Radiobar
Lightweight macOS menu bar app for playing internet radio stations
AI Summary
Radiobar is a minimalist macOS menu bar app for playing internet radio stations. It offers integrated station search from thousands of streams, colored menu bar display, keyboard shortcuts and media key support. The app runs exclusively in the menu bar without a Dock icon and is open source.
✓ Pros
- + Runs entirely in the menu bar without Dock icon – very unobtrusive
- + Integrated station search with thousands of streams without manual URL entry
- + Comprehensive keyboard control with hotkeys and media key support
- + Open source and MIT-licensed with signed release build
✗ Cons
- − Only available for macOS 14 or newer
- − Self-builds require own StreamURL API key for station search
Use Cases
- → Background music while working on Mac without intrusive Dock icon
- → Quick switching between favorite stations via keyboard shortcuts
- → Discovering new radio stations through the integrated search function
- → Controlling internet radio via Mac media keys
Who is it for?
For Mac users looking for a minimalist solution to listen to internet radio without apps cluttering the Dock.
Tags
What is Radiobar?
Radiobar is a macOS menu bar app that plays internet radio. It runs exclusively in the menu bar, takes up no space in the Dock, and does not appear in the standard app switcher. The project is open source, MIT-licensed, and ships signed release builds. macOS 14 or later is required.
Core features
- Built-in station search: Thousands of streams can be found directly in the app, without entering URLs manually.
- Colored menu bar display: The active station is highlighted visually in the menu bar.
- Keyboard shortcuts and media keys: Switching stations or controlling playback works via hotkey or the physical media keys on the Mac keyboard.
- No Dock icon: The app leaves no trace in the Dock and does not appear when switching apps with Cmd+Tab.
- Open source with signed build: Users who do not want to compile the source code themselves can use the official release directly.
Who is Radiobar for?
The app is aimed at Mac users who want to listen to background music or radio while working, without keeping a full-window program open. Users who are sensitive to Dock clutter benefit from the menu bar-only presence. The keyboard controls make Radiobar particularly convenient for switching between stations frequently, without moving the mouse to the menu bar.
One caveat applies to self-builds: the built-in station search requires a personal API key for StreamURL. Using the signed release build skips that step.
Context & alternatives
Radiobar occupies a narrow niche. Full-featured music players such as Vox or Swinsian can handle internet radio, but come with significantly more interface. Dedicated menu bar apps for internet radio are rare on macOS. Users who listen to streams occasionally often reach for the browser, but lose media key integration there. That combination of minimal footprint and full keyboard control makes Radiobar a straightforward choice when the browser feels like too much and a full-blown player takes up too much space.
