Radio App Builder: Create Your Own Radio
Station App for Android and iOS
Build a branded radio station app for Android and iOS without writing code. Connect any Shoutcast or Icecast stream, add push alerts, playlists and a show schedule, then publish to Google Play and the App Store.
How do you create a radio station app?
To create a radio station app: paste your Shoutcast or Icecast stream URL into Appy Pie’s radio app builder, describe your station, then customize the app icon, colors, playlists and show events. A working preview on your phone takes about 15 minutes; a store-ready build an hour or so. Building and previewing is free. Publishing costs $16 per app per month billed yearly for Google Play and $60 for the App Store and Google Play together, plus the stores’ own fees ($25 once for Google, $99 a year for Apple); plan details on the pricing page. Appy Pie builds the listener app; the stream itself comes from your host (Radio.co, RadioKing, Live365, or your own Shoutcast or Icecast server). For a general no-code app, use the Android app builder; for iOS-first, use the iPhone app builder.
Create Your Own Radio Station App in 5 Steps
No code, no server setup. Publish a branded radio app in an afternoon; the longer walkthrough is in our guide to how to make a radio app.
Describe Your Station
Type your station name, city, and format. Appy Pie generates a starter app with branded colors, sample show schedule, and a play button ready to test.
Paste Your Stream URL
Drop in the Shoutcast or Icecast stream URL your host gives you (Radio.co, RadioKing, Live365 or your own server). The play button in the preview plays it straight away.
Customize App and Shows
Change colors, upload your logo, add your shows as events, add playlists from SoundCloud or Hearthis, and switch on push notifications. Every change previews live on a virtual phone.
Preview on Your Phone
Scan the QR code to install the preview on your real Android or iPhone. Test the stream, tap through the schedule, send yourself a push. Share the preview link with your DJs.
Publish to Play + App Store
Google Play publishing from $16 per app a month; the App Store as well on the Platinum plan ($60), under your own Apple Developer account ($99 a year). Listeners find you by station name.
See a Radio Station App Built in Under 60 Seconds
Every Feature Your Radio Station App Needs
What the Appy Pie audio feature and the rest of the platform actually give a station, as documented on the features page.
Live Stream Playback
Paste a Shoutcast or Icecast stream URL and the app plays it with a play and stop control. Any host that gives you a standard MP3 or AAC stream URL works.
Playlists from SoundCloud and Hearthis
Add on-demand audio next to the live stream: show recordings, mixes and episodes pulled from SoundCloud or Hearthis playlists.
Show Schedule as Events
List your shows and live events with times and descriptions using the Events feature, or import them from Eventbrite and Bandsintown.
Push Notifications
Send a push to everyone who installed the app: a show starting, a guest on air, a new episode. Sent from the dashboard, no code.
Listener Community
A Forum or Social Network page where listeners post, comment and like, with user management on your side. The Chat feature opens WhatsApp or Skype for one-to-one messages.
Podcast Episodes
Publish episodes as SoundCloud or Hearthis playlists so a podcast network and a live station live in the same app.
News and Blog Feeds
Pull station news from WordPress, Blogger or any RSS feed into the app so bulletins and DJ posts update without a store release.
Video, Social and Sponsors
Embed YouTube, Vimeo or Livestream video, link your social profiles, and add sponsor pages with links to their websites.
Live User Analytics
Active users and engagement in the dashboard, so you can see which shows pull installs and opens.
The AI-Powered Radio App Builder That Understands Your Station
Describe your station in one sentence and Appy Pie’s AI generates a starter app: on-brand color palette, sample show times, DJ bios, and category-appropriate pages (a forum for talk radio, playlists for music, events for community stations).
- Auto-tags shows by genre from your program name (Reggae, Blues, Talk, News)
- Suggests push notification timing based on your show schedule and target time zones
- Suggests which pages to add by station type (events for talk shows, playlists for music, a forum for community stations)
- Writes App Store and Play Store descriptions from your station identity in seconds
The No-Code Radio App Builder That Skips Xcode, Java, and Server Setup
Native Android and iOS apps for your radio station without a single line of code. No Android Studio, no Xcode, no Shoutcast server configuration, no App Store rejection nightmares.
