Counted from radio-browser · 27 October 2026

How to listen to Indian radio on a Mac

The simplest way is your browser: Akashvani (All India Radio) runs an official live radio page with Vividh Bharati and city channels, and nothing needs installing. For private stations such as Radio Mirchi, or to keep Hindi, Tamil and Punjabi stations in one list, a Mac radio app can search the open radio-browser directory, which held 1,068 working Indian station entries on 27 October 2026.

Listen in the browser first

Akashvani, the public broadcaster behind All India Radio, publishes an official live radio page (opened 27 October 2026). It lists the national channels, including Live News 24x7, Vividh Bharati and Raagam, followed by channels grouped by region and city, such as FM Gold and FM Rainbow for Delhi. It is an ordinary web page with a player, so nothing needs installing.

Private broadcasters stream from their own sites. If you already know a station’s name, its website is usually one search away, and that is often all you need.

Apple Music, if you have a stream address

Apple documents a built-in route: in Music on Mac, choose File, then Open Stream URL, and enter the full address including http:// or https:// (Apple Music guide, opened 27 October 2026). That needs the stream address itself, not the station’s homepage, and Music does not give you a searchable list of Indian stations.

How many Indian stations work, and in which languages

The open radio-browser directory is what many radio apps use to find stations. I queried its public API on 27 October 2026 with broken streams hidden:

Stations that were working on 27 October 2026

These are among the most voted for in the directory, and each was found again by name and had a passing stream check between 22 and 27 October 2026:

A passing check means the stream answered on that day. It is not a promise that it will keep working.

When an app helps

Pick an app when you want to switch between, say, a Hindi film-music station in the morning and a Tamil news channel later without opening a website each time. Otherwise the browser is enough. For a comparison of Mac options, see the Mac internet-radio app comparison and the general guide to internet radio on a Mac.

PoRaBar is one of those options. It is a Mac menu-bar player, its radio search uses the radio-browser directory used above, so you can find a station by name. Its interface is English only. After the 60-day trial, a one-time $2.99 purchase covers Mac and iPhone, and radio keeps playing for 5 minutes per session until you buy it or earn it.

There is also a way to help the directory. Of the 1,068 Indian entries, 258 have no logo in radio-browser. If a station you listen to is one of them, you can add its logo or fix its tags in the app, and approved contributions for 3 stations get you the app without paying.

If you are looking for Nigerian stations instead, there is a guide to Nigerian radio on a Mac.

Sources and dates

Questions about Indian radio on a Mac

Can I listen to Vividh Bharati on a Mac?

Yes. Akashvani lists Vividh Bharati on its official live radio page, which plays in a browser. The radio-browser directory also lists several Vividh Bharati streams, so a radio app can find it by name. Streams can be limited by country, so test the one you want before relying on it.

Do I need an app to hear Hindi, Tamil or Punjabi stations on a Mac?

No. Every station has a website, and many play in the browser. Apple Music can also open an exact stream URL. An app only helps when you want many stations from different broadcasters in one list that you can search.

Why does an Indian station stop playing?

Radio apps play third-party streams that the broadcaster controls. A stream address can change or be switched off, and some streams are limited to listeners in one country. On 27 October 2026, 133 of the 1,068 entries shared a name with another entry, which is why a search for one station can return several results.

Is the PoRaBar app available in Hindi or Tamil?

No. The app interface is English only. Stations play in their own language, so Hindi, Tamil and Punjabi broadcasts are not affected.

What does PoRaBar cost?

The download is free to try for 60 days. After that, a one-time $2.99 purchase covers Mac and iPhone. You can also get it free by adding a logo or tags for 3 stations in the app, which are approved by hand.

Try it with a station you already know

PoRaBar is a download with a 60-day free trial, then a one-time $2.99 purchase for Mac and iPhone. If the browser or Apple Music already covers your stations, you do not need it.

View PoRaBar in the App Store

How to listen to radio on a Mac<p><strong>You can listen to radio on a Mac without installing an app.</strong> 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 &gt; 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.</p>Best internet radio apps for Mac, compared from sources<p><strong>The best internet radio app for a Mac depends on what you need.</strong> 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.</p>