You’ve set up your Amazon Echo or Echo Dot, and the first thing you want to do is tune in to your favourite FM station: Radio Mirchi, Akashvani, or maybe BBC World Service. Simple enough, right?

Well, almost. Alexa can absolutely play radio, including most of India’s popular FM stations, but there’s an important technical detail that surprises many people, and understanding it makes everything click into place.

This guide explains exactly how Alexa handles radio in India, which skills and services give you the best experience, every voice command you need, and what to do when things don’t work as expected.

Quick Answer: Yes, Alexa can play FM radio , but not by receiving FM radio waves directly. Amazon Echo devices have no FM tuner. Instead, Alexa streams radio stations over the internet using services like TuneIn (which is built into Alexa by default), myTuner Radio (Alexa skill), and Akashvani (dedicated All India Radio skill).

Most popular Indian FM stations ;Radio Mirchi, Radio City, Radio One, Big FM, Akashvani FM Gold, Vividh Bharati, and 17+ AIR regional stations , are available this way. Simply say “Alexa, play Radio Mirchi” or “Alexa, play AIR FM Gold” to get started.

The Key Thing to Understand: Alexa Doesn’t Have an FM Tuner

Before anything else, it helps to be clear on what Alexa’s radio capability actually is.

Your Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or any other Alexa-enabled device does not contain a physical FM radio tuner. It cannot pick up FM radio waves the way a traditional radio set does.

What it does have is a Wi-Fi connection and the ability to stream audio over the internet. Radio stations that provide live internet streams, which today includes virtually every major FM station in India, can be played through Alexa via that internet connection.

Think of it this way: when you ask Alexa to play Radio City, it doesn’t find a 91.1 FM signal in the air. It connects to Radio City’s internet audio stream and plays it for you. The result sounds the same; you’re hearing the same content that’s being broadcast on FM, but the delivery mechanism is completely different.

This distinction matters for a couple of practical reasons:

1. You need a working Wi-Fi connection. Without internet, Alexa cannot play any radio station, regardless of how strong the local FM signal is.
2. Station availability depends on whether that station provides an internet stream. If a small local community radio station broadcasts only on FM with no internet stream, Alexa can’t play it. Most major Indian FM stations do stream online, so this is rarely a problem in practice.
3. Some hyper-local stations may not be available. A regional community station in a small town that broadcasts only on FM may not have an internet stream through TuneIn or myTuner.

With that understood, let’s get into how to actually use it.

Method 1: TuneIn – Built Into Alexa by Default (No Setup Needed)

TuneIn is the radio streaming service that Amazon has integrated directly into Alexa as the default radio provider. This means you don’t need to install any extra skill or create any account for basic radio use; it works right out of the box.

TuneIn’s library includes thousands of radio stations from around the world, including most major Indian FM stations. Simply asking Alexa to play a well-known station often works immediately via TuneIn without any configuration.

Voice Commands for TuneIn (No Setup Required)

Just say these to your Echo device:

• “Alexa, play Radio Mirchi”
• “Alexa, play AIR FM Gold”
• “Alexa, play Radio City”
• “Alexa, play Vividh Bharati”
• “Alexa, play BBC World Service”
• “Alexa, play [station name] on TuneIn”
• “Alexa, play [genre] radio” (e.g., “play Bollywood radio”, “play classical music radio”)
• “Alexa, what radio stations do you have?” Alexa will list available stations

Important Note on TuneIn Free vs TuneIn Live

TuneIn has two tiers:

• TuneIn (free): Included with Alexa. Gives access to thousands of free FM, AM, and internet radio stations, including Indian stations. This is what most people use and need.
• TuneIn Live (paid premium): A separate Alexa Skill for premium content, live sports (NHL, NBA, NFL), premium news networks (CNN, MSNBC), etc. Requires a separate subscription. Indian users listening to Indian FM stations do not need TuneIn Live; the free version covers all major Indian stations.

Method 2: myTuner Radio Skill – More Indian Stations, Better Search

myTuner Radio is an Alexa Skill (a third-party add-on) that gives access to over 50,000 radio stations from more than 200 countries. For Indian users, it’s particularly useful because its library includes many regional Indian stations that may not appear in TuneIn.

Step-by-Step: How to Enable myTuner Radio on Alexa

Step 1: Open the Alexa app on your smartphone (available on Android and iOS).

