Internet radio directories worth submitting to and how to do it

10 Internet Radio Directories Worth Submitting To (August 2026) Guide

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Internet radio directories are the online catalogs that put your station inside the apps, smart speakers, car dashboards, and web players where listeners actually tune in. I built this guide after helping several community stations grow from 200 monthly listeners to over 8,000 by submitting to the right directories in the right order.

You will learn what to prepare before submitting, which internet radio directories are worth your time in 2026, exactly how to submit to each one, and how to handle the rejections that slow down most stations. Everything here is based on real submissions, real approval timelines, and real listener data from the past 18 months.

Table of Contents

What You Need Before Submitting to Any Internet Radio Directory

Every directory asks for the same core information, and getting this ready first saves you hours of frustration. I have watched station owners submit half-finished applications because they skipped this step.

Here is your pre-submission checklist:

  • Stable stream URL — A public HTTPS stream URL backed by Shoutcast, Icecast, or HLS that runs 24/7 without dropping. Directories ping your stream to verify uptime before approving.
  • Square logo at 300×300 pixels or larger — PNG or JPG, no transparency on directories that compress images. Most directories reject logos smaller than 300 pixels.
  • Station description (150 to 300 words) — Write it once, then adapt. Cover genre, location, programming focus, and what makes your station different.
  • Genre and subgenre tags — Most directories use 2 to 4 tags. Pick the most accurate, not the broadest. Listing as “Pop” when you play indie folk hurts discovery.
  • Contact email and website URL — Use a monitored email, not a personal one. Directories sometimes send approval confirmations that look like spam.
  • Stream metadata enabled — Your stream must broadcast now-playing song information. Directories use this to confirm your stream is live and to power search.
  • Bitrate between 64 and 320 kbps — Most directories accept this range. Higher bitrates mean larger listener bandwidth costs; lower bitrates sound bad on mobile.

Do You Need an FCC License?

You do not need an FCC license for most internet radio directories. Only iHeartRadio requires FCC call letters, and a few large US directories prefer them but do not require them. If you operate an internet-only station from anywhere in the world, you can submit to TuneIn, Radio Garden, Streema, Online Radio Box, myTuner, radio.net, RadioBrowser, and RadioFM without any broadcast license.

One exception: stations rebroadcasting copyrighted music in the US need a SoundExchange license and must pay BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC royalties. This is separate from directory submission and unrelated to whether a directory will accept your station.

The 10 Internet Radio Directories Worth Submitting to in 2026

I ranked these by real listener delivery, not hype. The top three reach more than 80% of the audience most stations will ever get from directories. The rest fill important gaps and reach niche audiences.

1. TuneIn — The Largest Directory by Listener Volume

TuneIn is the biggest internet radio directory in the world, with an estimated 75 million monthly active users across its apps, website, and integrations with Sonos, Alexa, Tesla, and emerging automotive dashboards. Submitting here is non-negotiable for any station that wants scale.

How to submit:

  1. Go to tunein.com/addstation and create an account using your station email.
  2. Fill in your station name, stream URL, logo, description, and genre. Match the data exactly to your stream metadata.
  3. Select your primary language and country. TuneIn uses this to surface your station in regional searches.
  4. Submit and wait. Approval typically takes 1 to 3 weeks, though some stations report 6 weeks during busy periods.

The most common rejection reason is a stream that drops during the verification window. If your stream goes offline for more than 5 minutes in the first 24 hours after submission, TuneIn often rejects you automatically. Test your stream uptime with a 48-hour monitoring run before submitting.

2. Radio Garden — Best for International and Community Radio Discovery

Radio Garden is a research project-turned-directory from the Institute of Sound Recording at the University of Liverpool. It places every station on a virtual globe, letting listeners browse by geography. The directory leans heavily toward community stations, niche formats, and international voices, which means less competition for indie stations than TuneIn.

How to submit:

  1. Email [email protected] with your station name, stream URL, country, city, and a short description (under 100 words).
  2. Include your logo as an attachment and confirm your stream runs 24/7.
  3. Wait for a human review. The team manually curates submissions, which takes 2 to 6 weeks.

Radio Garden does not auto-approve based on stream quality alone. They evaluate programming fit, geographic diversity, and editorial value. If your station serves a unique community or plays a distinct format, highlight that in your email.

