AMARadio

Overview

AMARadio is an open-source Android application designed for global radio streaming. No paywall, 100% free.

By leveraging the community-driven radio-browser.info database, AMARadio provides instant access to thousands of web radios in a stable, modern, and user-focused environment.

AMARadio is built to provide an honest, distraction-free listening experience. It contains zero advertisements, zero tracking, and no bloatware. Originally developed as a personal project to provide a simple, accessible interface for internet radio, the app remains strictly committed to transparency and ease of use for everyone.

Many traditional FM and AM broadcasters also provide live internet radio streams, allowing you to access your local favorite stations from anywhere in the world.

Music & Genres:

Pop, Rock, Classical, Electronic, Jazz, Country, Oldies, News & Talk, and 11,000 more Tags.

Global Coverage:

Stay connected to your home country or discover over 60,000 international stations worldwide.

Built for Everyday Use:

Ideal for daily commute, background music while working, workout sessions, or sleeping.

Instantaneous UI:

Built with a highly optimized architecture, switching between tabs and opening the player is flicker-free and immediate.

Universal Accessibility:

Extensively optimized for TalkBack and screen readers. Features semantic grouping of information, localized accessibility strings in 74+ languages, and "speaking" status icons for fluid navigation.

Advanced Search & Filtering:

Find stations by Name, Country, Language, or Tags. Metadata for over 11,000 tags is cached locally for instant, offline suggestions.

High Availability:

The entire radio-browser database is stored locally on your device and will be updated automatically or manually. Integrated fail-over support via mirror servers ensures uninterrupted station browsing, even if the primary database is offline.

Dynamic UI Scaling:

Custom settings allow users to adjust the interface scale, ranging from Compact to Extra Large.

Broad Language Support:

Support for over 74 locales, including a wide range of African languages (Afrikaans, Amharic, Swahili, Zulu) and a dedicated in-app language selector.

Modern Design:

Crafted with Jetpack Compose, featuring seamless Dark/Light mode support and edge-to-edge system integration.

Performance-Driven Streaming:

A robust engine based on AndroidX Media3 (ExoPlayer) featuring real-time audio thread prioritization, strict audio focus handling, and intelligent connection management.

Smart Management:

Includes a sleep timer, efficient favorites management, and full support for M3U playlist export/import.

100% Open Source & Transparent:

AMARadio is completely open-source and built for the community. We value your privacy and security: zero ads, and complete transparency.

Source Code & Community: https://github.com/ounben/AMARadio

Station Database: Powered by the community-driven https://radio-browser.info network.

Technical Foundation

- 100% Kotlin: A completely migrated, modern codebase adopting the latest Android standards.
- Full Compatibility: Android 17 ready.

Technical Specification:

- Language: 100% Kotlin
- UI Framework: Jetpack Compose & Material 3
- Architecture: MVVM with Activity-scoped ViewModels for state persistence
- Persistence: Room Database for Stations, History, SharedPreferences for configuration
- Networking: OkHttp 5 & Coroutines for API communication, Coil for async image loading
- Media Engine: AndroidX Media3 (ExoPlayer)
- Target SDK: 37 (Android 17)
- Minimum SDK: 26 (Android 8.0)

FAQ – AMARadio

 

What is AMARadio?

AMARadio is a free, ad-free, open-source Android application for streaming online radio stations. It is designed for a minimalist, accessible, and lightweight user experience.

Which license does AMARadio use?

AMARadio is open-source software released under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3). The source code is fully accessible on GitHub.

Is AMARadio safe and privacy-focused?

Yes. According to Exodus Privacy, AMARadio contains 0 trackers and 0 advertising SDKs. Furthermore, VirusTotal analysis confirms the application is completely clean of malware (0/96 Clean).

Where does AMARadio source its radio station data?

AMARadio utilizes the community-driven database provided by Radio-Browser.info, granting access to tens of thousands of international and regional live radio streams.

Where can AMARadio be downloaded?

AMARadio is available for Android via the following distribution channels:

• Google Play Store

• F-Droid

• GitHub Releases (as a direct APK download)

Which technologies and programming languages are used?

AMARadio is written 100% in Kotlin. It relies on modern Android development standards including Jetpack Compose, Material 3, Room Database, and AndroidX Media3 ExoPlayer.

Are there any ads, subscriptions, or in-app purchases?

No. AMARadio is completely free of charge, contains no advertisements, collects no user telemetry, and has no paid tiers or in-app purchases.

Does AMARadio collect any personal user data or telemetry?

No. AMARadio does not collect, track, or transmit any personal data, usage statistics, or analytics. All application preferences and saved favorite stations remain stored strictly on the user's local device.

Does AMARadio require account creation or login?

No account creation, registration, or sign-in is required. Users can start streaming radio stations immediately after installation without providing an email address or personal credentials.

How are radio station logos and metadata handled?

AMARadio fetches station metadata directly from Radio-Browser.info and caches station icons locally on the device to minimize network bandwidth and speed up UI loading times.

Can AMARadio play streams in the background or when the screen is off?

Yes. Powered by the AndroidX Media3 ExoPlayer framework, AMARadio supports full background audio playback, media session notifications, and lock screen controls.

Is AMARadio compatible with Android Auto or external media controls?

AMARadio integrates standard Android MediaSession APIs, enabling seamless interaction with Bluetooth devices, media control keys, system volume integration, and compatible automotive or external display interfaces.

What network formats and audio streams does AMARadio support?

AMARadio supports standard internet radio streaming formats handled by ExoPlayer, including MP3, AAC, OGG, and HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) protocol formats.

How can users support or contribute to the AMARadio project?

As an open-source project hosted on GitHub, users and developers can contribute by submitting bug reports, suggesting feature enhancements, providing code contributions, or helping translate the application interface.

Why was AMARadio created?

AMARadio was created to provide a distraction-free, privacy-respecting, and fully transparent alternative to commercial radio streaming applications that rely heavily on pop-up ads, background tracking, and proprietary SDKs.