Musika
How to listen to SomaFM on Android
The easiest way to listen to SomaFM on Android is SomaFM's own app, which is free on Google Play. If SomaFM is one of several stations you listen to, a general internet radio app does the job too, as long as it doesn't add its own ads. SomaFM doesn't run any, so any ad you hear came from the app.
What is SomaFM?
SomaFM is a listener-supported, commercial-free internet radio station that started broadcasting from San Francisco in 2000. The name comes from SoMa, the South of Market club district it started in. It runs 46 channels as of October 2026, from ambient and downtempo to Americana, metal and a San Francisco police scanner, with no ads on any of them. It's funded by donations.
Option 1: the official SomaFM app
SomaFM's Android app is RadiOMG for SomaFM, built by developer Doug Melton, whom SomaFM says it worked closely with. It plays every SomaFM channel, works with Android Auto and Chromecast, lets you save favourites, and shows what's playing. It's free, and its Play listing declares no data collected.
If SomaFM is all you listen to, this is the app I'd recommend. It's made for exactly that.
Option 2: a general internet radio app
If SomaFM sits alongside other stations, such as a local news station or a station from back home, a general radio app keeps them all in one list. Two things are worth checking first.
Does the app add its own ads? Some do. TuneIn's free tier plays its own pre-roll ads before stations start (its Pro listing says so directly). On a commercial-free station like SomaFM, that's the only advertising you'll hear.
Is SomaFM listed in your region? TuneIn has removed SomaFM and other non-UK stations from its UK directory. SomaFM's streams aren't blocked; TuneIn just doesn't list them there.
In Musika, search "SomaFM" and the channels come up from the community-run directory it uses. Most channels are listed more than once at different quality levels, so pick the 128k MP3 or AAC version unless you're on a slow connection. Save the ones you like to favourites and they're on the Android Auto screen in the car. If a channel is missing, every SomaFM channel page lists its stream links, which you can add as a custom station.
One honest note: Musika's free tier holds five favourites. If you want more SomaFM channels saved than that, it's either a one-time unlock or the official app, which has no cap.
Option 3: no app at all
SomaFM's web player works in your phone's browser at somafm.com/player. That's fine for a listen at your desk. For the car or a locked screen, an app is more reliable.
Where to start
SomaFM's channel list is long, so here's where I'd begin:
- Groove Salad. Ambient and downtempo grooves, and SomaFM's most-listened channel when I checked. I put it on for work.
- Lush. Mellow, mostly female vocals with an electronic edge. My other work channel.
- Folk Forward. Indie and alt-folk with the odd classic. It's what I play in the car.
- Drone Zone. Atmospheric ambient with almost no beats. Good for sleep or deep focus.
- Secret Agent. Spy-film lounge and soundtrack music. Better than it sounds.
- Groove Salad Classic. The early-2000s version of Groove Salad, if you were there the first time.
Support SomaFM
Whichever way you listen, SomaFM runs on donations and has for over 25 years. If it's a regular part of your day, it's worth chipping in.
Try it
I built Musika for listening like this: a handful of stations I come back to every day, with no ads and no account.
Head back to the blog, or to the Musika home page.