Bluegrass Radio Stations Streaming Live on the Internet

200+

Stations & Programs

50+

Years on Air

24/7

Online Streaming

Free

Most Platforms

🎻 Table of Contents

🗺️ Bluegrass Radio Stations by State

Indiana

Kentucky

Maine

Maryland

North Carolina

Tennessee

Washington, DC

📱 Top Streaming Platforms & Apps

AccuRadio Bluegrass

Cost: Free with unlimited skips

Platforms: Web, mobile apps

Content: Multiple bluegrass channels including Classic Bluegrass (earliest decades of recorded bluegrass), hybrid Kentucky bluegrass and Northern California jam bands, and contemporary bluegrass. No subscription required.

TuneIn Radio

Cost: Free (premium available)

Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, Smart TVs, Roku

Content: Variety of Bluegrass, Bluegrass Gospel, Folk, Americana, Old-Time String music streaming 24 hours a day. Shows hosted by talented DJs from throughout the world. Includes The Bluegrass Mix, The Bluegrass Jamboree, and many more stations.

iHeartRadio

Cost: Free (ad-supported)

Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

Content: iHeartBluegrass station with commercial-free bluegrass hits. Traditional Bluegrass playlists. Access to hundreds of stations including bluegrass programming.

SiriusXM

Cost: Subscription required (free trial available)

Platforms: SiriusXM radios, iOS, Android, Web, vehicles

Content: Bluegrass Junction (Channel 77) - America's Bluegrass Home. Features legends alongside today's hottest artists 24/7. Weekly shows from Del McCoury, Chris Jones, Ned Luberecki, Joey Black, Stephen "Mojo" Mougin.

Live365

Cost: Free (premium available)

Platforms: Web, mobile apps

Content: Thousands of free stations including OsGrass, Bluegrass Planet Radio, Echo Canyon Works Radio, Catgut n Jugs Bluegrass Show, DixieBroadcasting, Classic Country, Contemporary Bluegrass.

OnlineRadioBox

Cost: Free

Platforms: Web, smartphone app

Content: Live bluegrass radio stations online. Listen to favorite bluegrass stations for free on website or smartphone app.

Streema

Cost: Free

Platforms: Web, iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry

Content: Directory of bluegrass radio stations from around the world. Listen online to free live Internet radio stations.

🎧 How to Listen to Bluegrass Radio

1. Traditional FM/AM Radio

2. Online Streaming (Desktop/Laptop)

3. Mobile Apps (iOS/Android)

4. Smart Speakers (Alexa, Google Home)

5. Satellite Radio (SiriusXM)

6. Roku & Smart TV Devices

📜 Bluegrass Radio History

Early Beginnings

The 1970s were a time of rapid and exciting growth for bluegrass, which until then was played mostly as an afterthought on mainline country stations, or a sideline for public and alternative radio.

WAMU - A Pioneer (1967-Present)

On July 2, 1967, WAMU 88.5 introduced its first bluegrass radio show, the half-hour "Bluegrass Unlimited," with Dick Spottswood as host and Gary Henderson as engineer/associate producer. Katy Daley joined Gary as volunteer on the Saturday show, kicking off notable broadcast career. "Stained Glass Bluegrass" started its run as Sunday morning staple. "Bluegrass Country" arrived at WAMU in 1980 as title of afternoon show hosted by Jerry Gray.

WPAQ - The Voice of the Blue Ridge (1948-Present)

On Groundhog Day, 1948, people living around Mount Airy, North Carolina tuned their radios to 740 on AM dial to hear first radio station their area could call its own. WPAQ's Merry-Go-Round, featuring great local talents, is the second-longest-running live music radio show in the United States, behind only the Grand Ole Opry.

WSM & Grand Ole Opry (1925-Present)

Founded October 5, 1925, WSM debuted the WSM Barn Dance on Saturday night, November 28, 1925, becoming renamed "The Grand Ole Opry" in October 1927 by original host George D. Hay. The Grand Ole Opry is the world's longest-running radio program, showcasing mix of country, bluegrass, folk, gospel performances.

Notable Award-Winning Broadcasters

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Bluegrass Country (WAMU 88.5 HD2) is widely considered one of the best, with over 50 years of history and 24/7 streaming at BluegrassCountry.org. For satellite radio, SiriusXM's Bluegrass Junction (Channel 77) is the premier choice. WDVX in Knoxville won Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year five times (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009). WSM 650 AM Nashville is home to the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest-running radio program since 1925. For free streaming, try AccuRadio Bluegrass with unlimited skips, TuneIn's extensive bluegrass selection, or iHeartBluegrass for commercial-free listening.

Yes, most bluegrass radio is completely free. AccuRadio offers free bluegrass with unlimited skips and no subscription. TuneIn Radio provides thousands of bluegrass stations free on web and mobile apps. iHeartRadio offers free bluegrass streaming (ad-supported). Bluegrass Country (WAMU) is listener-supported and free to stream. WPAQ, WDVX, and WSM all offer free online streaming. OnlineRadioBox and Streema provide free access to hundreds of bluegrass stations worldwide. Only SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction requires a subscription, though they offer free trials.

