Recording a radio broadcast on a smartphone Android seems like a simple task - until you come across technical nuances. Depending on the phone model, firmware version, and even region, the available methods may differ dramatically. For example, FM chip, built into 80% of budget smartphones until 2020, today is often disabled by manufacturers at the software level. And popular applications like TuneIn Radio or Radio Garden allow you to listen to stations, but do not always save the broadcast to a file.

In this article we will look all current methods of recording radio broadcasts from hardware solutions (if your phone still supports FM) to workarounds through external devices and software. We will pay special attention to the legal aspects: recording for personal use and distribution of content are regulated by different regulations. You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes: from loss of audio synchronization when recording via AUX to IP blocking when using online services.

1. Checking support for the FM chip in your smartphone

The first and most obvious way to record radio is to use the built-in one. FM tuner. However, even if your smartphone is technically equipped with a chip (and these are models up to series 4–9 series, etc.), the manufacturer could disable the function in the firmware. You can check this in two ways: Android-the smartphone is technically equipped with a chip (and these are models Samsung Galaxy before the series S20, Xiaomi Redmi 4–9 episodes, Nokia etc.), the manufacturer could disable the function in the firmware. You can check this in two ways:

  • 🔍 Through the settings menu: open Settings → Connections → FM radio. If there is no item, the chip is either missing or blocked.
  • 📱 Using applications: install NextRadio or Spirit FM. They automatically detect the presence of a hardware module.
  • 🛠️ Through the engineering menu: enter the code ##36446337## (for Mediatek) or ##4636## (universal). In the section Hardware Testing look for the item FM Radio.

If there is an FM chip, but does not work, try enable it forcibly:

  1. Install Root access (for this suitable Magisk or KingRoot).
  2. Download the module FM Radio Enabler from the repository Magisk.
  3. Reboot the device and check for the presence of item FM radio in settings.
⚠️ Attention: Forcing the FM chip on uncertified firmware (for example, LineageOS) can lead to loss of warranty or unstable operation of the GSM module Before experiments, create a backup copy. through TWRP.
📊 Does your smartphone support FM radio?
Yes, it works out of the box.
There is a chip, but it is disabled by the manufacturer
No chip
I don’t know, I haven’t checked

2. Recording radio via the built-in FM tuner

If your smartphone recognizes the FM chip, recording the broadcast comes down to choosing the appropriate application. The best options:

Application Support. recordings File format Features
NextRadio Yes (paid feature) MP3, WAV Requires connected headphones as an antenna. The free version is limited to 30 minutes of recording.
Spirit FM Yes. (free) MP3 (up to 320 kbps) Supports RDS, but no cloud synchronization.
Simple Radio No — Suitable for streaming online stations.

Instructions for recording in Spirit FM:

  1. Connect headphones to the connector 3.5 mm (they act as an antenna).
  2. Launch the application and select a station manually or through search.
  3. Click on the microphone icon in the upper right corner → Record broadcast.
  4. Specify the folder to save (we recommend /SDCard/Music/Radio) and format (optimally - MP3, 192 kbit/s).
  5. To stop recording, use the same microphone icon.

Important nuance: the quality of the recording depends on the strength. signal. In cities with poor FM coverage (for example, in the metro), the broadcast will be recorded with interference. To minimize it:

  • 📡 Use headphones with a long wire (from 1 m) - they pick up the signal better.
  • 🔋 Charge the phone to 100% - a weak battery can cause voltage drops in the FM module.
  • 🚫 Avoid recordings near electromagnetic sources interference (microwaves, 5G routers).

Connect headphones with a 3.5 mm jack|

Charge the phone at least 50%|

Select a station with a signal level ≥80%|

Set the recording format (MP3, 128–192 kbit/s)|

Check the free space on the memory card (minimum 1 GB per hour of recording)

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3. Record online radio through streaming services

If you don’t have it on your phone. FM chip or you want to record a station from another city/country, use online services. They broadcast radio via the Internet, and recording is carried out using screen recorders or specialized apps. Popular platforms:

  • 🌍 Radio Garden - interactive map with radio stations around the world. browser extensions.
  • 🎵 TuneIn Radio —more than 100,000 stations, but recording is only possible through workarounds (see below).
  • 📻 Online Radio Box —convenient catalog by genre, there is an “alarm” function for scheduled recording.

To record a stream, use:

  1. Browser extensions:
    • Stream Recorder (Chrome) - saves the audio stream in MP3.
    • AudioCapture (Firefox) - records sound from the tab.
  • Applications for Android:
    • Screen Recorder – XRecorder (recording system sound).
    • Audio Recorder (recording from a microphone - suitable if you play the radio through a speaker).

