Player clients for listening to FM stations on Android. A comprehensive overview of the best applications for broadcasting offline and online broadcasts on your phone (follow the links).
The main distributor of music content is radio broadcasting. Therefore, we will install and explore the best programs for listening to streaming audio. They are available for download on Google Play, links are attached.
Now let’s move on to a review of applications for listening to Internet radio, which you can download and install on your phone yourself. They do not require headphones or other headsets to operate, since the broadcast is carried out online.
[Table 1. Feature Comparison]
| Developer | Work offline | Price | Rating | Availability fm | Podcasts | Favorites | Recording the broadcast | ||
| Built-in (standard) | + | For free | — | — | + | + | + | + | |
| PCRadio | PCRADIO | + | For free | — | 4.7 | + | + | + | + |
| Radio FM | RadioFM | — | For free | + | 4,6 | + | + | + | — |
| Audials Radio | Audials Radio Software | + | For free | + | 4,4 | + | + | + | + |
| Radio record | Record | — | For free | + | 3,7 | + | + | + | — |
| Yandex.Radio | Yandex | — | For free | + | 2,7 | + | + | + | — |
| Tuneln Radio | TuneIn Inc | — | For free | + | 4,5 | + | + | + | — |
| Google Play Music | Google Inc. | — | For free | — | 4,1 | + | + | + | — |
| Simple Radio | Streema, Inc. | — | For free | + | 4,5 | + | + | + | — |
| Zaycev.FM | Zaycev | + | For free | + | 4,8 | + | + | + | + |
PCRadio - an economical application with broadcast quality settings
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,7 |
PCRadio is a very practical client for listening on Android devices. It consumes a minimum of traffic, and to play music from FM waves, it is enough to have an Internet speed of at least 24 kbps. At least that's what the developers say. Obviously, such requirements directly affect the quality of broadcasting and streaming music playback.
PCRadio Settings
In the PCRadio application, you can change the quality of the audio stream through the parameters - accordingly, increasing or decreasing the consumption of mobile traffic.
PCRadio video review:
The client supports several hundred world radio stations, they are available immediately after installation. For convenience, you can narrow the broadcast to one country. Also, broadcasts in PCRadio are sorted by genres and other groups - from rock and pop music to cultural, sports, children's or news broadcasting. In terms of the variety of stations, it is quite possible that this is the best radio for Android.
The only annoying thing is that without the Internet many functions do not work. However, the ability to save the flow is present. Among the useful “features” we note the ability to record audio directly during broadcasting and set an auto-shutdown timer. However, the mentioned functions are only available in the full version of PCRadio. To fully listen to the radio, you need to subscribe to the service: for a month or a year.
The positive aspects of the PCRadio program include:
- large multinational set of genres
- low network speed requirements
- economical consumption of mobile traffic
- arrangement by groups and genre, convenient filtering
- presence of equalizer
- ability to record radio broadcasts for offline listening (function available only in the full version of the application)
- convenient notification system (displaying the song name at the top of the screen on the home screen).
How to install on Android
It is very easy to download and install Radio FM on Android. To do this, you do not need to visit various sites and download dubious applications via Torrent or APK. All you need to do is visit the official Google Play Market store. Here you will find a lot of free, and most importantly, safe programs for your device.
So, we do the following:
- We go to the store and write in the search bar the name that interests us. In the results we see that there are quite a lot of suitable options. Select “Radio FM”.
- Click on the “INSTALL” button to start downloading the application. Its size is just over 15 MB. We wait a few seconds for the download to finish. If the Internet speed is low, you will have to wait a few minutes.
- Open the application and take a closer look at the utility. Even a schoolchild should not have any difficulties here. The program has a very simple, but at the same time user-friendly interface and flexible settings.
Immediately after installation, Radio FM is ready for use. To do this, just connect the headset in the form of headphones and select the desired station. A nice bonus is that you can listen to music without connecting headphones.
For normal operation of the utility, it is enough to have an Internet speed of only 64-128 kbps. Therefore, it does not require high-speed Internet to operate.
Radio FM for Android - a program for listening to the air
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,6 |
A simple application for listening to Internet radio on Android devices. The program contains a huge number of stations from all over the world, in Russia there are more than five hundred of them.
