The Radio Tuner- your global passport to 50,000 stations

Imagine being able to tune into more than 50,000 radio stations from every corner of the globe, all from your portable Braille computer. That’s exactly what the Radio Tuner application makes possible on BT Speak and BT Braille. The Radio Tuner is powered by the Internet Radio Browser, which is a community-driven database of internet radio stations. It’s open, constantly updated, and packed with variety. You'll find everything from the most popular FM simulcasts to niche internet-only streams you’d never stumble across otherwise. What's more, the application runs in Blazie Mode, our streamlined text-based interface designed for speed and simple navigation. [Check out our article on Blazie Mode.]

For BT Speak and BT Braille users, this means instant access to music, talk, news, and culture worldwide. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic jazz broadcast from New Orleans, K-Pop from Seoul, or a local community station from rural Canada, the audio world is really just a few key presses away.

What You’ll Find Inside the Radio Browser

The Radio Browser directory isn’t just big (ok, massive), it’s diverse. Among its over 50,000 entries you’ll find:

• Music genres of every flavor: rock, classical, country, reggae, electronic, world music, and many more.

• News and talk stations for up-to-the-minute updates and perspectives across cultures.

• Specialty programming such as religious broadcasts, educational channels, and cultural stations.

• Blindness-community favorites, like ACB Media, radio reading services, and curated channels created specifically for blind listeners.

Of course, no one could possibly listen to them all... but with BT Speak and BT Braille, you can certainly try!

Radio Surfing, the Blazie Way

On many computers, a massive station list would feel overwhelming. But on BT Speak and BT Braille, we’ve built the Radio Tuner app around simplicity and exploration.

With Radio Tuner, you can:

• Search by name: Just type “BBC” or “Jazz” and find matching stations instantly.

• Browse by location: Drill down by country, then by state or region, to explore local stations.

• Save favorites: Build your own custom list of your go-to stations.

• Explore blindness-specific content: Find curated channels created with our community in mind.

  
  

Every station opens into the Stream Actions menu, where you can adjust the volume, pause/resume, get track metadata, or even vote for the station on radio-browser.info to support it. The interface is designed with chorded navigation and shortcuts so you can fly through lists and options with ease.

How to Use the Radio Tuner

Getting started is simple:

1. Open the Radio Tuner: Press O-Chord to enter the Options menu, A for Applications, M for Media, and then R for Radio Tuner.

2. Pick your method:

• Listen to a Station (L) – search by name or keyword.

• Browse Stations by Location (B) – travel the world by country and state.

• Favorite Stations (F) – jump straight to the stations you’ve saved.

• Blindness Community Stations (C) – discover curated content.

• Refresh Database (R) – keep your station list current.

3. Play and control: Once a station starts, use the Stream Actions menu. Volume controls (dots 1,2,3,5, and 6 for up and dots 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), pause/resume (P), metadata (M), description (D), and favorite/vote options are all a single shortcut key away.

It’s as simple as that. The Radio Tuner app is your personal global radio dial, ready anytime.

Tune-in to the World

Radio is one of the oldest forms of media, but paired with modern streaming and assistive technology it becomes something brand new. For BT Speak and BT Braille users, Radio Tuner isn’t just about entertainment, it’s about rapid information access. It’s hearing the news from another country in real time, finding a station that speaks your language, or enjoying the sense of community from blindness-focused broadcasts.

The Radio Tuner on BT Speak and BT Braille makes the world’s soundscape accessible wherever you go.