Audials Radio: The intuitive app which lets you record live broadcasts for free

We’ve all caught songs on the radio and made a mental note to look them up later, knowing full well that it’s a no-hoper. After all, even on the off chance we ever open our web browser, the likelihood of remembering the title of the track is desperately slim. But lo and behold, it appears my days of incorrectly humming tunes at a long-suffering Shazam (or a long-suffering friend) are over, for Audials Radio has provided the answer. The Android app for smartphones and tablets allows users to record music from over 100.000 online radio stations, so essentially: if you can hear it, you can have it.

While streaming giant Spotify charges for uninterrupted access, punishing its free members with unskippable and incessantly irritating ads, with this app you can copy your favourite music tracks live from the radio, commercial-free. And like Spotify premium, the app allows you to download songs, giving you the option to save them as MP3 and AAC files which can be easily stored on an SD card or, in my case, transferred onto the cloud for unlimited offline listening.

Another neat element which deserves noting is Audials’ option to search for any artist or genre, giving you results based on your musical preferences. Who knows, you might find – as I did when I tested the feature – that there’s a local radio station perfectly suited to your eclectic tastes. But above all, the joy of the app is that you can take it anywhere. If you use an Android-based radio system on the go, you can set the app to Car Mode and fill your commute with your favourite jams. Or maybe on your travels, DJ Dave at Radio Dunstable will blow your mind with his experimental tunes – which can then become part of your ever-evolving playlist.

Alternatively, If you want to use the app in your house, you can listen wirelessly by streaming music to Chromecast (or whichever airplay receivers you may have). And if you are on the lookout for something to broaden your mind – or at least create a façade of intelligence when your date is over – the app has an impressive collection of podcasts including reviews, comedy and current affairs (over 260,000, to be precise).

In fact, it’s easy to tailor the app to your own requirements, and the most recent update includes a dashboard with customisable features including a programmable clock radio, sleep timer and equalizer. Essentially, if you like the idea of building a versatile personalisable audio library, but don’t like the idea of paying a fee, then  Audials Radio fits the bill.

Rosamund Kelby

Audials Radio is available on the Google Play store.