Native method first · October 2026
How to listen to radio on a Mac
You can listen to radio on a Mac without installing an app. Open Music, click Radio in the sidebar and play an Apple Music radio station; you need to be signed in with an Apple Account, but not subscribed to Apple Music. For any other station, choose File > Open Stream URL in Music and enter the station's full http:// or https:// stream address, or open its web player in a browser. If you want a station list in the menu bar, use an app such as PoRaBar.
Option 1: play Apple Music radio in Music
- Open the Music app on your Mac and sign in to your Apple Account.
- Click Radio below Apple Music in the sidebar.
- Move the pointer over a station and click Play.
That is all it takes.
Apple documents six Apple Music radio stations plus a collection of genre stations, and says you do not need an Apple Music subscription to play the live stations. It is the quickest way to hear radio on a Mac. It is also Apple's own lineup rather than a directory of every station.
Option 2: open any station with its stream URL
When you know the exact URL of an internet broadcast, Music can connect to it directly. Choose File > Open Stream URL, then enter the full URL, including the http:// or https:// prefix. This uses the native app and does not require an Apple Music subscription for a known stream URL. The source does not establish that Music provides a searchable open station directory, so arrive with the direct stream URL rather than only a station homepage. Keep the prefix.
Option 3: use a radio website in your browser
Radio Garden (radio.garden) and TuneIn (tunein.com) are websites, so they work on a Mac without installing anything. Radio Garden lets you explore live stations by rotating a globe, and TuneIn lists 100,000+ stations plus podcasts. Neither lives in the menu bar. No install needed.
How to find local radio stations on a Mac
Apple Music radio is a fixed lineup, so for local stations pick a tool that has a station directory. Radio Garden's globe shows stations by city. Broadcasts documents a Station Browser by country, genre and world map, Triode searches by genre, name and city, and Eter searches the radio-browser.info database. PoRaBar documents thousands of live stations worldwide with now-playing details. Compare them in the sourced Mac radio-app comparison. Pick by how you like to search.
Radio in the Mac menu bar
A menu-bar player keeps radio one click away without a window. Handy. The reviewed sources document this for PoRaBar, Broadcasts (control from the menu bar), Triode (menu-bar playback controls) and Eter (a menu-bar mode in its one-time paid tier). The comparison keeps unsupported capabilities marked Unknown. If you also want podcasts or Audiobookshelf in the same player, see the podcast app comparison.
Troubleshooting within the documented limits
- Confirm that what you have is the exact HTTP(S) stream URL. A station website is not automatically the stream address Apple documents opening.
- A radio stream can change or disappear because PoRaBar and the native Music method play third-party streams rather than hosting them.
- If you need more product context before installing PoRaBar, review the maintained PoRaBar overview, including its platform requirements and wider audio-source list.
Use PoRaBar as a separate menu-bar option
- Open the menu-bar player. Install PoRaBar on a Mac running macOS 13 or later, launch it, and open its player from the menu bar.
- Open internet radio. Choose the internet-radio section in PoRaBar.
- Choose a station. Select an internet-radio station and start playback.
- Control playback. Use PoRaBar's menu-bar player to pause, stop, or switch what is playing.
Listening to radio on a Mac: common questions
Can I listen to radio on a Mac without an app?
Yes. Music on your Mac plays Apple Music radio from the Radio section of the sidebar, and File > Open Stream URL plays any station whose exact http:// or https:// stream address you know. Websites such as radio.garden and tunein.com also run in a browser. No install is needed.
Do I need an Apple Music subscription to listen to radio on a Mac?
No. Apple says you must be signed in to your Apple Account but do not need to subscribe to Apple Music to play the live Apple Music radio stations. Opening a known stream URL in Music does not need a subscription either.
Is there a menu bar radio app for Mac?
Yes. PoRaBar is a Mac menu-bar player, Broadcasts documents control from the menu bar, Triode documents menu-bar playback controls, and Eter has a menu-bar mode in its one-time paid tier. The comparison lists the sources and dates.
How do I find local radio stations on a Mac?
Apple Music radio is a fixed lineup, so use a station directory instead. Radio Garden shows stations by city on a globe, and apps such as Broadcasts, Triode and Eter let you search by country, genre or city, or add a stream URL yourself.
Why does my station not play when I enter its website in Music?
Music needs the direct stream address of the broadcast, not the station homepage. Look for the stream URL on the station's own site or in a directory. Include the http:// or https:// prefix.
Use the native answer unless you need more
A known stream URL in Apple Music may already solve the job. PoRaBar is the separate option when its radio workflow and Mac menu-bar player fit better.