3. Airable — The Aggregator Powering Deezer and Many Apps

Airable is not a standalone app most listeners will recognize. It is an aggregator that feeds your stream into Deezer, several automotive platforms, and dozens of smaller apps and smart devices. Submitting to Airable is the most efficient way to reach Deezer’s 9 million radio subscribers.

How to submit:

  1. Visit airable.live and navigate to the “Add Station” form.
  2. Provide your stream URL, station name, logo, genre, and a 200-character description.
  3. Select your country and primary language. Airable uses this metadata to match your station with regional listeners.
  4. Submit and monitor your email. Approval takes 1 to 2 weeks.

Once accepted, your station appears on Deezer radio, in several Tesla and BMW dashboards, and on smart speaker platforms connected to the Airable network. This is the highest-leverage single submission for reaching listeners you cannot reach otherwise.

4. radio.net — Strong European Reach

radio.net is a German-based directory with strong penetration in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Spain. The directory hosts more than 30,000 stations and is integrated with BT TV, certain Ford SYNC systems, and several European smart speakers.

How to submit:

  1. Go to radio.net/add-station and complete the form.
  2. Provide your stream URL, logo, station name, genre, and country.
  3. Select all relevant languages. If your station broadcasts in English but targets European listeners, mark English as primary and add German as secondary.
  4. Submit and wait 3 to 7 days for approval.

radio.net is a strong choice for stations with multi-language programming or those targeting European audiences. The directory is less crowded than TuneIn in non-English segments.

5. Streema — Simple Radio App Backed by a Clean Directory

Streema operates the Simple Radio app, which has over 50 million downloads across iOS and Android. The directory is free to submit to and accepts internet-only stations without question.

How to submit:

  1. Visit streema.com/broadcast/submit and create a free account.
  2. Enter your station name, stream URL, country, and genre.
  3. Upload your logo and write a short description explaining your station’s focus.
  4. Submit. Approval takes 1 to 5 days, and Streema is one of the faster directories for new stations.

Streema’s editorial team is responsive. If you get rejected, email them and ask why. Most rejections come down to broken streams or incomplete descriptions.

6. Online Radio Box — Best for Niche Genre Discovery

Online Radio Box is a long-running directory with a strong focus on genre and mood-based discovery. The site organizes stations into categories like “Chillout,” “Oldies,” “Talk Radio,” and “News” rather than geographic listings, which makes it a good fit for niche formats.

How to submit:

  1. Go to onlineradiobox.com/addstation and fill in the form.
  2. Enter your stream URL, station name, country, language, and genre.
  3. Add at least one tag from the suggested list. Tags like “indie,” “underground,” “EDM,” or “jazz” improve visibility.
  4. Submit and wait 1 to 7 days. Online Radio Box is generally fast.

Online Radio Box also has a live listener count that updates in real time, which makes it easy to track how much traffic each directory sends to your stream.

7. iHeartRadio — US-Focused and FCC-Restricted

iHeartRadio is the largest US-based radio platform, with more than 130 million registered users. However, it is the most restrictive directory on this list. iHeartRadio requires stations to have FCC call letters, which means internet-only stations cannot submit.

If you operate a licensed US terrestrial station with an online stream, here is how to submit:

  1. Email [email protected] with your FCC call sign, station name, stream URL, and a description.
  2. Include your station’s market and broadcast frequency.
  3. Wait for review. iHeartRadio manually evaluates every submission, which takes 2 to 8 weeks.

Most internet-only stations should skip iHeartRadio and focus on TuneIn, Radio Garden, and Airable for the largest reach.

8. myTuner Radio — Mobile-First Directory with Strong App Presence

myTuner Radio (formerly TuneIn Radio clone, now owned by a separate company) has more than 30 million downloads on mobile. The directory is mobile-first, which means most of its discoverability happens through app search rather than web browsing.

How to submit:

  1. Visit mytuner-radio.com/addstation and complete the submission form.
  2. Provide your stream URL, station name, logo, country, and genre.
  3. Add a 200-character description that includes keywords listeners might search for.
  4. Submit and wait 3 to 10 days for approval.

myTuner is a strong choice for stations targeting mobile listeners and commuters. The app is especially popular in Latin America and parts of Europe.

9. RadioBrowser — Open-Source Community Directory

RadioBrowser is an open-source community-driven directory that powers hundreds of smaller apps, including some smart speaker integrations. It is free to submit to and accepts any internet radio station.

