Alternative Radio

We treat “alternative” not as a genre but as a position: music that chooses its own way instead of following the charts. That idea runs through the whole station, and these are the tracks where you hear it loudest.

Every song is picked by a person who listens to it first. No paid placements, no ad breaks, no algorithm.

Tracks appear here as soon as they are played on air. Press play above and listen in.

In the 1980s, American college radio stations played bands that commercial radio ignored, and “alternative” became the name for that world. Groups like R.E.M., the Pixies and Sonic Youth built audiences through small labels, campus stations and constant touring.

In 1991 Nirvana’s “Nevermind” pushed the sound into the mainstream, and the 1990s brought grunge, Britpop and festivals built around alternative bands. Since then the word has stretched to cover a wide range of music:

• Alternative rock, from raw and loud to atmospheric
• Post-punk and its many revivals
• Grunge, shoegaze and noise
• Artists who mix rock with electronic, folk or hip-hop

What ties it together is an attitude: making the music you want to make, whether or not it fits.

• In your browser: press play on the player at the top of this page. It works on any phone or computer, no account needed.
• In your favourite app: add our stream URL to VLC, Apple Music, Sonos or any radio app.
• On Android: get the Anti Radio app and keep listening in the background.
• On your website: embed our player and share the sound with your visitors.