks and eliminates commercials, you have to manually pick and choose which songs to stream. An internet radio station plays DJ-chosen music as part of a category or genre, like rock, indie, jazz, Christian, etc., making music discovery fun and easy.
DI.FM: Best Electronic Music Internet Radio
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Dozens of stations to choose from.
Skip one track per day.
Also available through their app.
A free channel today might be locked tomorrow.
Must make a free account after 30 minutes of listening.
Stops streaming after a set time to check if you're still there.
Ads and lower quality audio for free users.
Now known as DI.FM, Digitally Imported launched in 1999 as an internet radio service that lets you stream electronic music 24/7. They have a team of curators that choose the best music from each genre or style.
In addition to browsing the most popular channels, here are several subcategories you can pick from: trance, EDM, dance, house, lounge, chillout, techno, bass, ambient, deep, classic, vocal, hard, and synth. The last time I streamed from here, I listened to the LoFi Lounge & Chill station; it was perfect as background noise.
You can follow any channel to add it to your list of favorites for easy access later.
If you're a paying user, you can change the audio quality, skip more tracks, and access premium-only stations. Free users can make an account to like and dislike tracks. Apps are available for iOS and Android; streaming is also supported through Alexa and other hardware and software devices.
SomaFM: Internet Radio for Awesome Indie Music
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Commercial-free radio station.
Multiple ways to listen.
Shows several recently played songs.
The browser player includes a sleep timer.
Uninteresting website design.
One of the best ways to find new indie music is with this internet radio station from SomaFM. The DJs hand-pick all the best indie songs they can find and let you listen directly from your browser or with your favorite media player.
Some of the artists and bands I've heard here include Amanda Cadore, Alvvays, Aloha, Polica, Carroll, Paranoids, Violents & Monica Martin, Beck, and Neko Case.
I love that the Indie Pop Rocks station shows all the artists they’ve played in the last two weeks so that I can not only see which artists were played more than others but also get a link to their tracks on Amazon. There's also a handy recently played songs list for an idea of the content.
Something else you can do is add songs to a list of your favorites, from where you can easily purchase them.
I prefer indie music, but several other channels are available if you're not into it. This includes holiday music, ambient electronic and experimental space music, early 2000s classics, and others.
This internet radio station can be streamed from the web as well as through a mobile or desktop app. It's also available through TuneIn.
Cinemix: A Radio Station for Movie Soundtracks
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Shows the movie or series the song is known from.
Purchase links are available.
Lets you listen from a browser or mobile app.
Plays mainly orchestra music.
Infrequent app updates.
This is a neat one! If you’re in the habit of buying soundtrack CDs from your favorite films, then you’ll love this radio station. It features music found only in movies and TV shows, and since it’s ad-supported, it’s totally free.
Just a few examples of movies and shows that Cinemix features music from include Supernatural, Bicentennial Man, Lost, Guardians of the Galaxy, Call the Midwife, Last Chance Harvey, War for the Planet of the Apes, and many others.
The current song, plus the three upcoming and several recently played songs, are listed for you.
If you become a VIP member, you can see the 20 most recently played songs instead of just a few, dedicate and request songs, and more.
My House Radio: Commercial-Free Dance Music
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Strong focus on just a few genres.
24/7 streaming without website ads or commercial breaks.
Provides a 7-day schedule.
Chat with other listeners.
Some parts of the website don't work.
No official mobile app.
Doesn't show individual track names.
My House Radio has a simple mission: to promote artists and DJs who produce dance music in genres like house, deep house, soulful, and classics. They have more than 40 DJs from around the world.
It's a phenomenal radio station for dance music because you're never distracted by commercial interruptions. Plus, you can listen all day, every day.
I like to use the stripped-down player (here) when I'm listening on my phone, to avoid all the unnecessary graphics and other web pages. You can also listen to My House Radio on Airtime for a decent UI. The same radio station is available through TuneIn and other streaming services.
WLTW 106.7 Lite FM: New York's Best Variety Radio Station
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Includes lyrics to some songs.
Provides a full screen experience.
Cluttered website.
Large ads.
Owned by iHeartMedia and often New York’s top-rated radio station, WLTW 106.7 Lite FM plays all types of music, from modern-day back to the ‘80s. This is my go-to when I'm not really sure what I'm in the mood for.
This station delivers dance, pop, rock, disco, R&B, punk, new wave, and more, from artists and groups like Wham!, George Michael, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Camila Cabello, Tears for Fears, Prince, Duran Duran, Cutting Crew, No Doubt, and many others.
If you like a recently played song from the WLTW 106.7 Lite FM radio station, you can start your own station based on that type of music, and even skip through the songs, unlike you can on the radio.
An iHeartRadio subscription lets you replay songs from the radio, save songs from the radio to your own playlist, and more. I use the free version often, and I honestly never feel like I'm missing out on those features. The iHeartRadio app works on phones, tablets, watches, and more.
KEAN 105.1 FM: Texas' Best Country Music Radio Station
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Runs on a web browser or mobile device.
Lists dozens of the recently played songs with links to buy tracks on Apple Music.
Must use the pop-up player to avoid stopping the music when you browse other areas of the site.
Pop-up ads display elsewhere on the page.