Online player Radio FM
The program has basic client functions such as:
- search for a station by name
- adjusting sound via equalizer
- You can listen to the broadcast online on your phone without connecting headphones
- sort by alphabet/popularity/ratings/genre
- compiling a list of favorite Internet radio stations
- Possibility of streaming on social networks
- Among the non-standard features of the program is the creation and broadcasting on the waves of your own station
FM radio for Android is recommended for installation on the phone for all those who are not interested in noise on the air and who are only interested in listening to their favorite music in streaming mode.
Download FM radio
Audials Radio: free radio on Android with smart settings
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,4 |
The Audials Radio application is not so well known among the Russian-speaking audience. The reason is trivial - the client interface is entirely in English, there is no Russian localization. At the same time, the client is convenient and functional like any other player. The main feature is the wide broadcast coverage: there are about 90,000 radio stations to choose from, including 1,700 Russian ones.
Audials Radio program interface
Among the interesting features of the Audials Radio program:
- independent addition of Internet channels
- selecting a country, genre, music artist, list of favorite radio stations closest to your location
- saving the song being played (streaming audio) for offline listening in mp3 format on your phone
- equalizer - allows you to balance out the shortcomings of broadcasting or headphones, making the sound of the broadcast comfortable specifically for your ears.
- setting a phone alarm: the specified music will play at a certain time
- auto shutdown timer
Another distinctive feature of Audials Radio is cross-platform. So it makes sense to additionally install the program on iOS devices and personal computers: this way you can broadcast your computer music library directly from your phone/tablet.
In the “Options” section you can configure the minimum and maximum bitrate of the FM radio, which will allow you to adjust to the current Internet speed. In addition, the “Longer Prebuffering” function will prevent various freezes when playing an audio channel.
Summary. Audials Radio stands out from other applications due to its extremely wide coverage of radio stations (both Western and Russian), as well as its cross-platform functionality. If this is exactly what you were missing in other clients, download the Audials Radio program for free from the link:
Audials Radio
A service capable of broadcasting in two modes - both with access to 2G, 3G and 4G networks, and without the Internet using a built-in antenna and a tuned signal. Regardless of your choice, there are more radio stations available than competitors can offer. According to the developers, the collection has long exceeded 65 thousand and is approaching a new anniversary.
In addition to the variety, the sound quality and elaboration of the available library are impressive. There are no radio stations here that ceased to exist or stopped broadcasting music a couple of years ago. Quite the opposite - Audials Radio conducts a strict round-the-clock selection of useful stations that will appeal to Mother Russia, the CIS countries and the other side of the ocean.
You may be interested in: VK Music
Radio Record on Android - software for electronic music lovers
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 3,7 |
A narrowly targeted application, it covers 18 audio streams from the famous Russian station Radio Record, which is aimed primarily at electronic dance music. However, 20 years later, the list included “Medlyak FM”, “Yo!”, “Rock FM” and even “Super Disco of the 90s”.
Radio Record app for Android
So you will find music that suits your musical tastes. Radio Record offers several FM channels for fans of electronic music - “Trap”, “Chill-Out”, “Dubstep” and others.
In addition to online stations, you can listen to playlists of various programs and individual music collections: “Record Megamix”, the “Tiesto” playlist or the “Kremov and Khrustalev” program.
Additional features to add:
- reading the latest news from the world of electronic music on the Internet
- stream recording in mp3 format
- online purchase of tickets for upcoming festivals organized by Radio Record.
Yandex.Radio - music station without talking on air
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 2,7 |
If you listen to the radio only to replace the music player, install this application. This is a convenient shell for streaming music from the Yandex.Music Internet service. This service from Yandex offers free listening to an inexhaustible music library, similar to the Western streaming service Spotify.
Yandex.Radio - online FM tuner
Choose a genre - rock, Russian rock, Eternal hits, etc. The choice of genres is large; for a complete list, see the settings (many are hidden by default). While listening to the radio, you can give ratings, they will influence the selections. You can create a personal station that will play your favorite music and share with friends. True, access is limited to CIS countries, so broadcasting is only possible from users of these latitudes.
The program has traffic saving options, an equalizer and a timer. It's easy to set special music for your alarm clock.
Is it possible to enable the radio module on Android devices without the Radio application?