Drag-and-Drop Show Builder
Add shows as events, playlists, a forum and a news feed by dragging pages into the app. No config files, no coding to change your Sunday lineup.
No Streaming Server Setup
Bring your existing Shoutcast, Icecast, Live365, or Radio.co stream URL. Appy Pie builds the listener app; you keep your existing setup.
Live Preview on Your Phone
Every color, show, or feature change previews instantly in the browser and via the Appy Pie preview app on your real phone.
App Store Compliance Handled
Appy Pie manages Play Store submission (Google’s audio-app policies, target API level, permissions manifest, content rating).
Native Android + iOS Builds
Native Android and iOS builds, not a wrapped website, published under your own store accounts. iOS is included on the Platinum plan.
Update Without Republishing
Change show schedules, DJs, colors, or push messages any time. Listeners see updates instantly, no App Store re-submission needed.
Works with Any Radio Stream Provider
Paste the stream URL your host gives you. Appy Pie builds the listener app; the host runs the stream.
Where the stream comes from
Searching for “make your own radio station” usually ends on a hosting page, and that is the right first stop: Radio.co (from $35 a month), RadioKing (from $19 a month) and Live365 (which bundles US music licensing) run the Shoutcast or Icecast stream, the playout and the listener hours. Appy Pie takes that stream URL and turns it into the branded Android and iOS app your listeners install. One host, one app, two bills: about $65 a month for a small station’s software and hosting in the 2026 guides, plus the app plan below.
Types of Radio Stations You Can Launch
Every type of internet radio, packaged as a native mobile app your listeners can install.
Music, Podcast and Talk Apps on the Same Builder
The audio feature is not tied to one stream. The same builder makes a music app, a podcast app or a talk-show app, and Google already sends people looking for a music app builder to this page. For a music-first app with your own albums, start from the music streaming app builder.
Music app
Playlists from SoundCloud or Hearthis as the main pages, a live stream if you run one, artist pages built from the Blog feature, and push for new drops. Streaming your own catalogue still needs the rights to it; see the limits below.
Podcast app
Every episode as a playlist item, show notes as blog posts, a forum for listener questions. One Capterra reviewer built exactly this as a sister app for a podcast’s episodes and behind-the-scenes content (Emanuel C., May 2025).
Talk and sports show app
The live stream on the front page, the schedule as events, a forum for the post-show argument, and a sponsor page with links. For video shows, the video streaming app builder is the better starting point.
Made For Independent Broadcasters, Networks & Podcasters
Community Broadcasters
Local nonprofit and volunteer stations who want a listener app without server headaches. Keep your existing Icecast stream, get a branded app in a day.
Music Network Owners
Running 2-10 stations with themed streams (Jazz, Reggae, Alt-Rock). Ship one app with a page per stream and one push list for the whole network.
Podcast Networks
Turn your podcast archive into a listener app: episodes as SoundCloud or Hearthis playlists, a live stream page, a forum for listeners and a push when a new episode drops.
Churches with Sermon Streams
Sunday sermons plus a 24/7 worship music stream, sermon archive, and push alerts for prayer meetings, in one app for your congregation.
Sports Talk Hosts
Independent sports talk shows and networks. Live game commentary on the stream, a post-show forum, push alerts before game time, and sponsor pages.
College and University Radio
Campus stations who need something more polished than the university IT department can deliver. Custom colors, DJ pages, a semester schedule built from events.
