Amapiano Radio: South Africa's Log-Drum Sound, Live

Published 24 September 2026

You can listen to amapiano radio online in any browser, with no download and no account: open 72FM, search for "amapiano", and press play. Amapiano — the South African dance music of rolling log-drum basslines, jazzy piano and deep, patient grooves — grew out of Gauteng's townships in the 2010s and has since become one of the most influential dance sounds in the world.

Amapiano stations

• Amapiano FM — amapiano around the clock from South Africa, and the most-voted station of its kind in the directory.
• Southside Stereo and StarFM — South African stations that play plenty of it.
• Simply Making Success Radio — from South Africa.
• BBC Radio 1Xtra — the BBC's station for Black music, where amapiano has a regular place.
• Afrikana Radio — African music, from Belgium.

The sound

Amapiano took shape in the townships around Pretoria and Johannesburg from the mid-2010s, drawing on deep house, jazz, lounge and South Africa's own kwaito. Its signature is the log drum — a deep, percussive bass that rolls under the beat — with light piano, shakers and long builds. By the early 2020s it had spread across Africa and beyond, and in 2024 Tyla's amapiano-influenced "Water" won the first Grammy for Best African Music Performance.

Around it

• South African radio online covers the country's stations, where amapiano plays constantly.
• Afrobeats radio covers West Africa's great pop sound.
• House music radio covers amapiano's house roots.

Sound quality

Amapiano's log drum lives in the low end, so use headphones or a proper speaker, and pick higher-bitrate streams when you have the choice. Speakers for radio has suggestions.

A route in

1. Amapiano FM, for amapiano all day.
2. BBC Radio 1Xtra, for amapiano alongside the rest of Black music.
3. A South African music station at night, for amapiano in its home setting.

Search for "amapiano" on 72FM to find them all.