By radio module we mean a software module that is responsible for the wireless Internet, Bluetooth and telephone parts in the system. Changes to its operation are made in the engineering menu, intended for experienced users. They will have to take responsibility for the consequences of interfering with the operating system.
Important! Incorrect actions can cause file system dysfunction and damage the phone. Service center specialists do not recommend interfering with the system or trying to connect the radio module on devices. If you cannot do without this, then it is better to turn to professionals.
Offline radio is a reality, not a myth. After purchasing one of the devices and installing the program, you can listen to music and programs even off the Internet. The user can choose a paid or free application and enjoy their favorite tracks.
*Prices in the article are for March 2021.
Tuneln Radio - radio for Android with a wide selection of channels
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,5 |
Tuneln Radio is the last app on the list, but the quality is not inferior to the rest of the participants. The client covers more than 100 thousand FM companies and 4 million podcasts from all over the world.
Tunel Radio Player
In the “Catalog” section of the main menu, select the desired audio channel, according to your preferences. In addition to searching for music stations by genre (the “Music” subsection), you can listen to popular (“Trend”), recently listened to, or local radio in your region.
In addition to music podcasts, Tuneln Radio also has audio channels on other topics. For example, in the “Sports” section you can select a sport (“NFL”, “Premier League” and others) and listen to commentators in the current match or the opinions of experts. Most of these programs are in English, but there are also popular Russian channels. Among them are “Sport FM” and “Zenith”.
In the Tuneln Radio settings you can specify the buffering time and buffer size, as well as the preferred broadcast stream. This will allow you to adapt the broadcast to the current Internet speed.
To get the full version of the Tuneln Radio program you will have to pay $10. But it's worth it.
How to listen to radio on your phone without the Internet?
To do this, you need to make sure whether your smartphone model has a built-in FM module. It seems like it should be everywhere. But that's not true. Sometimes the manufacturer programmatically disables its functionality. For example, modern iPhones are released without an activated FM chip and do not provide the ability to connect any types of antennas to the device.
Since most phones still have a chip, you can find a special application for playing radio without the Internet. But in this case, you will have to connect headphones to your smartphone, which will act as an antenna.
You can go to Play Market and download something from the following list:
- NextRadio
- TuneLn Radio
- iHeartMedia
Google Play Music - music player and client for listening to radio
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,1 |
The Google Play Music application is a music player and “receiver” in one bottle: you can listen to music in selected genres, buy and download to your phone and listen to fm radio online on Android.
Broadcast FM stream via Google Play Music
The main music feature of the Google Play Music application is that the player is linked to your Google account. By creating a playlist or selecting your favorite radio stations, you can conveniently use the application on any Android device.
For music lovers, Google Play Music offers storage of songs on the server - up to 50 thousand tracks. Each file can be downloaded locally to the phone.
Google Play Music does not contain advertising, the application is free for listening online to all songs without exception.
Russia FM AM Radio Station
Temporarily removed from Google Play
A service specializing in Russian FM radio stations with convenient search, thematic sections (sharing by music genre and type of broadcast is available - news, financial analytics, sports, entertainment) and free access even without advertising. Additionally, it is worth noting the presence of a night mode and a function for sorting your favorite radio stations - some can be added to “Favorites”, others to the “Black List” so as not to interfere.
Simple Radio from Streema - the best foreign Internet radio
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,5 |
Simple Radio by Streema is a convenient way to listen to foreign FM radio stations, AM Radio, and free ones. If you are looking for international airwaves for your phone, this is your choice.
Simple Radio - not quite a simple radio
The application provides access to 40,000 stations. You can listen to those that you have added to your Favorites. In addition, you can constantly discover new stations from any region around the world. Simple Radio combines many of the benefits of online radio with the simplicity of tuners of the past.
The interface is simple. Simple Radio has a search by genre: pop, rock, news, sports, etc. You can filter by country (for example, Russia), by genre, by format, by state or city (for example, New York or Los Angeles).
Simple Radio makes it easy to listen to music on your mobile devices.
Features of Simple Radio:
- Simple Radio makes it as easy as possible to search for radio stations and tune in to the airwaves. At the same time, other radio applications are difficult to manage, especially when it comes to filtering based on various criteria.
