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Stream your favorite radio stations online or let iHeartRadio build you one.
iHeartRadio is a free Internet radio service that offers both live radio stations and custom stations tailored to a user’s music tastes. It offers live streams from local stations as well as the ability to create custom radio stations from an expansive library.
Dawn Daniels is an assistant publisher with finder.com, based out of Oregon. Her background includes editing more than 40 published books, including Financial Fitness: 21 Easy Exercises to Get Your Personal Finances in Shape Fast by Dr. Vi Scott. In her spare time, Dawn enjoys hiking ridiculous distances and collapsing in exhaustion.
Listen to live radio streams from stations around the world
Play songs on demand with paid subscriptions
Cons
Free subscribers can’t choose to listen to specific songs — only playlists
Plus subscription is only available on iOS and Android
What features does iHeartRadio support?
Features include:
Custom radio stations
Select a genre, mood, artist or song and iHeartRadio will build you a custom radio station from a library of millions of tracks. And you can adjust how much emphasis iHeartRadio should place on new versus familiar artists using the service’s Discovery Tuner tool.
And iHeartRadio will create a “My Favorites Radio” station based on the songs and artists you listen to most.
Live radio
Tune in to live radio broadcasts from stations all over the world.
Entertainment news
iHeartRadio also maintains a feed of the hottest happenings in the world of music. From the latest tour dates to the new viral music video tearing up the YouTube charts, the quick-hit coverage is a handy way of keeping up-to-date with the biggest news in the music industry.
Podcasts
Podcasts and music go hand in hand these days, so it’s no surprise that iHeartRadio includes a variety of podcasts covering topics like food, politics, sports and more.
iHeartRadio Family
Available online or as a standalone app built for kids between the ages of 4 and 11, iHeartRadio Family offers curated music from kid-friendly artists like Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. It also includes songs and educational programming featuring characters like Thomas the Tank Engine, Elmo and Dora the Explorer.
What are the live events?
iHeartRadio runs and sponsors live music events all around the world featuring artists like Taylor Swift, Camila Cabello and 5SOS. These range from fan meet-and-greets to full-blown concerts. If you can’t make it to an event in person, the iHeartRadio website posts all the news, photos and videos from iHeartRadio Live events for you to browse at your leisure.
But subscribing to the streaming service doesn’t get you free tickets, and the events can be pricey. When we checked in October 2019, tickets for the upcoming Jingle Ball concert in NYC ranged from $174 to $5,113.
What can I listen to on iHeartRadio?
The service offers millions of tracks, with big-name artists like Lizzo, Shawn Mendes and Post Malone. It also streams radio stations from all over the country.
If you’ve bought your fair share of CDs and MP3s over the years, use Spotify to play music files on your device. This saves you from managing multiple music libraries and media players.
But it’s worth mentioning that the free iHeartRadio tier restricts you to skipping a maximum of six songs every hour per station, up to a total maximum of fifteen skips per day across all stations. And picking specific songs to listen to is limited to the paid tiers.
What devices are compatible with iHeartRadio?
iHeartRadio is compatible with a wide range of devices.
Mobile
Android devices
iOS devices
Web player
Internet Explorer 11 and above
Firefox 52 and above
Google Chrome 62 and above
Microsoft Edge 15and above
Safari 10and above
TV
Apple TV (v1.2.0)
Android TV
Samsung TV
Vizio TV
LG TV
TiVo
Video game systems
Xbox One
Smart home device compatibility
iHeartRadio is available on the following smart home devices:
Amazon Dot. Available with a subscription.
Amazon Echo. Available with a subscription.
Google Home Hub. Stream live iHeartRadio stations with Chromecast built in.
How much does iHeartRadio cost?
Tier
Cost per month
Features
Basic
$0
Live radio
Personalized artist radio stations
Podcast library
Plus
$4.99
Live radio
Personalized artist radio stations
Podcast library
Unlimited song skips
Play songs and albums on demand
Save and replay songs from the radio
All Access
$9.99
Live radio
Personalized artist radio stations
Podcast library
Unlimited song skips
Play songs and albums on demand
Save and replay songs from the radio
Create unlimited playlists
Download and listen to songs offline
Family plan
$14.99
All Access plan for up to 5 family members
Is All Access worth it?
It depends on how and where you listen. If you want the ability to listen without using up your data or when you don’t have access to the internet, like while hiking, the All Access plan is worth the monthly fee.
If you’re a dedicated music fan with unlimited data and you’re rarely anywhere without 4G, the Plus plan may be the best deal for you. It allows you to pick and choose what songs you want to listen to and skip as many songs as you want on artist playlists.
Compare over 10 music streaming services
Updated January 27th, 2020
Case study: Gabrielle's experience
Gabrielle Pastorek
Writer
I downloaded the free version of iHeartRadio when I moved out of range of my favorite radio stations. I love that I can listen to any station I want using this app, plus create playlists, catch podcasts, listen offline and connect to Bluetooth — all for free. Just like listening to the radio, though, you have to bear with commercials and ads. But if you’re looking for an app that’s easy to use and take on the go, the occasional ad seems like a small price to pay.
I use the iHeartRadio app for basic functions: to listen to the radio while I’m in my barn without Wi-Fi and for the occasional workout playlist. But I understand there are plenty of bells and whistles, especially with the paid version, if you’re looking for more.
Bottom line
If you’re a fan of listening to the radio, then iHeartRadio is for you. If you prefer to pick and choose which songs you want to listen to, then you’ll need to either choose a paid subscription or compare other streaming services.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use iHeartRadio’s like and dislike buttons at any time to indicate what you think about a particular song. For a live radio station, this will provide valuable feedback for what’s hot and what’s not. For custom stations, liking a track will cause it and similar tracks to show up more often while disliking a track will ensure it is no longer included in future playlists.
You’ll be billed once a month. The exact day depends on when you sign up for the service — when you sign up, you’ll be told on what day your plan auto-renews.
Yes, you can tune in to radio stations all over the country — no matter where you’re located.
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