What Commons Radio is
Commons Radio is a free directory and player for independent and community radio stations. Its mission is to make broadcasts rooted in local places, scenes, and communities easier to find and listen to.
Independent and community radio makes room for local voices, specialist music, culture, and conversations that can be harder to encounter elsewhere. The stations remain the source; Commons Radio offers another way to reach them.
We want to build a clear, welcoming way to move between those broadcasts. Browse the stations, or start with a curated collection. No account is needed to listen.
How stations are chosen
We review station suggestions before adding them to the directory, with a focus on independent and community radio. Know a station that belongs here?
Suggest a stationContact
Questions, corrections, or something else? Send a message with the form, or write to us at info@commonsradio.eu.
To report illegal content or request the removal or correction of a station, use our content removal page.
Changelog
Stay up to date with the latest features and improvements
Alpha Release
This is an alpha version intended for testing. Features may change and some functionality may be incomplete. Thanks for your patience as we improve Commons Radio!
Version 0.6.0Released October 13, 2026Latest
Your stations first
Your favorite stations and your recently played stations are at the top of every app, and one tap plays them. Recently played is the same on each device.
What's New
- Favorites and Recently played: The web, desktop and phone apps show your favorites, the collections, your recently played stations and all stations, in that order. A tap on a station plays it, and next and previous move through that list
- Station details on the phone: In the phone and tablet app, the info button on a station opens its description, what is on air, its collections and its links
- Collection details on the phone: In the phone and tablet app, a tap on a collection opens it with all its stations. The round button on the card still plays it
- iPhone beta: Try the public beta of the iPhone and iPad app on TestFlight. Find the link on the download page
Improvements
- Sonos and cast speakers: In the desktop app, the volume slider controls the speaker during a cast, and it follows a volume change that somebody makes in the Sonos app or on the speaker
- TV: The TV no longer goes to sleep while a station plays. After five minutes without input it shows a dim, moving screen against burn-in
Fixes
- Lost speaker: When the desktop app loses the connection to a cast speaker, it goes back to This Mac, paused, and shows a short notice
- iPhone with a home button: The mini player no longer covers the tab bar
Version 0.5.0Released October 10, 2026
On air now, and Commons Radio in your home
See what is on air on a station, play Commons Radio from Home Assistant, and connect your own tools with the public API.
What's New
- On air: Station details show the show that is on air now and the next show, for stations that publish a schedule
- Home Assistant: Play Commons Radio on your Home Assistant speakers and start it from automations, such as a wake-up radio. Set it up on the Home Assistant page
- API keys: Make personal API keys in your profile to connect Node-RED, n8n or your own scripts to the public API
- Your devices: See the TVs and radios that use your account in your profile, and sign one out
- Android APK: Download the Android and Android TV app as an APK for devices without Google Play. The app tells you when a new version is ready
- Station pages: Stations show a description in their own words, their social profiles, and more details
Improvements
- Details sidebar: Stations and collections open in a sidebar with their own link, apart from what plays
- TV: A splash screen at start, next and previous station from the remote, and a backdrop in the colours of the station logo
- Phone app: A blue glow pulses around the station artwork while a station plays
- Images: All apps load smaller, resized images, so pages load faster
- Sharing: Station links show a large preview image when you share them
- Download page: The download page shows Home Assistant as a way to listen
Fixes
- Security: Stricter checks for logo uploads, station collaboration and listening statistics
Version 0.4.1Released October 10, 2026
Smoother on phones
Fixes for the player, menus and collections on phones, playable most-played stations, and feedback that sends again.
Improvements
- Most played: The most-played stations on the About page show their logo and play with one tap
- Collection drawer: The collection name moves to the top of the open drawer, so you can pull it down or tap it to close
Fixes
- Feedback: Sending feedback from the account menu works again
- Station menus: Scrolling over a station's menu button no longer opens the menu
- Player: The station name stays readable next to the Cast button
- Collections: Switching between curated and personal collections no longer shifts the page
- Download page: The icon is no longer cut off on phones
Version 0.4.0Released October 9, 2026
A new home, Cast and AirPlay, and readable station links
Commons Radio now has a daily hand-picked station, Cast and AirPlay controls, and readable station links.
What's New
- Daily station: The home page features a hand-picked station that changes every day, with the player now at /player
- Cast and AirPlay: Play the web player on compatible speakers and screens
- Readable links: Share station links such as /station/nts-1
- About: Learn about Commons Radio, see listening numbers, get in touch, and read the changelog
- Feedback: Send feedback safely from the account menu
- Collection controls: Order or remove stations, then play a collection in your chosen order
- Listening statistics: See listening minutes and top stations with one period control
- Newsletter: Choose newsletter updates when registering or from your profile
- Program schedules: Open a station's program schedule from its page
Improvements
- Navigation: The logo opens Home, About is in the account menu, and See all collections opens curated collections
- Collection playback: Start home-page collections with one click and hear a new random order each time
- Your collections: Recently played collections follow Favorites, and empty lists guide everyone
- Favorites: New users always get a Favorites list, with a short heart animation when adding a station
- Station list: See column headings, descriptions, locations, languages, and stream status
- New stations: City and country are filled in automatically
- Collaborate: See a clearer empty state, one close button, and station city names
- iPhone playback: The lock screen and Control Center show the station name and logo
- For admins: Search the new responsive panels, mark seasonal stations, and reorder curated collections reliably
Fixes
- Signed-out home: Visitors stay on the home page instead of being sent to the player
- Browser title: The playing station returns to the tab title after clicking the logo
- Reloads: The current station and collection are restored after a reload
- Collection privacy: Private collections stay hidden, public edits stay public, and deletion requires making a collection private
- Collection cards: Images and names display correctly, aligned with station cards
- Station list: The final stations are no longer hidden
- Station search: Results include only radio stations
- Favorites order: Removing a station keeps the remaining order
- Google sign-in: The login page explains sign-in failures
- iPhone forms: Tapping a text field no longer zooms the page
- Verification emails: Logo images load correctly
Version 0.3.0Released October 1, 2025
Progressive Web App (PWA) Support
Install Commons Radio on your device for a native app experience with offline support and enhanced performance.
What's New
- Install as App: Add to your home screen on mobile or install on desktop for quick access
- Offline Page: Custom offline page with auto-retry when connection is restored
- Network Status: Real-time connection indicator shows your online/offline status
- Lock Screen Controls: Play, pause, and skip stations from your device's lock screen
- Background Audio: Music continues playing when you switch apps or lock your device
- Smart Caching: Faster loading with intelligent caching of pages and assets
Improvements
- Optimized performance with service worker caching strategies
- Enhanced mobile experience with installable app
- Better offline handling with automatic retry
Version 0.2.0Released September 25, 2024
Create Your Own Collections
Organize your favorite stations into custom collections and play them with shuffle and loop features.
What's New
- Create and manage your own station collections
- Add stations to collections from the player and browse page
- Enhanced favorites with collection-style playback
- New Collections tab in navigation for easy access
Improvements
- Better playback controls and player feedback
- Improved navigation and user experience
Version 0.1.0Released September 20, 2024Initial Release
Welcome to Commons Radio!
The initial version with core features for discovering and supporting independent radio stations.
What's New
- Discover radio stations with swipeable interface
- High-quality audio streaming
- Save favorite stations and track listening history
- View personal listening statistics
Coming Soon
- Revenue sharing for independent stations
- Social features and community building
- Enhanced discovery features
Have feedback or suggestions?
Use the contact form on this page, or choose “Send feedback” in the account menu when signed in.