- Access to your favorites in one click. Simple Radio is convenient to switch to in any conditions - driving a car, cycling, etc.
- No buffering or interruptions in sound. Streema serves more than 5 million listeners per month, while Internet radio for Android, Simple Radio, has an unsurpassed level of stability and reliability.
TuneIn Radio - First among equals
TuneIn is perhaps the most popular program in this category. TuneIn Radio comes with over 100,000 Internet radio stations, as well as podcasts from anywhere in the world. In addition to music, TuneIn Radio has news, sports, comedy and much more. You can choose to listen to music of any genre and direction, and the application will give you a selection of radio stations. In addition, there is support for Google Assistant, so you can start the radio just by asking it.
Download: TuneIn Radio
Zaycev.FM application
| Advantages | Flaws | Grade |
|
| 4,8 |
“Zaitsev FM” combines a streaming platform and the capabilities of an offline player. The application contains 15 stations with different genres. There is music in Russian, relaxation, chanson, rap, rock, metal, jazz and other styles. For little listeners there is a children's radio wave.
Any broadcast can be recorded into an mp3 file so you can listen without the Internet - on the road, at work, while studying. The volume is actually limited only by the capacity of your SD card and 90 hours of airtime.
The application is quite convenient, there are playlists and a list of favorites - put a heart and get quick access. The design is pleasing to the eye, the search for stations works flawlessly. Users complain that Zaycev.FM is detected by some antiviruses as a Trojan, but in fact this is not the case. This bug has been fixed in the latest client update.
Radio record
The program is downloaded to your computer using an apk file, and some time ago the developers introduced a similar application for Android. The first dance radio station in Russia now works without an Internet connection. You get access to 70 additional Internet stations, have the ability to send instant free messages to the studio and add your favorite tracks and podcasts to the “Favorites” category.
The broadcast history provides a search for a remembered track, the application’s interface is convenient and minimalistic, so on an intuitive level the user will quickly figure out how to work with the application and customize it for themselves.
| Required Android version | 4.1 and higher |
| Developer | Record |
| Size, in MB | 8,5 |
Price: free.
pros
- adding your favorite track and podcast;
- search by broadcast history;
- instant messaging;
- simple and clear bright interface;
- functionality is no worse than software on a computer;
- does not require internal purchases and a lot of memory space;
- works offline.
Minuses
- not found.
The app is cool, but the buffering is just terrible. I used to sin on the Internet, but it turned out that the application works great without a network. It was a matter of lags in the system itself, I wrote to the developers, but they sorted it out with grief. I left the app out of respect for the radio and access to a really cool interface. I don’t listen to it often anymore, but I’m giving it a second chance!
How to turn on standard fm radio for Android (without internet)
Many Android smartphones and tablets have a transmitter installed. This allows you to listen to the radio autonomously, without installing additional components. Ordinary headphones are used as an antenna, and the connection quality is quite good and allows you to pick up signals from popular radio stations in your country.
First you need to check if there is such a transmitter in your phone. Google whether your mobile device supports this function (by searching for “fm tuner”, “fm transmitter” + the name of your phone).
The Android operating system includes a standard FM radio application. It uses a built-in tuner, allowing you to listen to broadcasts without the Internet.
The standard program is very simple and essentially simulates an analog FM receiver. On the main screen of FM Radio there is a power button and a scale with frequencies. By clicking the arrows you move from one frequency to another. You can add your favorite stations to the Quick Access Toolbar. A recording of the broadcast is also available in the application - so you can listen to the recordings of the broadcast offline - that is, without connecting to the Internet.
In the settings you can enable radio text and configure an alternative broadcast frequency.
In general, a standard radio that works without the Internet is the best choice for Android, provided that the phone has an FM tuner.
How to find offline radio in the Play Store: list of popular applications
Radio applications for Android without the Internet are not as widespread as their counterparts with online broadcasting. The most common ones are described below.
Spirit1 Real Radio
The authors have developed two versions of the utility: Spirit1 and Spirit2. Installation is only possible on a limited number of smartphones (those with Qualcomm, Broadcom, Texas Instruments and Samsung Silicon Labs chipsets).
Note! For the application to function normally, you must have superuser rights, and the primary version of the utility does not work with the Android 5.0 operating system. The peculiarity is due to the lack of regular updates; the last time it happened was in 2016.
