A station's stream URL is the direct address of its audio, and there are four reliable ways to get it: the station's own listen page, an open community directory, the Network tab of your browser's developer tools, and simply asking the station. They are below in the order worth trying, along with what to do when an address that used to work goes quiet.
What a stream URL is
It is the direct address of the audio feed rather than the page around it. Some end in a file extension like .mp3, .aac or .m3u8, others are a bare host and port. Paste one into a player and the station starts, with no website in between.
1. The station's own website
Start here, because it is the source. Many stations publish a listen or tune-in page offering an .m3u or .pls file, often labelled for VLC, Winamp or "other players". Those small files are playlists that contain the real stream address, and any decent player reads them directly.
2. An open community directory
Community-maintained databases collect stream addresses that listeners have submitted and that get checked automatically. This is where most radio apps, including Macdio, get their catalog, and it is usually the fastest way to find a station whose site is hard to navigate or in a language you do not read. Once you have an address, how to listen to internet radio on a Mac covers what to paste it into.
3. Browser developer tools
If a station only offers a web player, the address is still visible. Open the player page, open the browser's developer tools, choose the Network tab, filter to Media, and press play. The long-running request that keeps growing is the stream. Right click it and copy the URL.
4. Ask the station
Underrated and often the quickest. Small stations answer email, and many are happy that someone wants to listen properly. It also avoids the guesswork when a station runs several different quality feeds.
A word on what you may do with it
Finding a public stream address and listening to it yourself is ordinary listening. Redistributing a station's audio, rebroadcasting it, or building a service around someone else's feed is a different matter and carries its own licensing obligations. Keep it personal and keep it simple: point your own player at the station and enjoy it.
Adding it to Macdio
Once you have the address, adding it takes seconds. Open Macdio, tap the plus button, paste the URL (MP3, AAC, HLS, or an .m3u or .pls playlist), give the station a name, and it is yours. Custom stations sync to your other Apple devices through iCloud, so a station added on the iPhone is waiting on the Mac and the Apple TV.
When a stream goes silent
Stations move servers more often than people expect. A dead URL rarely means a dead station, so look the station up again before giving up; there is usually a new address, and it is worth updating the custom station rather than deleting it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a radio stream URL?
How do I find the stream URL of a station?
Why does a stream URL stop working?
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