Step 2: Tap the More icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right of the screen.

Step 3: Tap Skills & Games.

Step 4: Tap the Search icon (magnifying glass) at the top right.

Step 5: Type “myTuner Radio” and select it from the results.

Step 6: Tap Enable to Use (or Enable Skill depending on your app version).

Step 7: Select which Echo device you want to use this skill with and tap Done.

That’s it. The skill is now enabled, and you can use it immediately.

Voice Commands for myTuner Radio

• “Alexa, ask myTuner Radio to play Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM”
• “Alexa, ask myTuner Radio to play Radio City 91.1 FM”
• “Alexa, ask myTuner Radio to play Big FM”
• “Alexa, ask myTuner Radio to play [station name]”
• “Alexa, open myTuner Radio” launches the skill, and you can then ask for a station.

Tip: If Alexa plays the wrong station when you ask by frequency number (e.g., “98.3 FM”), try adding the city name: “Alexa, ask myTuner Radio to play Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM Mumbai.”

Method 3: Akashvani Skill – For All India Radio Stations

For All India Radio (AIR) – Akashvani – there is a dedicated Alexa Skill that provides access to 17+ live AIR broadcasts in 14 Indian regional languages. This is the most reliable way to access AIR stations specifically.

The Akashvani skill was developed and is maintained by Prasar Bharati, making it the authoritative source for AIR content on Alexa.

How to Enable the Akashvani Skill

Follow the same steps as above but search for “Akashvani” in the Skills & Games section of the Alexa app.

AIR Stations Available via Akashvani Skill

• Akashvani FM Gold (Delhi)
• Akashvani Vividh Bharati
• AIR Tamil
• AIR Telugu
• AIR Malayalam
• AIR Kannada
• AIR Bengali
• AIR Marathi
• AIR Gujarati
• AIR Punjabi
• AIR Hindi (various)
• AIR Hindi News
• And several more regional language services

Voice Commands for Akashvani

• “Alexa, open Akashvani”
• “Alexa, play Akashvani FM Gold”
• “Alexa, play Vividh Bharati on Akashvani”
• “Alexa, open All India Radio Tamil”
• “Alexa, ask Akashvani to play [AIR station name]”

Special content: You can also access PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme through Alexa; a dedicated skill by ANI (Asian News International) allows playback of past episodes from January 2015 onwards.

Which Indian FM Stations Can Alexa Play?

Here’s a quick reference of popular Indian FM stations and how to access them on Alexa:

Overall availability: Alexa can access 350+ radio stations in India through TuneIn, myTuner Radio, and dedicated skills combined. The vast majority of popular national and regional stations are accessible.

Setting a Default Radio Skill

If you find yourself always using myTuner Radio or always going through Akashvani, you can avoid saying “ask myTuner Radio to…” every time by setting your preferred radio skill as a default, or by simply training yourself to use the direct TuneIn commands (which require no skill prefix).

To set a default music/radio service:

1. Open the Alexa app
2. Go to More → Settings → Music & Podcasts
3. Scroll to Default Services
4. You can set a default music library and a default station service here
5. Note: TuneIn is typically the default and doesn’t need changing for most users

Using Alexa Radio with Routines

One of the most useful things you can do with Alexa’s radio capability is integrate it into routines, automated actions that happen at a set time or trigger.

Morning routine example: “Every weekday at 7:00 AM, play Radio City 91.1 FM Mumbai for 30 minutes”

How to set up a radio routine:

1. Open the Alexa app → More → Routines
2. Tap the + icon to create a new routine
3. Set the trigger (a specific time, or a voice phrase like “Alexa, good morning”)
4. Add an Action → Music/Video/Books → Radio
5. Type in the station name and confirm
6. Set the device and save

This is particularly popular for:

• Waking up to a favourite morning radio show
• Starting the news bulletin at a set time
• Automatically stopping radio after a set duration (useful for falling asleep to music/radio)

Playing Radio on Multiple Echo Devices (Multi-Room Audio)

If you have more than one Echo device in your home, you can play the same radio station simultaneously across all of them, called multi-room audio.

How to create a multi-room audio group:

1. Alexa app → Devices (bottom of screen)
2. Tap + → Combine Speakers → Multi-Room Music
3. Select which Echo devices to include and give the group a name (e.g., “Whole House” or “Ground Floor”)
4. Save

Voice command for multi-room radio:

• “Alexa, play Radio Mirchi everywhere”
• “Alexa, play Vividh Bharati on Whole House”

This is great for playing AIR news bulletins or cricket commentary across your entire home.

