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How to listen to live radio on a Sonos speaker

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What is missing in your world of audio entertainment? Why, a bit of live radio, of course..

If you have a Sonos system Sonos vs. Chromecast Audio:Which One Is Best For You? sonos vs. Chromecast Audio:Which is the best for you? A lot of people seem to think that Sonos and Chromecast Audio are the same thing, but we'd be wrong. While their main purpose might be the same, the differences between them are huge... Read More But did you know you can also tune in using a URL?

Read on and we'll show you how to add radio apps to your Sonos, tell you what the best apps are right now, and explain how to use the URL feature to launch.

How to add a radio service to the Sonos app

You can add a radio service to Sonos from the desktop and mobile apps. To save boring you all, we're just going to explain how to do this on the desktop.

To get started, launch the Sonos app and install any pending updates.

Once you are looking at the home screen of the app, locate Select a music source Panel on the right side of the window. Here you will see all your existing services. At the bottom of the list, click Add music services .

How to listen to live radio on a Sonos speaker

Scroll down the long list of services until you find the radio app you want to add. Click on the name of the application.

Depending on the service, you may need to enter your login credentials and give Sonos permission to access your account. Click on any Configure [Service] or Authorize .

When you have completed the setup process, you will find the radio app in the list of music services. Click on the app name to start using it.

Top 3 Radio Apps on Sonos

So now that you know how to add radio services to your Sonos app, let's see which ones are worth adding.

1. TuneInRadio

It's impossible not to start a list of the best radio apps with TuneIn Radio. It comes pre-installed on your system and gives you access to all the live radio you could want.

With 100,000 radio stations available, the scope of content is nearly endless. The company has established partnerships with many famous North American broadcasters, including CBC, ESPN, C-SPAN, and NPR.

It also offers worldwide programming. You can listen to everything from the local news in Mumbai to the latest hits in Bolivia.

Lastly, the service is a great way to listen to live sports. The English Premier League, NFL and MLB all have play-by-play streaming deals with TuneIn.

Away from live radio, TuneIn also offers more than four million on-demand shows and podcasts.

2. DAR.fm

As enjoyable as live radio can be, there is also a lot of crap that you should try to avoid. If you only enjoy one particular presenter or presenter, the dross quickly becomes frustrating.

DAR.fm offers a solution by allowing you to record your favorite shows. You can pre-program the recordings in advance and listen to them at your leisure. You can also download programs and take them with you on portable devices.

How to listen to live radio on a Sonos speaker

There is a lot of popular content in the app. Including shows known as Sorry to interrupt (ESPN), Hardball with Chris Matthews (MSNBC), andBBC Global News .

Unfortunately, while DAR.fm is free to use in a web browser, you must pay an annual subscription fee of $49.95 to use the app on third-party devices like Sonos. Which sucks.

3. Calm Radio

Radio doesn't have to be all about listening to the latest crap coming out of Justin Bieber's hole. It can also be a source of relaxation and calm. 8 Calming Chrome Tools for Relaxing Music and Sounds. 8 Calming Chrome Tools for Relaxing Music and Sounds. Now that the holidays are over, it's time to relax. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your browsing with these Chrome apps and extensions. Read more.

Calma Radio is the best “peaceful radio” app in sonos system. It offers more than 250 channels across genres such as acoustic, classical, jazz, ambient, country music, and classical composers.

In addition, it offers atmospheric channels. They are specifically designed for activities such as work, sleep and meditation. 6 mindful meditation apps that will improve your life. 6 mindful meditation apps that will improve your life. Living a more mindful life through meditation can have amazing positive effects. Try it with these apps. Read more . There's even one for those unlucky people who suffer from tinnitus.

All music is streamed at 192 kHz, which is the quality equivalent to CDs.

Using URLs to listen to live radio

Sonos offers a second way to listen to live radio in real time. By using its URL feature, you can listen to stations that are not available using the radio apps mentioned above.

For this to work, you need to make sure that the stream you want to add is available in MP3, AAC, or WMA format.

Second, you'll need the URL of the radio stations How to Find the Best Internet Radio Stations How to Find the Best Internet Radio Stations In this article, we explain why you might want to start (or go back to) listening to the radio from Internet. as well as showing you how to find the best internet radio stations for you. Read More Some stations make their URLs available on their websites.

If the URL is not on the website, try opening the station and then right-click on the Play button. If you see Properties Click on it and you will see the URL. You can also try using a third party application like URL Snooper.

If you still can't find it, you'll need to contact the station directly.

How to listen to live radio on a Sonos speaker

Once you have the URL for the radio, activate the Sonos app and navigate to Manage> Add Radio Station . Enter the URL in the Streaming URL Box and give the station a name. When you're ready, click OK .

To listen to your newly added station, open TuneIn Radio from your list of music sources, then select My Radio Stations . Right click on the station and select Add to Sonos Favorites to put a shortcut to your station on the home page of the Sonos app.

Note: You can't add a radio station URL to Sonos using the mobile apps, but you can listen to them in mobile apps once you've added them to the desktop app.

You can now listen to live radio with Sonos

Hopefully, you're now comfortable adding radio apps to your Sonos system, and you know how to use the URL radio feature to listen to live radio on your Sonos speaker. Use both and you're sure to take your Sonos experience to the next level.