Radio giant Audacy recently purchased the podcast discovery app Moonbeam to help rejuvenate their podcast technology and be more appealing to users (via The Verge). With the podcast boom in recent years, Audacy is looking to take advantage of Moonbeam's social media-esque interface, which is inspired by Tik Tok, to draw podcast listeners.
While streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple Music, have grown mightily in the last decade, radio stations are still widely listened to for music, news, sports, and more. For Android users, there are quite a few apps available to download that provide a wide range of listening opportunities, from traditional FM/AM to podcasts and internet-based stations.
Radio Online
Featuring hundreds of stations, ranging from internet-based stations to traditional FM radio, Radio Online has a plethora of radio options. It is very adept a providing high-quality sound, regardless of the strength of internet connections.
It is a simple radio app without a lot of extra features, but it is extremely efficient in its traditional radio capabilities. If listeners want to acquire some of those extra features, such as a sleep timer and live radio recording, they can pay a small fee to upgrade to Radio Online Pro.
RadioDroid 2
With over 13,000 radio stations available for listening, RadioDroid 2 is certain to have a station for every type of listener. These stations have the language and country of origin available, providing users with extra information to aid in finding the best radio station for them and to accompany their foreign language apps.
Outside of the stations available, RadioDroid 2 also has sleep timer options and is compatible with ChromeCast. It also allows listeners to add radio stations that were not previously on the app, as well as record streams to listen to later.
MyTuner Radio
Available to download for free on Android devices, MyTuner Radio has over 50,000 channels for listeners to choose from. These channels range from sports, news, to music, and the app allows traveling listeners in 2022 to filter by country and state to get more specific geographical areas.
MyTuner Radio also has an incredibly extensive podcast selection, ranging from comedy to political commentary. The app gives fans the option to select and follow their favorites, allowing them to keep up to date and informed on their favorite shows.
My Radio
My Radio has over 50,000 AM and FM radio stations from around the world for users to listen to, and is completely free to download. In addition to being able to listen to a wide variety of music and news stations, My Radio also allows users to save their favorite stations for quick access.
In addition to the favorites list, My Radio offers both sleep timer and alarm capabilities for users to be able to fall asleep and wake up to their favorite stations. It also offers an easy car connection and an option called "dark mode," which helps to reduce eye strain.
TuneIn Radio
With over 100,000 channels to choose from, TuneIn Radio has one of the largest selections of stations available among free radio apps for Android devices in 2022. Their AM, FM, and internet stations broadcast from 197 different countries, giving listeners a wide range of sports, news, music, and more to choose from.
While users can listen for free, TuneIn Radio also offers a premium option, which allows for an ad-free experience for music and news, as well as fewer ads on all channels. It also allows listeners to catch any MLB or NHL game, regardless of traditional blackout areas.
SiriusXM
One of the players moving away from traditional FM/AM radio, SiriusXM boasts over 400 channels, ranging from curated music stations to the Howard Stern Show. It also has cross-platform capabilities with many modern cars, allowing for play without Bluetooth or another device.
The largest drawback of SiriusXM is its cost model, which requires a subscription for use. While payment is a requirement, the radio app is ad-free and provides plenty of unique and original content that cannot be found for free on other radio apps.
AccuRadio
With hundreds of music channels, all of which are ad-free, AccuRadio boasts over 50 musical genres for listeners to choose and sift through to create a unique listening experience.
Available to download for free, AccuRadio allows listeners to take control of their music, giving them unlimited skips and the ability to ban certain artists from their channels. It also allows users to save their favorite channels and rate songs, with the option to share them with other people.
Stitcher
A podcast-oriented radio app, Stitcher features more than 260,000 podcasts to choose from in its library. It is a free app that allows for both streaming and downloading of podcasts and features a range of topics (from crime and politics to humor and music).
Stitcher allows users to create podcast playlists and organize their podcasts so they won't miss the latest episodes. Also, while the base package is free, Stitcher provides an ad-free premium option with exclusive podcast episodes and original shows.
Pandora Radio
A longtime staple in radio apps, Pandora Radio has expanded its reach from just music to podcasts as well, allowing users to create custom stations and listen to their favorite music and podcasts. It is completely free, and also offers a premium option for ad-free music and unlimited skips and replays.
Pandora Radio's largest draw is its customizable stations that adapt to listeners' music preferences. They provide a wide range of stations that allow users to discover new artists, as well as listen to their favorites and other listeners' favorites.
iHeart Radio
The completely free iHeart Radio app gives users access to a plethora of commercial-free music, boasting millions of songs and thousands of artists. They also provide listeners with access to an array of AM and FM radio stations, as well as on-demand podcasts and shows.
A long-time staple in music radio, the iHeart Radio app allows users to create a favorite radio for specialized listening, as well as giving users a library to keep their favorite stations in. Its reach is international as well, with FM/AM access to stations around the world, such as Australia and New Zealand.