Troubleshooting: When Alexa Can’t Find Your Radio Station

Even with the right skills enabled, Alexa sometimes can’t find a specific station or plays the wrong one. Here’s how to fix the most common issues:

Problem: “Alexa, play [station name]” plays the wrong station

This happens when Alexa misinterprets the name or multiple stations have similar names.

Fixes:

• Be more specific: include the city name (“play Radio Mirchi Mumbai” vs just “play Radio Mirchi”)
• Include the frequency: “play 98.3 FM Mumbai”
• Use the skill prefix: “ask myTuner Radio to play Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM”
• If still wrong, try: “Alexa, next” to cycle through options

Problem: “Sorry, I couldn’t find that station”

The station may not be in TuneIn’s database under that exact name.

Fixes:

• Try the myTuner Radio skill; it has a larger database
• Try different variations of the station name
• Check if the station is available by searching in the myTuner Radio app on your phone first, then note the exact station name it uses

Problem: Radio starts then stops after a few seconds

This is usually a Wi-Fi connection issue.

Fixes:

• Move the Echo device closer to your Wi-Fi router
• Check that other internet-dependent Alexa features (weather, timers) are working; if not, the issue is your internet connection
• Restart your Echo device (unplug and replug)
• Restart your Wi-Fi router
• Check if your internet provider is having an outage

Problem: “This skill is not available in your region”

Certain skills are region-locked. Some radio skills designed for the US market may not be available on India-registered Amazon accounts.

Fix:

• Stick to TuneIn (built-in), myTuner Radio, and Akashvani; all of these are available for Indian Amazon accounts
• Check the Alexa Skill Store under your India account; available skills are automatically filtered to those available in your region

Problem: Audio quality sounds poor or keeps buffering

Fixes:

• Check your internet connection speed (Alexa radio streaming requires a stable connection of at least 1–2 Mbps)
• If on Wi-Fi, check signal strength at the Echo device’s location
• If using a mobile hotspot, check data speed and signal
• Some stations stream at lower bit rates than others. A station that sounds poor is often streaming at 64 kbps or lower, which is the station’s limitation, not Alexa’s

All the Alexa Radio Voice Commands You Need

Here’s a comprehensive reference of every radio-related voice command:

Basic Radio Commands

Playback Controls

Schedule and Routine Commands

Alexa vs a Dedicated FM Radio: Which Is Better for Radio Listening?

This is worth addressing, because they’re genuinely different tools with different strengths.

The practical verdict for Indian users:

• If you live in an area with reliable internet (most urban and semi-urban areas), Alexa gives you a vastly broader radio experience with hands-free convenience, more stations, better search, multi-room audio, and smart home integration.
• If you live in a rural area with unreliable internet, or you specifically need a radio that works during power cuts, a dedicated FM radio receiver or a battery-powered radio is more reliable for traditional FM reception.

A good portable FM radio with good sensitivity and a digital display is a great companion to your Echo. The iBELL FM730BT (view on Amazon) is a popular choice available at a budget price for strong local FM reception when the internet goes down.

Many radio enthusiasts in India use both: an Echo for internet-based radio and music at home, and a portable FM receiver for the occasions when the internet is down or for listening outdoors.

Related: Best FM Radio in India | How to Select the Best Radios for Home?

What About Alexa+ and the New Generation of Alexa?

Amazon launched Alexa+ in February 2025, an AI-enhanced version of Alexa powered by Amazon’s advanced large language models. Alexa+ brings significantly improved natural language understanding, better context awareness, and enhanced conversational capabilities.

For radio specifically, Alexa+ means you can make more natural, conversational requests:

• Instead of rigid commands like “Alexa, ask myTuner Radio to play Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM,” you can say things like “Alexa, put on some Bollywood music radio” or “Alexa, play that Hindi news channel” and expect better results
• Alexa+ is better at understanding ambiguous station names and regional variations

As of 2026, Alexa+ is being rolled out progressively on compatible Echo devices in India. Check your Amazon account for availability and whether your device is eligible for the upgrade.

Tips for Best Radio Experience on Alexa

Tip 1: Enable both TuneIn and myTuner. TuneIn is your default fallback (no setup needed), and myTuner fills gaps. Enable both, so you have maximum station coverage.

