The 15 Best Internet Radio Stations of 2018

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.

You'll hear 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.

What We Like:

• Includes lyrics to some songs

• Provides a full screen listening experience

What We Don’t Like:

• Shows only the three most recently played tracks

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

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.

Based out of London and running since 2004, NSB Radio is by far the best internet radio station for dance, dubstep, techno, house, and related music. They broadcast live every day of the week.

What We Like:

• Past shows are archived and available as free MP3s

• Includes links to listen in iTunes and other media players

What We Don’t Like:

• No native app for listening from a mobile device

• Doesn’t show song names

Works With: Web, TuneIn Apps, SHOUTcast Apps

NSB Radio isn’t just a radio station where you passively listen to awesome music. You can also request shout-outs and songs for the DJs to play, and chat with other NSB users.

One of the best ways to find new indie music is with this internet radio station from SomaFM. The DJ hand-picks all the best indie songs she can find, and lets you listen directly from your browser or with your favorite media player.

Some of the artists and bands streamed on this radio station include Amanda Cadore, Alvvays, Aloha, Polica, Carroll, Paranoids, Violents and Monica Martin, Beck, and Neko Case.

What We Like:

• It’s a commercial-free radio station

• Offers multiple ways to listen

• Shows the 20 most recently played songs

• The browser player includes a sleep timer

What We Don’t Like:

• Isn’t 100 percent reliable considering it runs on donations and store purchases

• The iOS mobile app isn’t free

Works With: Web, iOS, Windows Phone

SomaFM’s Indie Pop Rocks radio station shows all the artists they’ve played in the last two weeks so that you can not only see which artists were played more than others but also get a link to their tracks on Amazon.

Something else you can do is add songs to a list of your favorites, from where you can easily purchase them.

Based out of Texas, KEAN 105.1 FM is the best internet radio station to stream 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.

What We Like:

• Runs on a web browser or mobile device

• Dozens of the recently played songs are listed on their site where you can buy the tracks on iTunes.

What We Don’t Like:

• The station quits playing if you navigate anywhere else on their website

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

Most internet radio stations have their music play in a pop-out window or as 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. Unfortunately, that’s not how KEAN 105.1 works.

We can’t have a list of the best online radio stations without one that focuses solely on oldies. This one plays only rock and roll from the 60’s and 70’s.

You're hear the likes of The Beach Boys, Wings, Cheap Trick, Rose Royce, The Clovers, Golden Earring, and many others.

What We Like:

• Shows the past 10 played songs here

• Streams from more than one site

What We Don’t Like:

• The official stream doesn’t run in a browser​

Works With: Web

To listen to this internet radio station from the official website, you have to download the PLS file from the link below. The playlist can be opened in programs like VLC and iTunes, but it won’t stream from your browser like most radio stations.

That being said, the same stream is live from radio.net, meaning you can use that website to listen, as well as play the station on your phone or tablet with the radio.net app. There’s a radio app for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry.

Tip: If you use radio.net to listen to this internet radio station, you’ll find purchase links to Amazon and iTunes to buy the tracks.

If you’re in the habit of buying soundtrack CDs from your favorite films, 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, Guardians of the Galaxy, Call the Midwife, Last Chance Harvey, War for the Planet of the Apes, and many others.

What We Like:

• Shows the movie or series the song is known from

• Purchase links are available

• Lets you listen from a browser or mobile app

What We Don’t Like:

• Plays mainly orchestra music

• The movie/show the track is from isn’t listed on the same page as the player

Works With: Web, iOS, Android, Windows Phone

To elaborate on the con listed above: there’s one page on the Cinemix site where you listen to the radio station, and within the player is the artist and name of the song. However, to see the movie or series the song is from, and to get the link to purchase the song or soundtrack, you have to open the NowPlaying page.

If you become a VIP member, you can see the 20 most recently played songs instead of just a few, as well as dedicate and request songs, and more.

Instrumental Hits Radio has been delivering a "blend of instrumental genres" in the form of a radio station since 2013. If you're looking for something non-distracting for work or studying, this is what you need.

Some of the music you'll hear on this radio station include classical, big band, new-age, lounge, orchestral, jazz, and more.

What We Like:

• 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

What We Don't Like:

• Can't "favorite" music on the website to refer to later

Works With: Web, iOS, Android, BlackBerry

The mobile app for Instrumental Hits Radio supports some features not found on their website, like the ability to favorite tracks, shut off the radio with a sleep timer, and view YouTube videos for past songs.

KIDJAM! Radio features music a bit more appropriate for a younger crowd. It's aimed at kids years 8–12, with occasional messages to educate children and encourage them to make wise decisions.

This radio station plays "regular" music from known artists, but also has remixes of popular songs performed by kids.

What We Like:

• Avoids mature content
• Void of typical "buy this" commercials
• Kids can request a song to be played
• Musicians can submit their own music

What We Don't Like:

• The web player is extremely bare
• No history of past songs

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

The KIDJAM! Radio mobile app can rewind 10 seconds and shows the currently playing song, neither of which are supported in the web player.

