How to Find the Stream URL of Any Online Radio Station

To find the stream URL of an online radio station, start with the station's own website, which often lists a direct link for other players. If it doesn't, search a free directory like Radio Browser, or play the station in a desktop browser and copy the audio address from the developer tools. If you end up with a .m3u or .pls file, open it in a text editor and the real stream URL is inside.

This guide explains what a stream URL looks like, walks through each method step by step, shows you how to test the link, and covers why a working URL sometimes stops working. You don't need any special software for most of it.

What a radio stream URL is (and what it isn't)

A stream URL is the direct address of the audio itself, not the web page you listen on. When a radio app or a media player opens it, audio starts playing straight away. The page address in your browser's address bar, such as a station's home page, usually won't work in a radio app because it points to HTML, not audio.

You will usually meet one of these three forms:

• A direct stream, often ending in something like /stream, /live, /;stream.mp3 or a port number such as :8000/radio. These are typically MP3 or AAC audio served over HTTP or HTTPS.
• A playlist file ending in .m3u or .pls. This is a small text file that contains one or more stream URLs, not the audio. The M3U and PLS) formats are both plain text.
• An HLS stream ending in .m3u8. This is HTTP Live Streaming, which splits audio into short chunks. Many players handle it, but some older radio apps don't.

Method 1: Check the station's website first

Many stations want you to listen in your own player, so they publish the link. Look for words like Listen in your player, Direct link, Stream URL, Winamp/VLC, iTunes or small icons for .m3u and .pls near the play button, or on a Help, FAQ or How to listen page.

Right-click the link and choose Copy link address rather than clicking it, because clicking a playlist link often just downloads a file. If the station has several links, pick the one with the highest bitrate your data plan allows (for example 128 kbps rather than 320 kbps if you listen on mobile data).

For Indian public radio, Prasar Bharati lists the All India Radio channels it streams, such as Vividh Bharati and FM Gold, on its livestreaming services page. The official website and apps are the most reliable way to hear those channels.

Method 2: Search a free station directory

If the website doesn't show a link, someone may already have found it. Radio Browser is a free, community-maintained directory of internet radio stations with a public list of stream addresses. Search by the station name, open the result, and copy its stream URL.

Directory entries are added by volunteers, so treat them as a starting point. Stations change servers, and an old entry may point to a dead stream. Always test the link (see below) before you rely on it, especially for a fixed-time programme you don't want to miss.

Method 3: Copy it from your browser's developer tools

This works for most stations that play in a web page, and takes about two minutes on a laptop or desktop with Chrome, Edge or Firefox.

• If the entry ends in .m3u8 and you see many short requests ending in .ts or .aac, the station uses HLS. Copy the .m3u8 address, not the individual chunks.
• If the address contains a long string after a question mark, such as ?token=… or &expires=…, it is probably a temporary link and may stop working after a few hours (see the last section).

1. Open the station's listen page, but don't press play yet.
2. Press F12 (or Ctrl+Shift+I, or Cmd+Option+I on a Mac) to open developer tools, then click the Network tab.
3. In the filter bar, choose Media. If you see nothing later, switch to All and type m3u, mp3, aac or stream in the filter box.
4. Now press play on the station. A new entry should appear in the list as the audio starts.
5. Right-click that entry and choose Copy > Copy link address (or Copy URL).
6. Paste the address into a new browser tab. If audio starts playing on its own, you have a direct stream URL.

Method 4: Open a .m3u or .pls file to get the real address

Some players accept playlist files directly, but many apps want the raw stream. Getting it out is easy.

1. Download the .m3u or .pls file from the station's site.
2. Open it with a plain text editor such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac. On Android, most file managers can open it as text.
3. In an .m3u file, the stream is any line starting with http:// or https://. Lines starting with # are comments or titles.
4. In a .pls file, look for lines like File1=https://… . If there are File2 and File3 lines too, they are usually backup servers.
5. Copy the address and test it before saving it anywhere.

How to test a stream URL before you save it

• Browser test: paste the URL into a new tab. Direct MP3 and AAC streams usually start playing in the browser's built-in player.
• VLC test: in the free VLC media player on a computer, choose Media > Open Network Stream, paste the URL and press Play. VLC handles playlists and HLS as well, so it is a good second opinion.
• Phone test: try it on mobile data as well as Wi-Fi. Some streams are blocked on certain networks or outside certain countries.
• Listen for a minute: a few seconds of audio followed by silence often means the link has expired or needs a token.

Adding the stream URL to a radio app on Android

Most radio apps that let you add your own station ask for two things: a name and the stream URL. Paste the direct stream address rather than the station's web page. If the app doesn't accept a .m3u or .pls link, open the file as described above and use the address inside it.

In RadioBlink, our free Android radio app, you can add a custom station by pasting its stream URL, and it then sits alongside the thousands of stations already in the app. You can also record a live stream to your phone to hear later, which is handy for early-morning programmes like the one in our guide to hearing Mahalaya on the radio.

Stream URLs work for home-made stations too. Our own 24×7 station has a stable address at pblab.in/stream, and the story of how it was built is in Building Radio Khushbu. If you are still deciding between FM and online listening, our comparison of internet radio vs FM covers data use and reliability.

Why a stream URL stops working (and what to do)

• The station moved servers. This is the most common reason. Repeat Method 1 or Method 3 to get the new address.
• The link was temporary. Addresses with tokens or expiry times in them are generated for one listening session. Look for a permanent link on the station's site or in a directory instead.
• It is geo-restricted. Some broadcasters limit streams to listeners in certain countries for rights reasons. There is no clean fix for this; use the station's official app or website where it is available.
• HTTP vs HTTPS. Some apps and browsers refuse plain http:// links. If the station offers an https:// version, use that.
• Format support. If an .m3u8 (HLS) link fails in one app, try the station's MP3 or AAC link if it has one.
• Personal use only. Listening to a public stream in your own app is normal. Rebroadcasting it or putting it on your own website is a different matter and needs the station's permission.