Alexa can play a vast and diverse array of radio stations from around the world, ranging from global powerhouses to local community broadcasts, accessible through various integrated services and dedicated skills.
How Alexa Connects You to Radio
Alexa leverages a combination of built-in services and third-party skills to deliver radio content. This allows users to access live broadcasts, podcasts, and curated streams simply by voice command.
Built-in Radio Services
The primary way Alexa plays radio is through pre-integrated services like TuneIn and iHeartRadio. These services offer extensive libraries of radio stations from across the globe:
- TuneIn: Provides access to over 100,000 global radio stations, covering music, news, sports, and talk. It includes many popular international and local stations.
- iHeartRadio: Offers thousands of live radio stations from the U.S. and Australia, along with custom artist stations and podcasts.
Region-Specific Radio Access
Beyond the global platforms, Alexa provides enhanced access to region-specific radio content, often through dedicated integrations or popular skills.
For example, in the United Kingdom, Alexa users can access a comprehensive range of radio stations, including over 500 high-quality streams. This selection encompasses:
- All BBC channels: Such as Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 5 Live, and their regional equivalents.
- Major commercial stations: Including popular brands like Heart, Capital, Kiss, Absolute Radio, Jazz FM, and talkSPORT.
- Hundreds of local and community stations: Ensuring a broad spectrum of choices for every listener.
Individual Station Skills
Many individual radio stations and broadcasting groups also offer their own dedicated Alexa skills. These skills provide a direct and often enhanced listening experience for specific stations, sometimes including exclusive content or features.
Music Streaming Services
While not traditional radio, many music streaming services integrated with Alexa (like Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.) offer radio-like features, such as artist radio, genre stations, or personalized mixes, providing another way to discover and listen to music.
How to Ask Alexa to Play Radio
Playing radio on Alexa is straightforward using voice commands. Here are some common examples:
- "Alexa, play BBC Radio 1."
- "Alexa, play NPR."
- "Alexa, listen to Heart."
- "Alexa, play Jazz FM."
- "Alexa, open Absolute Radio."
- "Alexa, play [local station name]."
- "Alexa, tune into 99.5 FM." (If supported by a local station's streaming service)
Overview of Radio Access on Alexa
To summarize the various ways Alexa provides radio content:
| Method/Service | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Global Services | Leverage vast libraries of internet radio stations from around the world, including news, sports, music, and talk. These are typically the default for many requests. | BBC Radio 1, NPR, ESPN Radio, local stations worldwide (via TuneIn, iHeartRadio). |
| Region-Specific Access | Curated collections and comprehensive access for specific countries, often incorporating local and national broadcasters. | UK: Over 500 UK stations including all BBC channels, Heart, Capital, Kiss, Absolute Radio, Jazz FM, talkSPORT, alongside hundreds of local and community stations. |
| Individual Station Skills | Dedicated applications for specific radio broadcasters, offering direct access and sometimes exclusive content or enhanced features. | "Classic FM skill," "Radio X skill," or specific station names that have their own skill. |
| Music Streaming Services | While primarily for on-demand music, many offer radio-like features such as artist-based or genre-based "stations," providing curated listening experiences. | Amazon Music stations, Spotify Radio, Apple Music radio. |
Alexa's ability to play radio stations is comprehensive, providing listeners with a wide selection of content tailored to their location and preferences.