The radio application has a broadcast recording function, equalizer support and RDS data. It allows you to search for music and educational channels (talk format).
The main problem for users arises from the lack of a Russian-language version, but the intuitive interface is easy to master even for beginners. To move to the next radio wave, just click on the arrows or slider. There you can change the volume level, configure the tuner, etc.
Despite the simplicity of the interface, the application has its negative and positive qualities. The list of advantages includes the following indicators:
- if you have a radio module, you can listen to any radio stations without a constant connection to the Network;
- there is functionality for recording broadcasts;
- a large number of subsettings that replace an alternative application (except for the standard Radio Android);
- small size of both the installation file and the utility itself.
Negative sides:
- paid use. When downloading through the Play Market, you will have to pay about 350 rubles*;
- for normal operation the user must have root rights;
- The first version is not compatible with the Android operating system 5.0 and higher versions;
- the second option has fewer options compared to the previous one.
In addition to the specified application, you can download competing software for radio on your Android phone. All of them require the use of a special UTV device to receive the signal.
Spirit1 Real Radio
Note! Modern devices do not have a UTV antenna; it was only included in older smartphones. If it is not available, you can use special headphones.
Audials Radio
The service broadcasts in two modes:
- when connected to a 2,3, 4G network;
- without the Internet via the built-in radio antenna, but subject to a tuned signal.
The utility provides more features than its competitors. The collection of stations includes more than 65 thousand points and is constantly updated. It is impossible to find radio stations that ceased to exist several years ago. The developers are constantly selecting workable and interesting stations that are known both on Russian territory and in the CIS countries, as well as in Europe or the USA.
Audials Radio
Important! The available library and high-quality sound characteristics will appeal to even the most demanding user.
Pcradio
The platform, designed to work with domestic and foreign stations, has a built-in improved equalizer. It allows you to make changes to multiple actions through scrolling sliders and parallel testing. The utility has an alarm clock and a sleep timer.
Among the advantageous characteristics are visual style with an intuitive interface, choice of quality and modes. The user can get acquainted with new and unexplored stations via the Internet or without access to it. Pcradio is active without a SIM card in your tablet or phone.
Pcradio
Note! The serious disadvantages of the utility include its technical implementation. Many errors and spontaneous reset of already installed settings during subsequent startup seriously irritate music lovers.
Hello World Radio
The simplest design of the program does not affect its quality characteristics. Using the application, you can gain free access to 252 stations from different regions of the Russian Federation, 52 of which are in the Moscow range.
The functionality includes a special voice recorder that records the broadcast, small requirements for the amount of physical and RAM memory, and background playback without secondary settings. The disadvantages include a confusing interface; the utility lacks clarity.
Radio Russia
The first impression of the platform is negative. The problem is related to the half-empty menu; in competing applications it is 2-3 times larger. The application does not have an alarm clock, timer, additional buttons or drop-down menu, and you cannot watch TV on it.
The presence of 250 options, colorful design, a search bar with tags and secondary parameters, plus a tab with recommendations smooth out the initial rejection. But after starting the player, all the shortcomings fade into the background, since there are no problems with broadcasting, the utility works without failures and surprises in the form of interruption of broadcasting or failure of settings.
Radio Russia
Results. What is the best client for listening to radio?
In fact, there is no ideal player. You decide which stations to listen to. However, we summarize our review with brief recommendations.
- If you want to save traffic or the wifi connection is weak, install PCRadio and Audials Radio clients on your phone. Both applications broadcast radio without headphones, have useful functions, streaming quality settings and a large supply of FM stations.
- If you like electronic music, pay attention to Radio Record - it is great for streaming this genre non-stop.
- Yandex.Radio is the best client for Android if you are only interested in music and are not interested in the broadcast function itself. The service from Yandex offers a huge library of artists and genres.
- Tuneln Radio will interest you if you need a client without the Internet and download podcasts. This client also offers a huge selection of sports radio stations.
- Simple Radio is the best internet radio for Android users learning English. Using this player, you will select an online station in the language you are learning and with the desired pronunciation difficulty.
In general, discover new horizons in the FM music industry, listen to your favorite music comfortably and read reviews of useful mobile applications on the website softdroid.net.