Appy Pie vs Other Radio App Builders
Five ways to get a radio app, on the rows we can verify from public pricing pages. Radio.co hosts the stream and sells the app as an add-on; Nobex is the radio-only specialist; AppBuild.diy is the newest and has a free tier.
| Feature | Appy Pie | GoodBarber | Radio.co apps | Nobex | AppBuild.diy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0 to build; $16/app/mo yearly (Google Play), $60 with the App Store | $30/mo yearly (PWA), $55/mo native iOS + Android | +$35/mo on a $35 to $199/mo hosting plan | $27.50/mo (Basic) to $99/mo (Pro), $59 setup | Free for 10 users, $49/mo for 1,000, $99 unlimited |
| Hosts your stream | No, bring a stream URL | No | Yes, it is a hosting product | No (streaming sold separately) | No |
| Native Android + iOS apps | Yes (iOS on Platinum) | Yes on the $55 plan | Yes | Yes | Yes, plus a PWA |
| Free to build and preview | Yes, no card | 30-day trial | 14-day trial | 30-day money-back | Free plan (10 users) |
| Store developer accounts | Your own; Apple $99/yr, Google $25 once | Your own | Your own | Your own | Your own |
| Their strength (fair) | Price, speed, and a full app platform (events, forum, blog, video) around the stream | Polished radio template, 30-day trial | Stream, playout and app from one vendor | Radio-only focus; CarPlay and Android Auto on Pro | Background audio and Now Playing on every plan, free tier |
| Best for | Stations that already have a stream and want a branded app with more than a play button | Stations that want a designed template and a trial first | New stations that need hosting and an app together | Broadcasters who need in-car playback | Small stations testing an app for free |
Radio App Development Cost: Builder, Agency or Custom
Three ways to get a radio app, with the prices as they stand in September 2026.
Build it yourself on Appy Pie
- Basic: $16 per app per month billed yearly ($32 monthly). Publishes to Google Play.
- Platinum: $60 per app per month billed yearly ($120 monthly). Adds the App Store, so one plan covers iOS and Android.
- Store fees, paid to the stores: Google Play $25 once, Apple Developer Program $99 a year.
- The stream is a separate bill: about $19 to $65 a month at a host such as RadioKing or Radio.co for a small station. Plan details on the app builder pricing page.
Radio-specific app vendors
- Nobex: $27.50 (Basic) to $99 (Pro) a month plus a $59 setup fee; in-car playback on Pro.
- Radio.co: apps are a $35 a month add-on to a hosting plan that starts at $35.
- GoodBarber: $30 a month billed yearly for a PWA, $55 for native iOS and Android.
- AppBuild.diy: free for 10 users, $49 a month for 1,000, $99 unlimited.
Agency or custom development
- Our September 2026 review of ten music and radio app development companies puts a radio-style app around a stream you already run at $15,000 to $40,000, a custom on-demand music app at $60,000 to $150,000, and a scaled platform at $250,000 and up.
- The cost guides on page one of Google agree on the spread: $2,000 to $250,000 (RadioKing), $20,000 to $150,000+ (JPLoft), $10,000 to $250,000 (Upwork).
- Maintenance, store fees and promotion are the recurring costs the quote leaves out.
Do you need a radio app development company?
A builder covers a listener app: live stream, playlists, schedule, push, community pages, both stores, under your station’s name. You need a development company when the app has to do something no builder offers: your own audio player with metadata and in-car playback, a custom ad server, listener accounts synced with a paywall, or a multi-station network with its own backend. If you are quoting agencies, build the free preview first anyway; it turns “we need a station app” into a screen-by-screen spec, and the quote you get back will be for the right app. The ten firms, with their published radio work, are in our music and radio app development companies guide.
Ship Your Radio App to Google Play and the App Store
Appy Pie handles the platform-specific compliance so your DJs can focus on shows, not app policy documents.
Guided Play Store Submission
Appy Pie submits under your developer account (or ours for the Basic plan). We handle audio-app policies, target API 34, foreground service permissions, and content ratings.
- Signed AAB build (Play Store required since Aug 2021)
- Content rating auto-generated for audio streaming
- Data safety form pre-filled based on your features
- Store listing text drafted from your station description
iOS Publishing with TestFlight
Requires your own Apple Developer account ($99/year). Appy Pie generates the IPA, provisioning profile, and TestFlight build, then walks you through App Store Connect submission.