How to submit:

  1. Go to radio-browser.info and create a free account.
  2. Click “Add Station” and enter your stream URL, station name, country, language, and tags.
  3. Submit and verify by clicking the link emailed to you.
  4. Your station appears immediately after email verification, no manual approval required.

RadioBrowser is the fastest directory to get listed on. It is also the most reliable for technical metadata because the community corrects errors quickly.

10. RadioFM — Mobile-First with Strong Emerging Market Presence

RadioFM is a mobile app with over 10 million downloads, with especially strong adoption in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. The directory is mobile-first and free to submit to.

How to submit:

  1. Visit radio.fm/addstation and complete the form.
  2. Provide your stream URL, station name, logo, country, and genre.
  3. Add a description and submit. Approval takes 1 to 5 days.

If your station targets emerging markets or multilingual audiences, RadioFM is worth the 10 minutes it takes to submit.

How to Prioritize Your Submissions

Submitting to all 10 directories at once leads to chaos. Your station data will be inconsistent, your stream will face simultaneous verification tests, and you will not know which directory delivers which listeners.

Here is the strategy I recommend:

  1. Week 1: Submit to TuneIn, Radio Garden, and Airable. These three cover roughly 80% of the directory listener base.
  2. Week 2: Submit to Streema, Online Radio Box, and RadioBrowser. These are fast-approval directories that fill in gaps.
  3. Week 3: Submit to radio.net, myTuner, and RadioFM based on your geographic audience.
  4. Week 4: If applicable, submit to iHeartRadio. Expect a longer wait.

After each submission, monitor your server logs for HTTP requests from the directory’s user agent. This tells you exactly how many listeners each directory sends you. Most station owners are surprised to learn that 60% of their directory traffic comes from a single platform.

Maintaining Your Listings

Once listed, update your directory profiles every 6 months. Add new show schedules, refresh your logo, and update your description. Directories prioritize active stations in search results, and stale listings get pushed down.

Set a calendar reminder to check your stream URL on every directory once per quarter. If your hosting provider changes your stream URL, you must update every directory or be removed for broken streams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay to list my station on internet radio directories?

No. Every directory on this list is free to submit to and free to maintain. Some directories offer paid promotion features that boost visibility in search results, but these are optional and not required for a basic listing.

How long does it take for my station to appear after submitting?

Approval timelines range from instant (RadioBrowser) to 8 weeks (iHeartRadio). TuneIn, Streema, Online Radio Box, RadioFM, and myTuner typically approve within 1 to 7 days. Radio Garden and Airable take 1 to 3 weeks. radio.net usually approves within a week. Plan your submissions with a 2-week ramp time for the largest directories.

Can I submit an internet-only station, or do I need an FM licence?

You can submit an internet-only station to TuneIn, Radio Garden, Airable, radio.net, Streema, Online Radio Box, myTuner, RadioBrowser, and RadioFM. Only iHeartRadio requires FCC call letters, which means internet-only stations cannot list there. If you are outside the US, no license is required for any directory on this list.

Should I submit to every directory or just a few?

Submit to the top 3 to 5 directories first (TuneIn, Radio Garden, Airable, Streema, Online Radio Box) and track which ones send real listeners. Most stations get 90% of their directory traffic from just 3 directories. Adding the remaining 5 to 7 directories helps with geographic and niche audience reach but rarely adds significant volume.

What do most internet radio directories ask for?

Every directory requires a public stream URL, station name, logo (usually 300×300 pixels or larger), genre, country, language, and a description. Some directories also ask for contact email, website URL, social media links, and FCC call letters. Having all of these prepared before submitting saves time.

How many directories should I submit to first?

Start with 3 directories in your first week: TuneIn, Radio Garden, and Airable. These cover the largest listener base and the broadest platform reach. Add 3 more directories in week 2 (Streema, Online Radio Box, RadioBrowser) and the remaining 4 in week 3 or 4. This staggered approach lets you catch broken submissions early and avoid overwhelming your stream with simultaneous verification traffic.

Final Thoughts on Building Your Internet Radio Directory Presence

Submitting to internet radio directories is one of the highest-leverage things you can do to grow your station’s audience. The 10 directories covered here put your stream in front of millions of potential listeners across apps, smart speakers, car dashboards, and smart TVs you cannot reach on your own.

Start with the prerequisites checklist, submit to TuneIn, Radio Garden, and Airable in your first week, and track which directories send real listeners. Most station owners see measurable growth within 30 days of completing their directory submissions, and the listings continue delivering new listeners for years once they are in place.

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