Radio is a fundamental part of the modern world—even if you don’t listen to it each and every day, you cannot disregard the cultural impact it has had over the years. Since it first appeared, radios were used to broadcast important messages and announcements, later on taking on a more entertaining role, including broadcasting songs, shows and plays.

And without the traditional radio, we wouldn’t have the digital one either. Granted, nowadays, no one expects you to turn on an actual radio device—everything is integrated and made accessible wherever you are. You can listen to music while driving a car, you can have it as a background while you work out, and, if you are especially curious, you can also get news from overseas—all because of the radio. And nowadays it’s easier than ever to find out for yourselves what other countries listen to.

More info: radio.garden

A global radio service allows listeners to connect to a variety of stations all over the world

Image credits: Pogue

Radio Garden is a brilliant service that allows users to connect to stations all over the globe, with no restrictions or delays. As long as you can find the station on their map, you can listen to it. All you need is an internet connection (instead of the traditional radio waves) and you’re good to go! Sure, that somewhat limits the reach of the service, but it’s a small price to pay when you have a chance to jump all over the world. David Pogue (@Pogue on Twitter) pointed out the radio service is like “cultural teleportation.”

Different countries have different musical tastes, and it’s all readily available

Image credits: Radio Garden

It’s no surprise that things like Top 10 lists and charts vary from place to place. Different countries have their own song tastes, and you can utilize platforms like Radio Garden to get a glimpse into the music scene of another country or even continent. Think of it like this—there are local artists that you might not know about and whose songs are only played on the radio in their own countries. Greater reach of the radio might help you expand your horizons or discover something new and unique that may never be available in your local area.

Digital radio holds up against music platforms, such as Spotify

Image credits: Radio Garden

When it comes to music, it’s likely you have favorite tools and programs. Maybe you prefer Spotify, or perhaps iTunes or even YouTube is more to your liking. The thing with those platforms, however, is that they present carefully curated lists that you yourself select. You know exactly what will play and that’s great, if it’s what you want! You can simply queue up your favorite songs and enjoy.

But if you want something more surprising, radio might be a better pick. Of course, you will have to listen to commercials and other breaks, but if you want a totally surprising playlist that will give you variety of genres, that’s the way to go. Also, some countries don’t have artists publicizing on the music platforms we are used to (looking at you, Japan), so if you want to hear full and unedited official songs from them, radio is the way to go.

Global radio also has a very applicable benefit—language learning

Image credits: Radio Garden

It’s common knowledge that foreign movies are one of the suggested ways to learn a new language. But what about radio? You will be able listen to native speakers in their environment, where the pronunciation won’t come from a classroom and will challenge your vocabulary and listening skills, and it’s not as dry as listening to conversational CDs. Basically, you get two in one—the utility of learning and entertainment of music. With so many possibilities, it’s ultimately up to each person to decide what they are seeking from their radio service. For those interested, you can find all the stations at your fingertips here.

Twitter users didn’t hide their opinions after re-discovering the joys of radio

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