Listen to Internet broadcasts

You can use iTunes to listen to music streamed over the Internet. iTunes can also play many types of audio files available on the Internet, including spoken programs.

Tune in to Internet stations

  1. Choose Music from the Library pop-up menu.

    The Library pop-up menu, with Music chosen

  2. Click Internet.

    The Radio button near the top of the iTunes window

    If you don’t see the Internet button, choose iTunes > Preferences, click General, and select Internet Radio (next to Show).

  3. To see the available stations, click the triangle next to the type of music you want to listen to.

  4. To tune in, double-click a station.

If you use a dial-up modem to connect to the Internet, choose a station with a bit rate of less than 48 kilobits per second (kbps) for best results. To see a station’s bit rate, select the station, choose File > Get Info, and click Summary.

Connect to an Internet broadcast

If you know the exact URL of an Internet broadcast or audio file, iTunes can connect to it directly.

  1. Choose File > Open Stream.

  2. Enter the full URL of the broadcast or file you want to listen to. For example:

    http://www.apple.com/itunes/sample.mp3

For information on file types iTunes can play, see Choose import settings.

You can’t record or save a song from an Internet broadcast, but you can add your favorite stations to your library or to a playlist so that you can tune in easily.