# Help me find a great radio station to stream! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931 "2018-11-03T15:10:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/1 "2018-11-03T15:10:18Z")
I live in the NY metro area and we have two Alternative stations, one on regular radio and one on HD radio. They are both pretty good, but Alternative music these days is really pretty wimpy. We used to have K-Rock, on regular radio, then on HD radio – that station played modern alternative plus harder stuff, like Royal Blood, Avenged Sevenfold, Rise Against, the one that starts with a V that I can’t recall right now, etc. The funny thing is that Alternative stations will play harder stuff, but only if it was released in the 90s – grunge, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age, and so on. But, they won’t play any new hard rock. Anyway, do you have a great Alternative/Hard Rock station where you are? If you tell me the call letters, I’m sure I can stream it. Any other suggestions for some kind of updated Spotify playlist or something? I have easy streaming access to Spotify, [Radio.com](http://Radio.com), and IHeartRadio, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/2 "2018-11-03T17:10:09Z")
Try [k-zap.org](http://k-zap.org) on for size. It’s the internet reincarnation of the first alternative radio station in Sacramento and they have a very nice play list and real DJs even. Most of whom are from the original station and who do this gig on a volunteer basis. Their store has cool swag, too. ---
**Author:** ![DB\_Coopa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DB\_Coopa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DB_Coopa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/3 "2018-11-03T18:05:15Z")
Have a browse of [radiofreeamerica.com](http://radiofreeamerica.com) ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/4 "2018-11-03T18:36:13Z")
[NPR.org/live](http://NPR.org/live) music. I like alt latino. It is free and no bla, bla,bla ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/5 "2018-11-03T18:40:48Z")
I don’t know anything about internet radio, but I’ve been having a great time recently playing with this: [Radio Garden – Explore live radio by rotating the globe](http://radio.garden/live/) It’s radio stations all over the globe presented like Google Earth. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/6 "2018-11-03T20:26:40Z")
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! Some of those look great. I am looking for the specific style I mentioned in the OP, though – Alternative and new Hard Rock, harder Alternative, something like that. And, I’m hoping I can stream it easily through my Google Home thing. Slacker Radio has some interesting Alternative stations, but I’d like to combine three or four of them. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/7 "2018-11-03T22:07:02Z")
That sounds kinda like WBUZ-FM here in Nashville. Their last played list as of right now is Bush, Royal Blood, Greta Van Fleet, Incubus, Ghost, Alice In Chains, The Glorious Sons, White Zombie, Blink-182, Breaking Benjamin, The Offspring, Nirvana, Finger Eleven, Three Days Grace, Cage The Elephant, Shinedown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bad Wolves, Soundgarden, Bring Me The Horizon, and Beck. They’re locally owned, so they aren’t on iHeart or [Radio.com](http://Radio.com); however, you can stream from their website or app. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/8 "2018-11-04T11:31:55Z")
> [@Kimble](#): > > That sounds kinda like WBUZ-FM here in Nashville. Their last played list as of right now is Bush, Royal Blood, Greta Van Fleet, Incubus, Ghost, Alice In Chains, The Glorious Sons, White Zombie, Blink-182, Breaking Benjamin, The Offspring, Nirvana, Finger Eleven, Three Days Grace, Cage The Elephant, Shinedown, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bad Wolves, Soundgarden, Bring Me The Horizon, and Beck. > > They’re locally owned, so they aren’t on iHeart or [Radio.com](http://Radio.com); however, you can stream from their website or app. That’s definitely the style. No luck streaming it directly. Grrr. I could play it through bluetooth from a laptop, though. It’s annoying because iHeartRadio streams some stations they don’t own (for example, WNYC, the NPR station in New York) so there was a chance. Thanks, though, great suggestion. Maybe I should just move to Nashville. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/9 "2018-11-04T14:34:34Z")
How does one accomplish streaming? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/10 "2018-11-04T14:41:13Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > How does one accomplish streaming? I do it with a Google Home device – “Hey Google, play WLIR” and it will start streaming WLIR. It works with Amazon Echo, Sonos, and whatever the Apple device is called as well. Modern receivers and stereos will also stream content from the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/11 "2018-11-06T22:09:20Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I do it with a Google Home device – “Hey Google, play WLIR” and it will start streaming WLIR. It works with Amazon Echo, Sonos, and whatever the Apple device is called as well. Modern receivers and stereos will also stream content from the internet. I don’t have those. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/12 "2018-11-06T22:20:29Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I don’t have those. Depending on the station in question, even without a smartphone or smart device, you may be able to stream on your computer – either through a web browser, or through a program like iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/13 "2018-11-06T22:23:08Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I don’t have those. You can stream radio through your computer or your cell phone. If you go to wlir.fm on your computer, and follow the link to press play, it will start streaming that station through your computer speakers. I’ll be honest – I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking, though. When you watch Netflix (not using a DVD), you’re streaming a movie. When you play a YouTube video, you’re streaming the video. It’s streaming as opposed to downloading the whole thing and playing it, or loading up a DVD or CD. Basically, there’s a data stream that’s coming from the provider (the radio station, YouTube, Netflix, whatever), through the internet, to your computer. Your computer is playing it roughly as it gets the data (usually, it buffers some of the data so it can play the content continuously even if the data stream slows down. Buffering means it actually downloads a few seconds or minutes of the content before it starts playing it.) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-a-great-radio-station-to-stream/823931/14 "2018-11-06T22:31:47Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I don’t have those. Try [this](https://tunein.com/)