- TestFlight beta to your DJs before public launch
- Signed IPA built on our side, no Xcode on yours
- Published under your own Apple Developer account, so the listing is yours
- App Store review notes template for audio-streaming apps
A Radio Station App Built on Appy Pie, in the Owner’s Words
We have not published a radio customer case study yet, so this is the one verified radio story we can show: a G2 review, quoted as written and dated. Nothing here is a mock-up.
Myliberty Radio
Rev Liz J., the station’s CEO, had paid for months while her own IT could not finish the app. An account manager walked her through the build, a support engineer got the stream playing, and the app went live the same day. She upgraded to the Platinum plan afterwards.
“Now Myliberty Radio mobile app is live because Nick took his time and helped me. I will recommend my friends to use Appy Pie for their mobile business app.”
What Appy Pie’s Radio App Builder Does NOT Do
Real capability boundaries. If you need any of these, use a specialist tool alongside Appy Pie.
We Do Not Host Your Stream
You bring your own Shoutcast, Icecast, Live365, or Radio.co server URL. Appy Pie builds the client app only.
No Music Licensing Bundled
You handle royalties yourself (SoundExchange, PPL, GEMA, ASCAP/BMI). Live365 bundles US royalties; if that matters, use them for the stream and Appy Pie for the app.
No DRM-Protected Streams
Standard HTTP audio streams only (MP3, AAC, HLS). If your provider requires DRM playback, we cannot decrypt it.
No In-App Broadcasting from Phone
The app is for listeners, not for DJs to broadcast from. Continue using your existing studio setup (BUTT, Nautel, Rocket Broadcaster).
No Adaptive Bitrate Encoding
Playback quality is whatever your stream provider serves. If you need adaptive bitrate, configure it on your Icecast or CDN side.
Free Plan Excludes Store Publishing
Play Store submission needs the Basic plan ($16 per app a month billed yearly) and the App Store the Platinum plan ($60). You can build, preview, and iterate free indefinitely.
What Radio and Podcast Users Say About Appy Pie
Real reviews on G2 and Capterra, quoted as written and dated. One radio station, one podcast app, one small nonprofit that added a podcast.
“My IT was unable to complete the mobile app … So, she sent a ticket to tech support, and Nick fixed the issue for me. Now Myliberty Radio mobile app is live.”
“We designed a sister app for our podcast episodes and behind-the-scenes content. That helped drive up our engagement and allowed to reach an audience that is more mobile than web.”
“When we added a podcast to our programming, we used SoundCloud because it could be linked to the app. I kinda wonder if more connections would have been possible with Spotify instead.”
The honest cons, from the same platforms. Emanuel C. found “limited design flexibility” and “a couple of hurdles” publishing to the store. James H. (Capterra, June 2025, 3/5) paid $60 a month to keep an app in both stores while it was still in testing and waited 22 days on a Play Console review. Barry F. (Capterra, November 2025, 1/5) says the templates feel “cookie cutter” and the free tier does not publish. John M. (Capterra, June 2025, 5/5) notes support “isn’t 24/7”. Fair points: the app plan runs from the day you publish, both stores review on their own clock, and this page does not claim round-the-clock support.
Ready to Put Your Radio Station in Every Listener’s Pocket?
Free to start, no credit card needed. Preview your radio app on your phone in minutes, publish to Google Play and the App Store when you are ready.
Build My Radio App FreeRadio App Builder Questions Answered
Do I need a Shoutcast or Icecast server to use Appy Pie’s radio app builder?
Yes. Appy Pie builds the listener app, not the streaming server. You need an existing stream URL from Shoutcast, Icecast, Live365, Radio.co, RadioKing, StreamGuys, or any host that gives you an MP3 or AAC URL. If you do not have a stream yet, hosts start at about $19 a month (RadioKing) to $35 a month (Radio.co).
Can I create a radio station app for free?