The best apps for bluegrass radio include: TuneIn Radio (extensive bluegrass selection, free for iOS and Android), iHeartRadio (iHeartBluegrass station, commercial-free, free app), AccuRadio (multiple bluegrass channels with unlimited skips, free), Bluegrass Country app (dedicated WAMU app for iOS and Android from App Store / Google Play), SiriusXM app (Bluegrass Junction Channel 77, subscription required), Live365 (thousands of stations including bluegrass), OnlineRadioBox (free smartphone app), and Streema (available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry). Most apps are free with no subscription required except SiriusXM.

The Grand Ole Opry broadcasts from WSM 650 AM in Nashville, Tennessee. WSM broadcasts with 50,000 watts, providing coverage across the Southeast USA from Chattanooga to Evansville, Indiana, and from Jackson, Tennessee to Huntsville, Alabama. You can listen online at WSMRadio.com from anywhere in the world. The Opry also streams on Willie's Roadhouse (SiriusXM Channel 59). The program airs between two and five nights per week depending on the time of year. Founded November 28, 1925, it is the world's longest-running radio program. Following most Saturday night Opry episodes is the Midnite Jamboree, an aftershow founded by Ernest Tubb in 1947.

Bluegrass Junction is SiriusXM's dedicated bluegrass channel on Channel 77, billed as "America's Bluegrass Home." It features pure bluegrass music 24/7, from first-generation players Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs to contemporary sounds of Blue Highway and Alison Krauss & Union Station. The channel includes weekly shows from Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Del McCoury (50+ years experience), Chris Jones (IBMA Broadcaster and Song of the Year winner), Ned Luberecki, Joey Black, and Stephen "Mojo" Mougin (Sam Bush Band guitarist). The channel was created by merging Sirius channel 65 with XM's Bluegrass Junction in November 2008. Subscription required, though free trials are available.

Yes, bluegrass radio works great on smart speakers. For Alexa, say "Alexa, play Bluegrass Country" to access WAMU's stream, or "Alexa, play bluegrass radio on TuneIn." For Google Home, say "Hey Google, play bluegrass radio on TuneIn" or "Hey Google, play bluegrass music." Heartland Public Radio is specifically accessible via Amazon Alexa smart speakers. You can link your TuneIn, iHeartRadio, or SiriusXM accounts to your smart speaker for access to thousands of bluegrass stations. Create routines to automatically play your favorite bluegrass stations at specific times of day.

Bluegrass radio history dates back to 1925 when WSM Nashville launched, eventually becoming home to the Grand Ole Opry. WPAQ in Mount Airy, NC began broadcasting bluegrass and old-time music on February 2, 1948, with their Merry-Go-Round program becoming the second-longest-running live music show in America. WAMU 88.5 introduced "Bluegrass Unlimited" on July 2, 1967, with Dick Spottswood as host. The 1970s saw rapid growth as bluegrass moved from afterthought on country stations to dedicated programming on public and alternative radio. In 1983, WAMU was named Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year by SPBGMA. Satellite radio brought Bluegrass Junction in 2000. Today, over 200 stations and programs broadcast bluegrass across all 50 states via terrestrial radio, satellite, and internet streaming.

Heartland Public Radio HPR4 specializes in soul-soothing Bluegrass Gospel Music 24/7, commercial-free. The Bluegrass Jamboree streams bluegrass gospel alongside traditional bluegrass and country. WPAQ 740 AM features bluegrass gospel and religious programs. WNCW 88.7 FM broadcasts "Gospel Truth" bluegrass gospel programming 7-9 AM Sunday. SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction offers six hours of finest bluegrass gospel music played by the masters. TuneIn Radio features multiple Bluegrass Gospel stations streaming 24 hours a day. Most stations are listener-supported and free to access via web streaming, mobile apps, Roku, and Amazon Alexa.

Tennessee features WDVX 89.9 FM in Knoxville (American roots music including bluegrass, named Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year five times, hosts The WDVX Blue Plate Special live performances), WSM 650 AM in Nashville (home of Grand Ole Opry since 1925, 50,000-watt coverage), and 181.FM 80's Country in Nashville (classic country and bluegrass). North Carolina has WPAQ 740 AM / 106.7 FM in Mount Airy (since 1948, features Merry-Go-Round live music show every Saturday), WNCW 88.7 FM in Spindale (The Flagship Bluegrass Station with Goin' Across The Mountain 8-hour program), WCQS 88.1 FM (Close to Home and Country Roots programs), and The Bluegrass Jamboree in Princeton (24/7 streaming). All stations offer online streaming.

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) provides a downloadable Excel sheet with links to great terrestrial and internet bluegrass shows at IBMA.org, including program names, station call letters and frequency, day and time shows air, and how to tune in. The Bluegrass Radio Network offers a station locator at BluegrassRadio.com to find stations broadcasting "INTO THE BLUE" hosted by Nashville's Terry Herd (four-time IBMA Broadcaster of the Year). Bluegrass Signal website maintains comprehensive lists of bluegrass and old-time music radio stations and programs. PublicRadioFan.com provides searchable database of country/bluegrass music programs on public radio. TuneIn and Streema offer searchable directories of hundreds of bluegrass stations worldwide with DJ information and programming schedules.

Last updated on November 27, 2025