Comparison

RTÉ Listen vs Broadcasts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RTÉ Listen

Stream live radio stations and discover a vast library of award-winning podcasts from Ireland's national broadcaster. Enjoy content across various genres, from news and sports to drama and children's programming.

Highlights
  • Live radio streaming
  • Extensive podcast library
  • Award-winning original content
  • Multiple radio station options
  • Content across news, sports, and kids genres
Features
Read full description

From breaking news to great music and brilliant storytelling, RTÉ Listen lets you play live radio or hear the latest podcasts and on-demand audio from RTÉ. LIVE RADIO PLAYER: Tune in to RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, RTÉ lyric fm, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ Gold. ON-DEMAND RADIO: Pick up where you left off or play full episodes of your favourite shows, like Brendan O'Connor, Marty in the Morning, Morning Ireland and 2FM Drive with Laura and Katja. TRENDING CLIPS: Catch the moments everyone's talking about, from the biggest trending interviews to the best bits from across the RTÉ schedule. DOWNLOADS AND FAVOURITES: Create an account to favourite shows you love, manage your queue and download episodes for on-the-go.

About

Broadcasts

Stream internet radio stations from around the world with an intuitive, single-purpose application. Enjoy beautiful artwork, metadata, and cross-device syncing. Offers a free tier with a limited library or a full version for unlimited stations and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Global internet radio streaming
  • Unlimited station library (full version)
  • Station artwork and metadata display
  • Shazam integration for metadata
  • iCloud library syncing
  • CarPlay support
  • Apple Watch and Apple TV playback
Features
Read full description

Listen to streaming internet radio in an ultra-simple, single-purpose app. Broadcasts makes building a library of stations from around the world easier than ever — no subscription required. Use completely free with a limited-size library of stations, or upgrade to the full version to unlock the library limit and add as many of your own stations as you like from the Station Browser, or manually via URL. Search for stations from around the world as easily as from your own library.  Showcase gorgeous station and track artwork (for supported stations) with the all-new Now Playing screen. Use Shazam (Beta) to power the Now Playing screen with artwork and metadata for stations that do not provide it, or simply to provide an ambient Now Playing experience for music playing nearby. Show the currently playing artwork and metadata on external displays if you want an all-screen experience. Sync your library across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV with iCloud & Universal Purchase. Browse stations in grid or list view. Listen in Light or Dark mode. Edit stations to provide your own artwork, or use the Artwork Chooser to generate something fun and colorful. Thoughtful mouse, trackpad & keyboard support provides a great experience on iPad. Perform common tasks from the Command menu, and control playback using keyboard shortcuts. Use Handoff to transfer playback between devices, or AirPlay directly to a home speaker. Listen with just your Apple Watch (Cellular) while out and about, or on Apple TV at home. Supports CarPlay on certified devices; stream internet radio on your CarPlay-enabled head unit directly. Automate playback using Shortcuts.

Screenshots

RTÉ Listen4 screens
Broadcasts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RTÉ Listen at none against Broadcasts's 1. Broadcasts's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Broadcasts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RTÉ Listen asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for RTÉ Listen against 4.7 for Broadcasts. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 930 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of RTÉ Listen's written reviews are positive against 75% of Broadcasts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RTÉ Listen ships an update every 5 months, Broadcasts monthly. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RTÉ Listen versus Broadcasts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRTÉ ListenBroadcasts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1K ratings) — better4.7 (930 ratings)
Positive reviews67.1% of reviews74.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better930
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.615.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB25 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperRTÉSteven Troughton-Smith

Customer experience

RTÉ Listen

All ratings1,039 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews173 reviews
Positive67.1%
Neutral10.4%
Negative22.5%

Broadcasts

All ratings930 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews412 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral7.0%
Negative18.2%

User reviews

RTÉ Listen

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent app
  • 👍 Great for listening to Irish radio
  • 🎧 Wonderful music and entertainment
  • 🌍 Connects expats to home
  • 🔊 High-quality audio

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy, crashes frequently
  • ⏱️ Slow to load, buffer issues
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate, poor UI
  • 🔇 Excessive ads before programs
  • 📺 Lack of landscape mode on iPad

Broadcasts

From 930 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple, efficient, and reliable
  • 🔒 Privacy-focused with no data tracking
  • 👍 Seamless syncing across devices
  • 👍 Customizable station icons and collections
  • 👍 Affordable one-time purchase

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional streaming issues and crashes
  • 🔍 Limited search and discovery features
  • 🔍 Lack of genre-based browsing
  • 🔍 Difficult to add non-listed stations

Bugs and requests

RTÉ Listen

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes or stops playing unexpectedly
  • Playback issues when switching between apps
  • Inconsistent behavior on different devices
  • Delayed availability of programs for playback

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to pause, rewind, and resume live programs
  • Quicker availability of programs for playback
  • More customization options
  • Improved search and discovery
  • Airplay/Chromecast support

Broadcasts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues causing data loss
  • Playback issues on CarPlay and macOS
  • Inconsistent behavior when changing stations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved global station search
  • Genre-based station browsing
  • Easier custom station addition
  • Airplay and Siri integration
  • Sleep timer and alarm clock functionality

In-app purchases

None

RTÉ Listen

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Broadcasts

One-time1
  • Unlock All Features$7.99

Questions

Is RTÉ Listen free?
RTÉ Listen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Broadcasts free?
Broadcasts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RTÉ Listen or Broadcasts?
RTÉ Listen is rated higher. RTÉ Listen averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Broadcasts averages 4.7 from 930 ratings.
Do RTÉ Listen or Broadcasts have ads?
RTÉ Listen shows ads; Broadcasts does not.
Which is updated more often, RTÉ Listen or Broadcasts?
RTÉ Listen ships an update every 5 months, and Broadcasts monthly. Most recently, RTÉ Listen was updated on October 1, 2026 and Broadcasts on October 1, 2026.

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