Station Owners
For Station Owners: How to Verify Your Radio Station on LRS
October 17, 2024
Naxi Radio
Listen to the best radio stations in France and learn more about the French radio station scene. Find a full list top-rated French radio stations.
France is home to thousands of private and state radio stations, most of which can be heard here on our website. Now, if you want to listen to the most popular French radio stations, you can do so on any device, whenever you want.
We offer a brief history of radio in France and a guide to the most popular radio stations in France. Here you can enjoy French music, popular hits, news, and sports talk shows and much more - with just a few clicks.
The history of radio in France begins in the 19th century with the first radio messages sent by the ingenious Eugene Adrien Ducretet. But it was not until the period between the two world wars that radio found its place in French society. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, France found a way to monopolize radio, with a few stations earning the nickname of 'peripheral" because they broadcast from outside the country. The periphery stations included Sud Radio, Radio Monte Carlo, Radio Luxembourg, and Europe 1.
The periphery and the state radio stations were not exactly on a war footing in the post-war years, but it was not until 1981 that France received its freedom of broadcasting. The year 1981 in fact marks the year in which the then President Mitterand signed off on the introduction of independent radio stations. Progress was slow at first - as expected - but then it picked up quickly and the number of radio stations grew exponentially. Currently, there are more than 1700 public and commercial radio stations in France. According to the regulations issued by the French government to protect France's national identity, at least 40% of the music broadcast on private radio stations must be of French origin.
1 January 2023 is the official date when Radio Luxembourg abandoned Long Wave, following in the footsteps of Radio France, Europe 1, and Radio Monte Carlo.
In France, you have a choice between private and public radio stations. All public stations belong to Radio France, the country's national public service broadcaster. There are seven radio stations in France that operate on a national level and are all immensely popular. However, many people also listen to private radio stations, of which there are thousands.
Here are the top 5 French radio stations that you can listen to online whenever you want right here with us.
Unlike other countries, France is focused on news and talk channels. Therefore, many of the best French radio stations are news or culture channels with a strong focus on news programs and informative talk shows. But there is also a lot of music. The French like a bit of jazz, a bit of dance music, but mostly chansons and relaxation music, which you will find a lot of here.
If you are wondering where you can stream France's most popular radio stations online, the answer is: here!
Check out our top picks of the most popular radio stations in France and discover your favorite music, get the latest news from the country and the continent, and expand your horizons with informative talk shows on various social and cultural topics.
As France is a huge radio market with thousands of radio stations, we have narrowed down the selection of top radio stations in France by city and genre. Use these as filters to find what you want easily and quickly. If you listen at night, there's also a dark theme so you do not have to suffer from screens that are too bright.
The great thing about French online radio with us is that you can listen to it on any device without interruption. Play your favorite radio station online and surf the web while the music plays seamlessly in the background.
If you like, you can save your favorite French stations, and even if you miss it, you can access your listening history and get an overview of all the stations you have listened to with us.
Install the free Live Radio Stations application for your smartphone or table and listen to your favorite radio stations online – wherever you are!
