Source-checked guide · October 2026
Best internet radio apps for Mac, compared from sources
The best internet radio app for a Mac depends on what you need. Apple's Music app already plays Apple Music radio and any stream URL you give it. For a dedicated Mac app, Broadcasts, Triode and Eter all document menu-bar control or a menu-bar mode and CarPlay on the iPhone. PoRaBar puts radio, podcasts, YouTube livestreams and Audiobookshelf in one Mac menu-bar player. TuneIn and Radio Garden are websites on a Mac, and myTuner's Mac app is a separate paid listing last updated in 2018. Every row below carries a source and a date. Nothing is guessed.
Compared option by option
Eight Mac listening options compared on documented platform support, menu-bar behavior, CarPlay, podcasts, source breadth, and pricing model; unverified capabilities remain Unknown.
| Client | Relationship | Platforms | Menu-bar behavior | CarPlay | Podcasts | Source breadth | Pricing model | What the sources establish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Music | Native Apple option | macOS | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Known exact HTTP(S) internet-stream URLs; Apple radio | Built into macOS; no Apple Music subscription required for a known stream URL | Apple documents opening an exact HTTP(S) internet-stream URL in Music on Mac and says Apple Music radio can play without a subscription, with an Apple Account signed in; the reviewed sources do not establish a searchable open station directory. Source 1 |
| PoRaBar | PoRaBar product | macOS 13+, iOS 17+ | Mac menu-bar player | CarPlay audio screen on iPhone: radio, podcasts, Audiobookshelf | Podcasts with offline episode downloads | Internet radio, Podcasts, Live YouTube videos, livestreams, and playlists, Audiobookshelf | 60-day free trial; one-time purchase | PoRaBar's typed product facts and current product page establish internet radio on macOS 13+ and iOS 17+, with the Mac player living in the menu bar alongside its other documented audio sources. The CarPlay screen is documented in the app's own CarPlay reference. Source 1Source 2 |
| Broadcasts | Independent Apple-platform app | Mac (macOS 15+), iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision, Apple TV, Apple Watch | Menu-bar control on Mac | CarPlay, via iPhone | Live podcast streams added by URL | Station Browser by country, genre and world map, plus manual stream URLs | Limited free library; monthly or yearly subscription, or a legacy one-time purchase, for the full library | The App Store documents control from the Mac menu bar, iCloud and Universal Purchase, CarPlay, Shortcuts, AppleScript, the Station Browser, manual stream URLs and live podcasts; it lists a monthly and a yearly subscription plus a legacy one-time purchase. Source 1 |
| Triode | Independent Apple-platform app | macOS 13+, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | Menu-bar playback controls | CarPlay and Siri Shortcuts | Unknown | Curated stations, thousands-of-stations search, and manual stream URLs | Free with no ads; optional monthly or yearly subscription, or one-time lifetime purchase | The Mac App Store documents curated stations, search across thousands of stations, manual stream URLs, CarPlay, and release notes for menu-bar playback controls; it does not establish menubar-only operation. Source 1 |
| Eter | Independent Apple-platform app | macOS 13.5+, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch | Optional menu-bar mode without a Dock icon, in the paid tier | CarPlay, free | Unknown | Hand-picked stations, radio-browser.info search and manual stream URLs | Free download; one-time in-app purchase for favorites, history, menu-bar mode and sleep timer | The App Store documents a universal app that searches the radio-browser.info database and plays any stream URL. It says listening on any Apple device, including CarPlay, is free, and that a one-time in-app purchase adds favorites, history, a Mac menu-bar mode and a sleep timer. Source 1 |
| myTuner Radio | Independent radio service and app | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch; separate Mac listing: myTuner Radio Pro (macOS 10.10+, last updated 2018); the iOS app is not verified for macOS | Menu-bar app, per the 2018 Mac listing | CarPlay, per the iOS listing | 1m+ podcasts | 50,000+ stations, 200+ countries and territories, and 1m+ podcasts | iOS app free with ads, with subscription and ad-free options; the Mac listing is a separate paid app | myTuner's product page and FAQ document its catalogue, broad device support, visual ads and ad-free options. The iOS listing is not verified for macOS; the Mac App Store has a separate paid app, myTuner Radio Pro, whose listing describes a menu-bar radio and was last updated in 2018. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 |
| Radio Garden | Independent radio service and app | Web (radio.garden), iPhone and iPad; not verified for macOS | None documented | Unknown | None documented | Live stations explored by rotating a globe | Free; optional Premium in-app purchases | Radio Garden's site describes exploring live radio by rotating the globe. Its App Store listing is marked designed for iPad and not verified for macOS, so the Mac route is the website; the listing documents no menu-bar mode, CarPlay or podcasts. Source 1Source 2 |
| TuneIn | Independent radio service and app | Web (tunein.com), iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision, Apple Watch | None documented | CarPlay | On-demand podcasts, plus audiobooks | 100,000+ stations from 197+ countries, plus sports, news, podcasts and audiobooks | Free with ads; optional Premium subscription | TuneIn's App Store listing documents 100,000+ live stations, on-demand podcasts, CarPlay and a Premium subscription. Its compatibility list names no Mac app, so the Mac route is tunein.com in a browser. Source 1Source 2Source 3 |
What each option is best suited to
- Apple Music is the simplest native answer when you have the exact HTTP(S) internet-stream URL, and it plays Apple Music radio with an Apple Account but without a subscription. The reviewed sources do not turn Music into a searchable open station directory.