      • Example of recording via XRecorder:

      1. Open TuneIn Radio and select a station.
      2. Run XRecorder, enable the option Internal audio recording (required Android 10+).
      3. Start recording and return to the radio. The sound will be saved to a file MP4 (the audio track can then be extracted via Audio Extractor).
    ⚠️ Attention: Some radio stations (for example, BBC Radio 1 or Energy FM) block the recording of the stream via DRM. If after starting recording the sound disappears, try:
    • 🔄 Switch to another station of the same station. genre.
    • 🌐 Use a VPN (for example, ProtonVPN) to change the region.
    • 📱 Record sound from the speaker through an external microphone (the quality will be worse).
    How to bypass recording blocking in TuneIn Radio?

    The service actively prevents the saving of the broadcast, but there is a workaround:

    1. Connect the phone to the PC via USB (mode File transfer).

    2. Use OBS Studio on the computer to capture audio from TuneIn (opened in the browser).

    3. Set up audio output to a virtual mixer (for example, OBS audio output to a virtual mixer (for example, VB-Cable).

    4. Record the stream directly to FLAC or WAV via Audacity.

    Disadvantage of the method: requires a PC and skills in working with audio software.

    4. Recording radio through external devices

    If software methods are not suitable (for example, due to the lack of an FM chip or blocking), use external devices:

    • 📻 FM tuner with 3.5 mm output (for example, Sony ICF-306 or Tecsun PL-310ET).Connects to the phone via an AUX cable, recording is carried out through a voice recorder application.
    • 🎤 USB FM tuner (for example, RTL-SDR). OTG adapter and software like SDRTouch.
    • 📡 DAB+ digital receiver (relevant for Europe). Supports recording in MP3 via official software.

      • Instructions for recording via RTL-SDR:

      1. Connect the device to the phone via OTG cable.
      2. Install SDRTouch and the driver RTL2832U (you can download on GitHub).
      3. In the application settings, select the signal source - RTL-SDR (USB).
      4. Adjust the station frequency (for example, 100.5 MHz for Europe Plus).
      5. Click Rec and specify the save path (the file will be in the format WAV).

      Advantages of external devices:

      • ✅ Better signal quality (especially in remote regions).
      • ✅ Support for rangesunavailable to smartphones (for example, LW or DAB+).
      • ✅ No restrictions recording time (unlike applications).

      Disadvantages:

      • ❌ Additional costs (from 1,500 ₽ for a budget tuner).
      • ❌ Inconvenience —you need to carry the device + cables with you.
      💡

      If you are recording via an AUX cable, turn on the function Noise reduction in the voice recorder settings and set the volume level to 70–80%. This will help avoid distortion during peak signals (for example, during advertising).

      5. recordings: schedule and bots

      For regular recording of radio broadcasts (for example, night broadcasts or morning news), use automation. Options:

      • 🤖 Tasker + AutoInput: create a task that starts recording at a specified time. Example. profile: 
        Profile: "Radio recording"

        Condition: Time → 06:00
        

        Task:
        

        1. Launch the application Spirit FM
        

        2. "Record" button (coordinates: X=500, Y=1000)
        

        3. Waiting 2 hours
        

        4. Click on the "Stop" button

      • ⏰ Applications with a timer:
        • Automatic Call Recorder (can record scheduled audio stream).
        • MacroDroid (analogue Tasker, but easier to set up).
      • ☁️ Cloud services:
        • Zapier + Radio.co API - recording streams to the server.
        • IFTTT with a time trigger (suitable for online stations).

      Example of setting in MacroDroid:

      1. Create a new macro → select trigger Time/Date.
      2. Specify the day of the week and time (for example, Mon-Fri, 08:00).
      3. Add action Launch application → select Spirit FM.
      4. Add action Tap on the screen → specify the coordinates of the record button (you can find them via ADB or manually).
      5. Add a delay 2 hours and action Tap on the screen to stop.
      ⚠️ Attention: Automated recording of online radio can lead to IP blocking from the server. To avoid this:
      • 🔄 Change the user agent in requests (via HTTP Request v Tasker).
      • 🌍 Use IP rotation via VPN (for example, Windscribe with automatic reconnection).
      • ⏱️ Limit recording time to sessions of 30–40 minutes with pauses.
      💡

      For scheduled recordings, it is optimal to use an external FM tuner + Tasker. This eliminates dependence on the Internet connection and blocking from radio stations.

      Recording radio broadcasts. for personal use (offline listening) in most countries, including Russia, is not punishable by law. However, distribution. recordings (for example, posting on YouTube or on a social network) may violate:

      • 📜 Copyrights on musical works (Article 1270 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).
      • 🎙️ Broadcaster rights (for example, Russian Media Group or Europe Plus may prohibit republication).
      • 💰 Advertising agreements —promotional videos protected by separate licenses may be broadcast.

