If you want to listen to music, podcasts, and talk shows without spending on music streaming apps, then you need a good FM transmitter app for your iPhone.
The way Radio works, you need to be in the transmission zone to connect to the frequency of whatever channel you want to listen to. However, FM transmitter apps allow you to tune in to your favorite channel even when you are in a different country.
We’ve compiled this list based on our experience using these apps. While you can download all of them free of charge, some will require a subscription for you to access premium content.
Best FM transmitter apps for iPhone
After researching and testing a couple of apps, we believe these are the best FM transmitter apps.
1.iHeartRadio app
- Pricing: Free; $12.99 per month to unlock premium features.
iHeartRadio is arguably one of the most popular radio station apps, and with good reason. It offers users a wide selection of local AM channels and worldwide FM stations at the touch of a button.
You can listen to download content or local channels while offline but must be online to listen to worldwide transmissions.
iHeartRadio was founded in 2018, and since then, it has bought almost 250,000 podcasts, and the number is set to keep growing.
Therefore, subscribers always have something to keep them hooked. Additionally, the creators of this app were mainly focused on user satisfaction; for that reason, the sound quality is impeccable.
2. Radio Turner app
Pricing: Free; $2.99 per month for a premium subscription
Radio Turner is a free radio FM app that hosts both FM and AM channels. It is still relatively new; hence it’s only accessible in over 200 countries.
To use it, you will need to input your country and location so that the app scans for your Radio show with nearby solid transmissions.
So far, the Radio tuner gives access to over 50,000 channels, almost guaranteeing that your favorite channel is available. Despite being free, the app design is luxurious and offers you a seamless user experience.
For a premium subscription, the price is $2.99 per month.
3.TuneIn Radio app
- Pricing: Free; $9.99 monthly for a premium subscription.
If you are a Radio fan or have been looking into apps that transmit Radio, you have most definitely come across TuneIn.
It’s a great app if you are looking to spice up your rod trips or enjoy relaxing music, as it gives you access to countless AM and FM channels, live news, sports coverage, audiobooks, and podcasts.
The best marketing point of this product has to be its channel selection. TuneIn Radio app users have access to exclusive channels such as NFL radio, Fox News, BBC, and so many notable mentions that you would need to pay extra for.
New members are welcomed with a 90-day free trial. Afterward, you need to pay $9.99 monthly as a premium subscriber.
4. Simple Radio app
Pricing: Free with ads; $2.99 per month ad-free.
If you are looking for a versatile FM transmitter, then simple Radio is arguably one of the best apps you can get. For starters, it gives you access to over 45,000 channels, so there will likely be something for everyone.
Simple Radio is owned by Streema and works as online Radio, FM, and Am transmitter. This app has a user-friendly interface, as most features are pretty straightforward.
For example, you can manually input the name of your favorite station to tune into it or discover new ones by searching your favorite genres.
Aside from music, you can also access news and Sports channels, podcasts, and so forth. Did I mention it hardly ever lags?
You can choose the free version with ads or the ad-free version that costs $2.99 per month.
5. Stitcher for Podcasts
- Pricing: Free; $4.99 for the premium version.
Considering podcasts have an enormous fan base, Sticher app developers came up with the idea to create a radio app that solely hosts podcast shows.
This app will change your podcast game by introducing you to thousands of podcasts for every genre imaginable.
So far, there are over 260,000 podcast shows. The genres range from true crime, sports, politics, girl talk, Celebrity gossip, travel content, and so forth. Additionally, you can find exclusive content that you can only find on the app.
You can either go for the monthly deal, which stands at $4.99, or the annual deal, which is $34.99.
6. Radio FM
Pricing: Free.
Radio FM gives you access to diverse content such as comedy shows, trending news, sports commentaries, talk shows, and so much more.
Once you use the app for approximately three days, the algorithm will continue recommending similar channels to check out. But you can also mark channels as favorites so that you can easily find them whenever you need them.
Besides having an easy-to-master user interface, this app allows you to listen to whatever is in the background as you surf social media or perform other tasks on your phone.
Radio FM is free for all subscribers.
7.SiriusXM Radio
Pricing: Free; Tiered premium version.
SiriusXM radio on of your best options when it comes to FM transmitters. First, it hosts almost all popular radio channels and the less known ones- Comedy shows or old-school music.
What’s not to love about this iOS app? The music quality is fantastic, the user interface is modern and straightforward, and the content selection and algorithm are top-notch.
Moreover, considering it has more than 100 million subscribers, you will find a community of like-minded people willing to share their pre-made playlists.
Also, you can choose to watch the videos for select content or, rather, the lyrics to your favorite tunes, which is a unique touch.
SiriusXM Radio has different subscription tiers:
- A la carte, which costs $9.99.
- A la carte gold which costs $17.99 a month.
- SiriusXM is all-in-one, which costs $19.99.
8. LiveOne Music
Pricing: Free; In-app purchases.
There is no need to miss out on your favorite radio shows because you can easily download LiveOne on your phone’s app store.
As one of the best FM transmitter apps for iPhone, LiveOne Music gives you access to your favorite channels, and part of the reason it made this list is because it hardly, if ever, glitches.
The developers focused their energy on making sure the sound quality of their content was top-notch. Though this can be hard to tell with the naked ear, you will appreciate the constant sound clarity.
Once you open an account, you must create a favorite channel list so the algorithm knows what content to recommend. This way, you can quickly discover relatable trending channels.
LiveOne Music costs $3.99 for the basic plan and $9.99 for the premium plan.
9. Clear FM
Pricing: Free.
As an iOS user, you have probably heard of Clear FM. It is one of the most famous radio apps for several reasons.
First, the app tracks your movement to keep updating your geographical location. This way, you will be able to enjoy uninterrupted music.
All of its content is classified into genre and country. Also, it’s one of the few apps in this category that allows you to search music by occasion. For example, birthday sons, Christmas songs, etc.
Clear FM is available for free.
Even though technology has advanced giving forth hundreds of sources for finding/listening to music, many still crave the nostalgia of scrolling through the Radio.
If you fall in the category above, hopefully, you get excellent FM transmitter apps for your iPhone.