- PoRaBar fits when internet radio belongs in the same Mac menu-bar player as podcasts, live YouTube videos, livestreams and playlists, and Audiobookshelf. Its maintained product facts cover macOS 13+ and iOS 17+.
- Broadcasts documents control from the Mac menu bar, a Station Browser, manual stream URLs, iCloud sync and CarPlay. Its full library needs a subscription or a legacy one-time purchase.
- Triode documents a curated directory, search across thousands of stations, manual URLs, CarPlay, and menu-bar playback controls on Mac. That is not evidence that Triode is menubar-only.
- Eter searches the radio-browser.info database and plays any stream URL. A Mac menu-bar mode without a Dock icon is part of its one-time paid tier, while CarPlay listening is free.
- myTuner Radio publishes a catalogue of 50,000+ stations across 200+ countries and territories plus 1m+ podcasts. On the Mac App Store it is a separate paid app, myTuner Radio Pro, whose listing was last updated in 2018.
- Radio Garden is a way to explore live stations by rotating a globe. On a Mac that means the website, because its App Store listing is not verified for macOS.
- TuneIn has the largest catalogue here, with 100,000+ stations plus podcasts, sports, news and audiobooks. Its App Store listing names no Mac app, so on a Mac you use tunein.com in a browser.
Use the step-by-step guide to listening to radio on a Mac if you want to begin with the built-in route. If podcasts matter more than radio, see the podcast app comparison. For PoRaBar's broader product context, return to the PoRaBar overview.
Pricing models, without brittle amounts
The comparison deliberately records pricing models rather than exact amounts, because store prices change by country and over time. Apple Music radio is part of macOS. Broadcasts, Triode and Eter list a free download with in-app purchases: subscriptions or a one-time purchase for Broadcasts and Triode, and a one-time purchase for Eter. TuneIn and Radio Garden list a free download with Premium purchases. myTuner's iOS app is free with ads, and its Mac app is a separate paid listing. PoRaBar has a 60-day free trial followed by a one-time purchase.
“Unknown” and “None documented” mean the dated primary sources did not establish the capability. They never mean the capability is absent. The sources were checked on 27 October 2026, so confirm details on the store page before you buy. Apps change.
Internet radio on Mac: common questions
What is the best internet radio app for Mac?
It depends on the job. Music is already on your Mac and plays Apple Music radio and any stream URL. Broadcasts, Triode and Eter are dedicated radio apps with Mac menu-bar control and CarPlay on iPhone. PoRaBar suits you if radio should share one menu-bar player with podcasts, YouTube livestreams and Audiobookshelf. The table above lists what each one documents. Start there.
Is there a free internet radio app for Mac?
Apple Music radio is built into macOS and needs an Apple Account but no subscription. Broadcasts, Triode, Eter, TuneIn and Radio Garden each list a free download with optional purchases. PoRaBar has a 60-day free trial, followed by a one-time purchase. Free tiers differ in what they include, so read the pricing column and the store page. Prices change.
Which radio apps for Mac have a menu bar player?
According to the reviewed sources: PoRaBar is a Mac menu-bar player, Broadcasts documents control from the Mac menu bar, Triode documents menu-bar playback controls, and Eter has a menu-bar mode in its one-time paid tier. myTuner Radio Pro lists a menu-bar radio but was last updated in 2018. Apple Music, Radio Garden and TuneIn document none. That is all.
Which internet radio apps work with CarPlay?
The reviewed sources document CarPlay for Broadcasts, Triode, Eter, TuneIn, myTuner (iOS app) and the PoRaBar iPhone app. Eter says CarPlay listening is free. For Radio Garden and for Apple Music the reviewed sources did not establish it. CarPlay runs from the iPhone. None of this depends on a Mac app.
Can I get podcasts in a Mac radio app?
TuneIn, myTuner and PoRaBar document podcasts. Broadcasts plays live podcast streams you add by URL but documents no on-demand podcast library. For Triode, Eter and Radio Garden the reviewed sources do not mention podcasts. If podcasts are the main job, compare dedicated podcast apps as well. Start with the podcast guide.
Is there a native Mac app for TuneIn or Radio Garden?
Not according to their App Store listings. TuneIn names no Mac in its compatibility list, and Radio Garden is marked designed for iPad and not verified for macOS. On a Mac you use tunein.com or radio.garden in a browser. That works without installing anything.
Try PoRaBar only if the menu-bar trade fits
PoRaBar offers a 60-day free trial followed by a one-time purchase. Test its radio workflow on your own Mac before choosing it over a dedicated radio app.