      What is allowed:

      • ✅ Recording for personal archive (without distribution).
      • ✅ Use of short fragments (up to 30 seconds) for non-commercial purposes (for example, for a podcast indicating the source).
      • ✅ Recording of news and information apps (if they do not contain music inserts).

      What is prohibited:

      • ❌ Uploading full recordings of music shows on public platforms.
      • ❌ Monetization of content (for example, through YouTube Partner app) without the consent of the copyright holder.
      • ❌ Modification of the original broadcast (for example, cutting out advertisements) and subsequent distribution.

      If you plan to use recordings publicly, contact the radio station for permission. Some broadcasters (for example, BBC) provide licenses for non-commercial use through sites like Creative Commons.

      7. recordings

      Recorded radio broadcasts often require processing: removing interference, normalizing volume, breaking into tracks. Tools for this:

      Task App for Android App for PC
      Cutting and gluing Lexis Audio Editor Audacity
      Noise reduction WaveEditor Adobe Audition
      Volume normalization Music Editor OCenaudio
      Format conversion MediaConverter FFmpeg

      Step-by-step guide for clearing a recording in Audacity:

      1. Import the file via File → Open.
      2. Select the fragment with noise and apply the effect Noise Reduction (Effects → Noise Reduction).
      3. For To level the volume, use Normalization (level -3 dB).
      4. Split the recording into tracks by tags: Analysis → Search for marks of silence (threshold -40 dB, minimum duration 2 sec).
      5. Export to MP3 with bitrate 192 kbps.

      To automate processing on Android:

      • Use Automate to create a stream: 
        Block 1: Select files (folder /Radio)

        Block 2: Apply the "Noise Reduction" effect (threshold 0.1)
        

        Block 3: Save to /Radio/Clean

      %artist% - %title%, where %artist% is the name of the radio station, and %title% is the start time of the track (for example, "Europe Plus - 08:15").-->

      FAQ: Frequently asked questions about recording radio on Android

      Is it possible to record a radio without the Internet if the phone does not have an FM chip?

      Yes, but you will need an external device:

      • Connect FM tuner with AUX output to the phone via an adapter 3.5 mm → USB-C (or Micro-USB).
      • Use dictaphone (for example Easy Voice Recorder) to record sound from the line input.

      The quality will depend on the signal level and sensitivity of the tuner. For better results, choose a model with RDS (for example, Sangean PR-D5).

      Why does recording via Spirit FM stop after 30 minutes?

      This is a limitation of the free version of the application. To record a long broadcast:

      • Buy Pro version (cost ~300 ₽).
      • Use automation: set up in Tasker restart recording every 25 minutes.
      • Record via external tuner (see section 4).

      Also check that does the phone go into power saving mode - this may interrupt background processes.

      How to record radio broadcasts in high quality (320 kbps)?

      Maximum quality when recording through an FM tuner - 192 kbps (hardware limitation For higher bitrates:

      1. Use external USB audio module (for example, Creative Sound Blaster) + USB Audio Recorder PRO.
      2. Set the format in the application WAV (PCM, 16 bit, 44.1 kHz).
      3. Convert the recording to MP3 320 kbps via FFmpeg: 
        ffmpeg -i input.wav -codec:a libmp3lame -b:a 320k output.mp3

      For online radio: some stations (for example, DI.FM) broadcast in AAC 256 kbit/s. Recording such a stream via Stream Recorder will give quality close to the original.

      Is it legal to record radio broadcasts for your podcast?

      Yes, but with reservations:

      • You can use short fragments (up to 30 sec) for informational or critical purposes (Article 1274 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation - "free use").
      • For music tracks coordination with copyright holders is required (for example, through RAO or VOIS).
      • News apps can be quoted in full, but with the source indicated (Article 1279 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).

      Example of legal use: in a podcast about cinema, you can include a 20-second fragment of an interview with a director from the radio, indicating: "Source: Radio Kommersant FM, broadcast from 05/15/2026".

      How to record a radio broadcast on old Android 5.0?

      On devices with Android 5.0–6.0 not all modern methods are available, but there are workarounds:

      • FM chip: use Spirit FM (outdated version) or FM Radio from Sony (if your phone is from this brand).
      • Online radio: install TuneIn Radio (version 18.5) and record audio via Sound Recorder (turn on playback through the speaker).
      • External devices: connect the FM tuner via AUX and record via Easy Voice Recorder.

      For automation on Android 5.0 suitable Automate (beta version) or Llama (analog Tasker).