You can build, customize and preview your radio app on your phone for free with no credit card. Publishing is paid: the Basic plan at $16 per app per month billed yearly ($32 monthly) publishes to Google Play, and the Platinum plan at $60 per app per month ($120 monthly) publishes to the App Store and Google Play. Google charges $25 once and Apple $99 a year for developer accounts.
How long does it take to build a radio station app?
A working preview with your stream playing takes about 15 minutes; a store-ready build with your shows, playlists and push set up takes an hour or so. Then the stores take over: a first Google Play review usually takes a few days, and Apple says 90% of submissions are reviewed within 24 hours, though allow a week for a first submission.
Does Appy Pie handle music licensing and royalties?
No. Music licensing is the station’s responsibility (SoundExchange in the US, PPL and PRS in the UK, GEMA in Germany). Some hosts bundle it with the stream, Live365 for the US, Canada and Mexico for example; the app itself does not change what you owe. Talk, sports and original content need no music licence.
Can I publish to both Google Play and the Apple App Store?
Yes. Google Play submission is guided end-to-end by Appy Pie (paid plans). Apple App Store requires your own Apple Developer account at $99/year; Appy Pie generates the IPA and walks you through App Store Connect submission.
Does the app keep playing when the phone locks, and does it support CarPlay?
The audio feature plays the stream inside the app. Appy Pie’s documentation does not list lock screen controls, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for the audio feature, so this page does not promise them; if in-car playback is essential, Nobex includes it on its Pro plan and we say so in the comparison above. Ask support to confirm the current behaviour on your device before you promise it to listeners.
Can I monetize my radio app?
Through sponsors, not built-in payments: add sponsor pages with links to their websites, run sponsor posts in the blog feed, and send a sponsored push. Ad breaks inside the audio are inserted by your stream host, not by the app. Appy Pie does not document listener tips or subscription tiers for radio apps, so this page does not claim them.
What happens if my stream URL changes?
Update the stream URL in the Appy Pie dashboard and all listeners get the new URL instantly, no App Store re-submission needed. Same applies to show schedule, DJ names, colors, and push messaging.
Can listeners chat and request songs in the app?
Listeners can post, comment and like on a Forum or Social Network page inside the app, which is where most stations take requests and shoutouts, and you can manage users from your dashboard. The Chat feature opens a third-party messenger such as WhatsApp for one-to-one messages. There is no live chat room tied to the stream or a request queue in the studio.
Is the app native or a wrapped website?
Native Android and iOS builds that you submit to Google Play and the App Store under your own developer accounts, not a website wrapped in a browser view. You edit the app in Appy Pie’s dashboard and the changes reach installed apps without a new store release.
How much does a radio app cost?
On Appy Pie, building and previewing is free and publishing costs $16 per app per month billed yearly for Google Play or $60 per app per month for both stores, plus $25 once for Google and $99 a year for Apple. Radio-specific vendors run from $27.50 a month (Nobex Basic) to $99 (Nobex Pro), $35 a month as a Radio.co add-on, or $30 to $55 a month at GoodBarber. An agency build of a radio app around an existing stream costs $15,000 to $40,000 in our September 2026 review of ten music and radio app development companies. The stream hosting itself is a separate $19 to $65 a month.
Is it legal to make your own radio station app?
The app is legal; the music is the question. Building and publishing a listener app for a stream you have the right to broadcast is no different from publishing any other app. What needs licensing is the music you play, which is the station’s job (SoundExchange in the US, PPL and PRS in the UK, GEMA in Germany) or the host’s, as with Live365 in the US, Canada and Mexico. Talk, sports and original content need no music licence.
Can I make a music app or a podcast app instead of a radio station app?
Yes, on the same builder. A music app uses SoundCloud or Hearthis playlists as its main pages; a podcast app publishes each episode as a playlist item with show notes as blog posts; a talk show app puts the live stream first with the schedule as events. Streaming your own catalogue still needs the rights to it, and the app does not connect to Spotify or Apple Music.
Building Appy Pie since 2016 to help 10M+ users across 190 countries create native apps without code. Radio App Builder is for stations that already run a stream and want the listener app under their own name.