Based out of Texas, KEAN 105.1 FM is an online radio station for streaming country music. They have a handful of DJs that choose the best country music for you, and all the upcoming shows for the week are listed on their website.
KEAN 105.1 FM plays songs from Kenny Chesney, Kane Brown, Maren Morris, Rodney Atkins, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and many others. See what's played recently to get an idea.
Some internet radio stations play in a separate part of the site so that when you click elsewhere, like to view upcoming shows or recently played songs, the music won’t stop playing. To do that with this one, you need to open the pop-out player.
Instrumental Hits Radio: Internet Radio Without Lyrics
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Provides a great mix of instrumental music.
Keeps a history of all the music played that day.
A playlist file can be downloaded to listen in your own music player.
Request your favorite songs.
Lots of ads in the mobile app.
Instrumental Hits Radio has been delivering a "blend of instrumental genres" in the form of a radio station since 2013. Some of the music you can hear here includes classical, big band, new-age, lounge, orchestral, and jazz.
Something I find unique about this website is the 'request your favorite song' feature. You can do so every 30 minutes.
K-LOVE: Christian Music and Talk Radio
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Displays recently played songs.
Includes briefs on local and national news.
Access samples on-demand.
Often lots of talk between songs.
Launched in the early '80s, K-LOVE, a solely Christian music station, is today one of the world's top-streamed online radio stations. It's also delivered over FM radio in numerous U.S. cities.
Every week, millions of online listeners can hear music from MercyMe, Rend Collective, Zach Williams, Francesca Battistelli, Skillet, for KING & COUNTRY, Chris Tomlin, TobyMac, Micah Tyler, Lauren Daigle, and more.
The K-LOVE mobile app only shows a few of the recent streams, but it also has a Verse of the Day page and information on all the artists played on the radio station.
Fun Kids: Kid-Friendly Online Radio Station
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Avoids mature content.
Void of typical "buy this" commercials.
Includes on-demand music.
Lists recently played tracks.
Website is sometimes slow.
Fun Kids is a UK-based online radio station that features music more appropriate for a younger crowd. It's part of a larger children's media brand that includes kid radio stations like Fun Kids Junior, Fun Kids Soundtracks, and Fun Kids Space Station.
Although this is clearly meant for children, I have to say that the soundtracks station is entertaining even for me (particularly The Lion King music).
In addition to a live radio service are several on-demand shows you can re-listen to at any time. Elsewhere on the website are podcasts for kids, quizzes, videos, book recommendations, and more educational and informative kid-friendly content. There's a mobile app for Android and iOS.
Relax FM: Best Radio Stations for Relaxing Music
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Amazing curated selection.
Great place to find new chill music.
Plays relaxing versions of popular music.
Browse through the stream playlist.
Site is partially in Russian.
Occasional streaming issues.
Relax FM is a radio station out of Moscow, Russia, that features instrumental, English, and foreign music. True to its name, I find it super relaxing, especially while doing repetitive things like cleaning.
There are multiple channels to pick from that target music for the weekend, meditation, kids, the office, and more.
While you can listen online from anywhere, including the official Relax FM website, it's also available locally to Moscow listeners at 90.8 FM and some other stations.
The official Relax FM apps are in Russian, but the station also streams through radio.net apps.
Jazz24: Commercial-Free Jazz Radio
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Commercial-free listening.
Mobile access.
Long-term playlist history.
Old sessions can be replayed on demand.
The website is difficult to navigate.
Jazz24 is a KNKX Public Radio station that streams jazz music online and locally in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, on 88.5 FM.
This online radio station plays jazz from artists like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Diana Krall, and Pat Metheny, among others.
The mobile app has an alert feature you can enable to start playing jazz automatically when the timer goes off. You can also access this radio station through various streaming links.
Radio Santa Claus: Christmas Music All Year Round
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Includes modern Christmas music.
Puts you in the Christmas mood with a live video feed from Santa Claus Village in Finland.
You can leave images and comments for other listeners to see.
Lots of website ads.
Based out of Santa Claus Village in Finland, where Santa is around all year long, is the Radio Santa Claus station where thousands gather every day to listen to Christmas music any time of the year.
The music here comes from singers like Frank Sinatra, Colbie Caillat, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Blake Shelton, Dean Martin, Sara Bareilles, Andrea Bocelli, and children's choirs, among others.
The Android app is even simpler than the website. You can start and stop the live stream, see what's currently playing, and leave a comment for other listeners to see.
Hot 108 JAMZ: Internet Radio for Rap/Hip Hop Music
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Long list of recently played songs.
Chat with other listeners.
Songwriters can submit their own music.
Can purchase music from Amazon and Apple.
Several places to listen from.
Includes commercials.
Obnoxiously cluttered website; lots of ads.
Part of a network of internet radio stations called Powerhitz, Hot 108 JAMZ streams hip-hop music. Although this network includes other stations unrelated to rap, a different program director curates music for this station every day.
Some of the artists I heard the last time I listened included Rihanna, Drake, 2 Pac, Lil Donald, Meek Mill, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Mariah Carey, Usher, 50 Cent, The Carters, and Rich Gang.
Hot 108 JAMZ also accepts shout-outs and song requests.
This internet radio station is also available at TuneIn, radio.net, Streema, and Radioline. If you pick one of those apps or websites to listen from, you'll get other features such as a sleep timer and a "favorite" option.