Why FM (and live radio) still matters in the UK streaming age

Playlists grew — live radio kept urgency, local identity and shared moments.

Opinion2026-03-20 · 7 min

On‑demand is excellent for track‑by‑track choice. Live radio offers human curation, presenters and the sense of sharing the same instant — breakfast, commute, major events.

FM/DAB and official streams complement each other. Explore Stations and Genres, lock essentials in Favourites. When a city “sounds” different, the dial is often why — see regions.

Hybrid habit: live radio in the morning, playlist later, podcast at night. Skip the false dilemma. Top helps discovery.

Live radio matters because it still solves company and information in real time. Feedback: Contact.

Why FM (and live radio) still matters in the UK streaming age

Playlists grew — live radio kept urgency, local identity and shared moments.

Opinion2026-03-20 · 7 min

On‑demand is excellent for track‑by‑track choice. Live radio offers human curation, presenters and the sense of sharing the same instant — breakfast, commute, major events.

FM/DAB and official streams complement each other. Explore Stations and Genres, lock essentials in Favourites. When a city “sounds” different, the dial is often why — see regions.

Hybrid habit: live radio in the morning, playlist later, podcast at night. Skip the false dilemma. Top helps discovery.

Live radio matters because it still solves company and information in real time. Feedback: Contact.