Audacy: Radio & Sports Talk

Review by eFreeware

Most radio apps do one thing well and leave you juggling several of them. Audacy tries to cover the whole listening day in a single free app: local AM and FM stations, sports talk, national and local news, a podcast player, and Spanish-language programming. That breadth is the most distinctive thing about it, and it is the reason the app has stayed on phones since 2011.

The pitch is aimed at people who already listen to radio and want it in one place. If you follow a hometown sports team, keep a news station on in the background, or split your time between talk shows and podcasts, this is built for you. It is free to install and supported by ads, with no in-app purchases offered.

Live radio without a physical dial

The core of the app is streaming audio from AM and FM stations. The developer lists well-known examples such as V103 in Atlanta, 106.7 KROQ in Los Angeles and Orange County, and 93 XRT in Chicago, alongside local stations in many other markets. If a station you grew up with has moved online, this is one way to keep listening to it.

There is also a set of on demand stations, which the developer describes as programmed by music lovers rather than machines. That is a different proposition from picking a station and letting it run: these are curated channels built around a mood or a style, and they sit alongside the live feeds rather than replacing them.

For listeners who want music in Spanish, the app carries Spanish-language live stations and on demand channels built around artists such as Bad Bunny and Shakira. Between local feeds, curated channels and the Spanish-language selection, the music side is broad enough that most people will find something to leave running.

Sports talk, play-by-play and the market-area catch

Sports is where the app makes its loudest claims. According to the developer, this is a top spot for radio and sports talk, carrying national shows and local stations such as Boston's WEEI 93.7 FM and WFAN 101.9 FM/66AM in New York. CBS Sports Radio supplies league-wide coverage, while the BetQL Network adds a betting-focused strand.

Live play-by-play is available for many NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and college football teams. The important qualifier is that this audio only works inside the designated market area for the teams involved, so a fan living away from their team's home region should not count on game audio through the app.

That restriction shapes who gets the most from the sports side. If you live in the market you follow, the app can serve as a straightforward way to hear games and the talk around them. If you moved away, the national shows and league coverage still travel with you, but the local game call does not.

News, talk and a full podcast player

News is handled with a mix of national and local sources. CBS News and Fox News provide national coverage, while stations such as WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit, 1010 WINS in New York and NewsRadio 1120 KMOX in St. Louis carry the local angle. Spanish-language news and talk is represented too, with Unanimo Deportes among the options.

The podcast side is a full player rather than an afterthought. It offers access to millions of episodes, among them Dateline NBC, We Can Do Hard Things, Smartless, Search Engine, The Daily, Sports Junkies and Office Ladies, along with exclusive Audacy Originals.

Everything you want to keep can be gathered into My Audio, a single list for stations, shows and episodes. Clips and episodes can be saved for later, which matters if your listening happens in short gaps rather than long stretches. The idea is that you stop hunting through separate apps for the station, the show and the podcast.

What the app needs from you

There is no setup ritual to describe here. The app is free to download, and the developer's own summary of the experience is that you tap once to reach your stations, sports content and podcasts. The one requirement worth planning around is the market-area rule for live play-by-play, which depends on where you are rather than on anything you configure.

The app also includes Nielsen audience measurement, which the developer says lets listening count toward market research similar to Nielsen's TV ratings. Details about the measurement products and your choices are pointed to on Nielsen's site. It is part of what you are installing.

The app is rated Teen, which fits the mix of talk radio, sports and news. The most recent update is described as bug fixes and streaming improvements, so the current build is a maintenance release rather than a redesign.

Where Audacy fits into a listening routine

The strongest case for the app is consolidation. Someone who checks a local news station in the morning, catches sports talk at lunch and finishes the day with a podcast would otherwise need three or four apps. Here those jobs live in one place, with a shared list for the things you return to.

The second case is regional loyalty. Sports fans inside their team's market get live game audio alongside the talk shows that discuss it, and listeners with a favorite local music station get a familiar feed. The Spanish-language lineup adds a further reason to keep it installed.

It is a less obvious fit for anyone whose listening is mostly on-demand music. The curated stations are a supplement to live radio, not a full replacement for a dedicated music service, and the app's center of gravity is broadcast content. Podcast-first listeners may also find that a standalone podcast app covers their needs with less around it.

Ads, ratings and what to expect

The app is free and carries advertising, and there are no in-app purchases offered. That combination means the trade is straightforward: you get the stations and shows without paying, and ads are part of the package. Anyone who wants a listening app without advertising should weigh that before installing.

The public numbers are worth a mention because they are mixed. More than five million installs suggest a substantial audience, while the average rating sits at 3.1 from 45,356 ratings. That gap between reach and reception is the kind of thing I would factor in: a large user base with a middling score usually points to an app people keep for specific content rather than one they love as software.

None of that changes what the app is for. If the stations, teams or shows you care about are in the lineup, the rating is a footnote. If you are browsing for a general-purpose audio app, the score is a fair signal that expectations should be set around content rather than polish.

A radio app for people who follow local stations and teams

Audacy makes the most sense for listeners who already have a relationship with broadcast radio. If your day includes a local news station, a sports talk show or a hometown team's games, the app puts those in one place and lets you save them for quick access. The podcast player and the Spanish-language stations widen that appeal without changing its center.

The limits are clear enough to plan around. The app is ad-supported and free, with no purchases to make, and the 3.1 average from 45,356 ratings suggests a practical audience rather than an enthusiastic one.

I would suggest it to someone who wants their local stations, sports talk and a podcast player under one icon, and who is comfortable with ads in exchange for not paying. If your listening is mostly on-demand music, or you follow a team from outside its market, the app will feel narrower than its feature list suggests.

What's new in version 2026.10.01

This release includes bug fixes and streaming improvements.