Tip 2: Use Hindi station names where appropriate. For Akashvani stations, the Hindi name pronunciations work better than Anglicised versions: “Vividh Bharati” works reliably; “FM Gold” works; “Akashvani” as a prefix for AIR stations is very consistent.

Tip 3: Include city names for metro-specific stations. Radio City, Radio Mirchi, and other Pan-India networks broadcast different content in different cities. Specifying the city gets you the right city’s feed: “Alexa, play Radio Mirchi Bengaluru” vs “play Radio Mirchi Mumbai.”

Tip 4: Use the Akashvani skill for AIR rather than TuneIn. The dedicated Akashvani skill is more reliable for AIR stations than asking TuneIn for the same channels. It’s maintained by Prasar Bharati and specifically optimised for Indian AIR content.

Tip 5: Cricket commentary on radio via Alexa. During cricket seasons, asking “Alexa, play All India Radio Cricket commentary” or “Alexa, play AIR Sports” through the Akashvani skill or myTuner can get you live commentary. AIR provides the official Hindi commentary for many matches, and this is popular with Indian users.

Tip 6: A default Echo Dot is sufficient for radio. You don’t need an expensive Echo Studio or Echo Show for radio listening. An Echo Dot (4th or 5th generation) connected to a good pair of external speakers via the 3.5mm audio output or Bluetooth delivers excellent radio quality.

The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) paired via Bluetooth or 3.5mm with a decent bookshelf speaker like Edifier R33BT (view on Amazon) gives you great radio quality at a fraction of the cost of the Echo Studio (see the latest price on Amazon if you are still looking for better audio quality for radio and music with an Amazon Echo device).

Related: Best Bluetooth Speakers Under 10000 in India

Common Questions Indian Alexa Users Have About Radio

“Can Alexa play local community radio stations?” Possibly, but it depends on whether your local station has an internet stream registered with TuneIn or myTuner. Many community radio stations across India do not have internet streams. Check the myTuner app on your phone; if the station is listed there, Alexa can play it via the myTuner skill.

“Can I listen to radio without an internet connection on Alexa?” No. Alexa requires an active internet connection for all its features, including radio. Without internet, the Echo device is essentially non-functional.

“Does Alexa use a lot of data for radio streaming?” Radio streams typically consume 60–128 kbps (kilobits per second), which is roughly 28–57 MB per hour. For a JioFibre or Airtel broadband connection, this is negligible. For users on a limited mobile hotspot data plan, several hours of radio per day would use approximately 200–400 MB, worth being aware of.

“Can Alexa record radio programmes?” No. Alexa can stream live radio but does not have a native “record” function for radio programmes. You cannot ask Alexa to record a radio show for later playback. For on-demand versions of radio shows, check if the programme has a podcast version. Alexa can play podcasts, and many Indian radio programmes do offer podcast feeds.

“Can I play the same radio station on my Echo and my phone simultaneously?” Not natively via Alexa. However, you can use Bluetooth to pair your phone to the Echo and play radio from an app on your phone through the Echo’s speaker. Alternatively, you can use the same TuneIn or myTuner app on your phone to listen to the same station independently.

Related: Best Amazon Echo (Alexa) Devices in India: Which Is Right for You?

Conclusion

Alexa’s radio capability is genuinely impressive for Indian users: access to 350+ stations including all major FM stations, All India Radio in 14 regional languages, and thousands of international stations, all through simple voice commands.

The fact that it does this over the internet rather than an FM receiver is a detail that becomes invisible in daily use.

The key things to remember:

• For most Indian FM stations: Just ask Alexa directly, “Alexa, play Radio Mirchi”; TuneIn handles it without any setup
• For more stations and better search: Enable the myTuner Radio Alexa Skill
• For All India Radio and regional AIR stations: Enable the Akashvani Alexa Skill
• Radio needs internet: Unlike a traditional FM radio, Alexa can’t play radio without a working Wi-Fi connection
• If a station doesn’t work: Try specifying the city, add the skill prefix (“ask myTuner Radio to play…”), or try a different skill

Once you’ve got TuneIn, myTuner Radio, and Akashvani enabled, nearly every Indian FM station you’d want to hear is a single voice command away. That’s a genuinely convenient way to listen to radio at home.

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