AccuRadio

This beautifully designed, simple to use radio service from Chicago allows listeners to choose from 900-plus radio channels, taking in everything from Miles Davis to Kenny Chesney to Eliott Carter. Its website is ad-funded, so the streams are occasionally interrupted by commercial messages, but not to an annoying level.

The Departure Lounge

Imagine Roger Moore and Tony Curtis gunning their Aston Martins along the Cte dAzure in 1971 and you'll get an idea of what this new station curated by a former TV producer is about. Bossa nova, funk, jazz and soul from the 1960s and 70s dominate the playlists which is no bad thing, providing youre in the mood for some vintage pizazz.

GENERAL LISTENING

FIP

Imagine a mixture of BBC 6 Music and late-night Radio 3, stir in a generous amount of Parisian chic, and youre some way to getting the measure of FIP, which remains one of my favourite music radio stations on the planet. Founded in Paris in 1971, its mission statement was - and remains - to broadcast an eclectic mix of music uninterrupted by the kind of noisy chitchat and advertising that you find almost everywhere else on French radio. They pay particular attention to the way in which songs on their playlist complement each other - meaning no jarring transitions, and plenty of unexpected musical dovetailing - and have an excellent website which makes it easy to see whats been played. Expect to hear everything from Haydn to Serge Gainsbourg to John Coltrane to De La Soul -- and beyond.

WCPE

Branding itself online as The Classical Station, WCPE is an eminently likeable classical music station from North Carolina. Its been listener-supported for over 30 years, and continues to pay for most of its operating costs from pledges and donations which is a sure-fire sign of a station that knows and respects its audience. Their playlists tend towards the popular - rather than the obscure or experimental - end of the classical spectrum, with regular appearances by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Handel and Rachmaninoff.

AUDIOBOO

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The best internet radio stations