Launched in the early '80s, K-LOVE, which focuses solely on Christian music, is today one of the world's top-streamed online radio stations. The same radio station is delivered over FM radio in numerous U.S. cities.

Every week, millions of online listeners can hear music from artists and bands like MercyMe, Rend Collective, Francesca Battistelli, Skillet, for KING & COUNTRY, Chris Tomlin, Micah Tyler, Lauren Daigle, and more.

What We Like:

• Displays recently played songs
• Provides links to buy songs
• Shows lyrics for recent tracks
• Includes briefs on local and national news
• Artist info is shown in the browser player

What We Don't Like:

• Often lots of talk between songs

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

The K-LOVE mobile app only shows four recently played songs, but it also as a Verse of the Day page and information on all the artists played on the radio station.

If you're one to work out, you know that not all radio stations are always a great fit, which is why GYM Radio was born. All the tracks at this radio station are curated especially for someone needing that extra boost when exercising.

Music on this radio station is from bands and singers like Breaking Benjamin, Eminem, Linkin Park, From Ashes to New, Pendulum, Bridge to Grace, and others.

What We Like:

• The website is minimal and ad-free

What We Don't Like:

• Unable to see recently played songs
• No mobile apps
• The music in the free station probably isn't updated as often as in the paid versions

Works With: Web

GYM Radio Pro is the paid edition of this internet radio station where you can subscribe to multiple music streams with different kinds of workout songs personalized for your gym. Plus, you can insert your own ads into the radio for your customers to hear.

There's a $99 /month option to get branded quotes, weekly updates, and one music stream. Or, you can go with the $179 /month or $199 /month option for more streams or support for multiple gyms.

Based out of Santa Claus Village in Finland, where Santa is around all year long, is the Radio Santa Claus station where Christmas music is blasted all year, no matter where you live.

The Christmas music here comes from singers like Colbie Caillat, Bob Dylan, Karma, Dean Martin, Sara Bareilles, Andrea Bocelli, and children's choirs, among others.

What We Like:

• 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

What We Don't Like:

• Doesn't show a playlist of recently played tracks

Works With: Web and Android

The Android app for Radio Santa Claus 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.

Jazz24 is a KNKX Public Radio station that streams jazz music online and locally in Tacoma, WA, on 88.5 FM.

This online radio station plays jazz from artists like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Diana Krall, and Pat Metheny, among others.

What We Like:

• Commercial-free listening
• Mobile access
• Long-term playlist history
• Old sessions can be replyayed on demand

What We Don't Like:

• The website is difficult to navigate

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

The Jazz24 mobile app has an alert feature you can enable to start playing jazz automatically when the timer goes off.

If you want to listen to his jazz radio station from your own media player, you can do that, too, with one of these URL streams.

Relax FM is a radio station out of Moscow, Russia, that features instrumental, English, and foreign music that's sure to relax you. 

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.

What We Like:

• The curated selection is amazing
• Great place to find new chill music
• Plays relaxing versions of popular music
• Shows the current song

What We Don't Like:

• There isn't a playlist of recently played songs

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

The apps linked above are from radio.net because the official Relax FM apps (iOS and Android) are in Russian. You can stream this radio station from radio.net, too.

Hot 108 JAMZ is part of a network of internet radio stations called Powerhitz, but streams only hip hop music. Although this network includes other stations unrelated to rap, a different Program Director curates music for this station every day.

Some artists you'll hear at Hot 108 JAMZ include Rihanna, Drake, 2 Pac, Lil Donald, Meek Mill, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Mariah Carey, Usher, 50 Cent, The Carters, and Rich Gang.

What We Like:

• Shows the five most recently played songs
• You can chat with other listeners
• Songwriters can submit their own music
• Lists tracks that were added recently
• Lets you purchase music on Amazon and iTunes
• Several places to listen from

What We Don't Like:

• Includes commercials
• Songs can't be saved to a list of favorites

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

If you follow the Direct Links page on the Hot 108 JAMZ website, you can download a PLS or ASX file to stream this radio station in your own music player like iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.

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 "favorite" option.

Hot 108 JAMZ also accepts shout-outs and song requests.

Metal Nation Radio is the place to be if you're a heavy metal fan. Broadcasting from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, you'll hear death metal, hard rock, classic rock, and other similar genres.

Sweep, Hatebreed, Luniz, Type O Negative, Butcher Babies, Jinjer, and Vic are a few examples of who you'll hear music from at Metal Nation Radio.

This metal radio station has several DJs that curate all the music you'll hear. You can check the schedule and playlist of upcoming shows to see what's happening at this radio station.

What We Like:

• Sticks to metal and similar genres only
• Several recently played tracks are shown

What We Don't Like:

• There are commercials
• No way to purchase songs you hear in the web player

Works With: Web, iOS, Android

You can build a list of your favorite music from the Metal Nation Radio mobile app, by "liking" any song you hear. The app also lets you browse through recently played songs and purchase them or play them on YouTube, as well as set a sleep timer to shut of the radio at a certain time.

This metal radio station can also be streamed from any player that accepts PLS or ASX files, as well as from other websites like Radioguide.FM, Streema, and InternetRadio.