How to Listen to Internet Radio on a Smart Speaker

Updated 18 September 2026

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You can get internet radio playing through a smart speaker in several ways — Bluetooth from your phone, casting from a browser tab, or a native voice command if the platform supports it. The most reliable method, and the one that works for any web-based radio player regardless of brand, is to play it on your phone and connect your speaker over Bluetooth. No special integration needed; no extra apps required. This guide covers all the routes, honestly describes what each approach does and doesn't offer, and flags where native 72FM support would need verifying.

The three ways to play internet radio on a smart speaker

1. Bluetooth from your phone (works with any speaker, any player)

This is the simplest approach and it works regardless of which smart speaker you own or which radio player you prefer.

1. Open 72FM in your phone's browser — Safari, Chrome, or whatever you use. The player is fully browser-based, so no download is needed. See the guide to listening to radio without an app if you want the basics first.
2. Find a station. Browse by genre, country, or mood; search for a name; or start with a themed collection if you'd rather let someone else choose.
3. Open your phone's Bluetooth settings and pair your smart speaker. Most Alexa devices, Google Nest speakers, and Sonos units can accept Bluetooth audio from a nearby phone — check your speaker's manual for the pairing method.
4. Press play on 72FM. The audio routes through your speaker.

This method hands the speaker nothing more than an audio signal. You control playback entirely from your phone: search, browse, skip between stations, adjust volume. The speaker is simply a better-sounding output. Any Bluetooth speaker works this way, smart or not, and speakers for radio covers what to look for.

Limitation: your phone stays involved. This suits most listening sessions; it becomes awkward if you're cross-room or want pure hands-free control.

2. Cast from a browser tab (Chromecast-enabled speakers)

If your speaker or sound system supports Google Cast — Google Nest speakers and other speakers with Chromecast built in — you can cast the 72FM browser tab from a Chrome desktop browser.

1. Open 72FM at 72fm.com in Google Chrome on your computer.
2. Start playing a station.
3. Click the three-dot menu in Chrome → Cast → select your Chromecast-enabled speaker.
4. Choose Cast tab to send the audio to your speaker.

Tab casting routes your whole browser tab's audio output to the speaker. The trade-off is that your computer stays on and connected to the same network.

3. Native voice command (platform-dependent)

Some smart speaker platforms allow voice-activated radio from named services — for example, "Alexa, play [station name] on TuneIn" or Google Assistant commands linked to supported radio apps. Whether 72FM is available as a named skill or source through Alexa, Google Assistant, or any equivalent platform is something you should confirm on the relevant platform's skill/action directory. 72FM has none of them: there is no Alexa skill, no Google Assistant action and no Sonos app, so asking a speaker for it by name will not work. When Alexa will not play a station you can name, why Alexa won't play a radio station goes through the causes.

If no native integration exists, the Bluetooth method above achieves the same result — with your phone as the control surface.

Comparison: three methods at a glance

Improving audio quality on the speaker

Smart speakers reproduce what they receive. To hear a 72FM stream at its best:

• Choose higher-bitrate stations. Station stream quality varies, and each station's bitrate is shown on its card — the same on either tier. The difference is audible on better speakers.
• Use a wired or Wi-Fi connection on your phone rather than mobile data if possible — consistent bandwidth means a steadier stream.
• Consider 72FM Premium. The player has no ads or tracking on either tier; the Premium tier removes the one-hour daily limit, which matters more when a speaker is playing all afternoon than when you're dipping in on earbuds.

A note on smart speaker limitations

Smart speakers are excellent but intentionally closed. Their native integrations run through approved platform partnerships — Alexa Skills, Google Actions, Sonos apps — not open browser standards. Web-based radio players live outside those walls unless the developer has built a specific integration. The Bluetooth route sidesteps all of this neatly; it turns any Bluetooth-enabled speaker into a dumb (in a good sense) audio output, and it works with 72FM today without waiting for a platform deal.

In short

Bluetooth from your phone is the simplest and most universal way to get 72FM playing through a smart speaker — it works today, requires nothing beyond your phone and speaker, and gives you full control. Tab-casting via Chrome is a good option if your speaker supports Chromecast and you're at a computer. Native voice commands through Alexa or Google depend on integrations that would need separate verification.

Ready to find something worth playing through your speaker? Explore the collections on 72FM — or start listening now and find your station first.