Most people know Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the city's soul and R&B tradition runs just as deep. In the 1960s, Cleveland's Cedar Avenue was home to Leo's Casino — one of the most important Black music venues in America, where James Brown packed the house, Otis Redding performed weeks before his death, and the O'Jays got their start. The O'Jays, one of the greatest soul groups in history, are from Canton, Ohio, just an hour south of Cleveland. This is soul country.
That tradition continues today through eight stations that stream Cleveland's urban, soul, and R&B sound free online — keeping the legacy of Leo's Casino alive in the digital age.
Top 8 Cleveland Soul & R&B Radio Stations
Leo's Casino Radio
Leo's Casino Radio takes its name from the legendary Cedar Avenue club that was Cleveland's premier Black music venue from the 1950s through the 1970s. The station's 1960s and 70s soul and R&B format serves as a living archive of the music that once filled Leo's Casino's dance floor — James Brown, the O'Jays, Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson, and dozens of other soul legends who made Cleveland a destination on the Chitlin' Circuit. If you want to understand Cleveland's soul heritage, Leo's Casino Radio is the essential starting point.
107.3 The Wave
107.3 The Wave is Cleveland's smooth R&B and soul station, delivering the warm, melodic side of urban radio to northeast Ohio. The station's adult contemporary R&B format spans classic soul ballads and contemporary R&B, creating a listening experience that is sophisticated without being exclusionary. The Wave is Cleveland's after-work station — the music that makes the commute home feel like a reward after a long day.
The RnB Channel
The RnB Channel delivers exactly what its name promises — a dedicated, focused stream of R&B music covering the genre's history from classic Motown and Stax recordings through contemporary neo-soul and modern R&B. The station's no-frills format is a strength: pure R&B, wall to wall, without detours into adjacent genres. For Cleveland listeners who want their R&B station to actually play R&B all the time, The RnB Channel is the answer.
WNRV Power 108.1
WNRV Power 108.1 brings Cleveland's urban energy to life with a format that blends R&B and hip-hop in the tradition of Power Radio stations across the country. The station's urban format serves Cleveland's Black community with a mix of current hits and classic tracks, maintaining the energy level that keeps it a go-to for listeners who want their music to move. Power 108.1 is Cleveland's connection to the broader national urban radio conversation.
Ohio Hott Radio
Ohio Hott Radio represents the whole state's urban R&B and hip-hop scene with a format that keeps Cleveland connected to Ohio's broader music culture. The station's R&B and hip-hop programming covers Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and the Ohio artists who have contributed to each city's local scene. Ohio Hott Radio is for listeners who feel the pride of Ohio's music culture and want a station that reflects the entire state's urban tradition.
Cleveland Hott Radio
Cleveland Hott Radio keeps the city's urban R&B scene running hot with a format that emphasizes current hits and high-energy dance-floor R&B. The station reflects Cleveland's contemporary urban music culture — the clubs, the events, the local artists who are building the next chapter of the city's soul tradition. Cleveland Hott Radio is the sound of a Saturday night in Cleveland's urban neighborhoods, where R&B and hip-hop keep the city moving.
The KFSM Radio Network
The KFSM Radio Network brings a broad urban format to Cleveland that blends R&B, hip-hop, and rap in a package that serves the full range of the city's urban music listeners. The network format gives KFSM reach and resources to program a diverse playlist, covering classic R&B and contemporary hip-hop without sacrificing depth in either direction. It is a station built for Cleveland listeners who don't want to choose between their old-school R&B and their current rap.
Get Lit Radio
Get Lit Radio cranks up the energy with a Cleveland hip-hop and R&B format built for listeners who want their music loud, current, and uncompromising. The station leans into the harder, more rhythmic end of the R&B and urban spectrum — less quiet storm, more dance floor. Get Lit Radio is the sound of Cleveland's younger generation of music fans, the listeners who are shaping what the city's urban music culture looks like in the 2020s.
Cleveland's Soul Heritage
Cleveland's soul credentials are underrated but undeniable. Leo's Casino at 7500 Euclid Avenue was one of the most important venues in the history of American soul music — a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit that attracted the biggest names in Black music from the 1950s through the 1970s. Beyond Leo's, Cleveland was the city where disc jockey Alan Freed first coined the term "rock and roll" to describe R&B music for a new generation. That history of bridging Black music to broader audiences runs through everything Cleveland does with music.
Explore all Cleveland stations at RadioStationsUSA Cleveland, check out Cleveland Rock Radio for the city's rock heritage, or discover soul radio in other Ohio cities.
How to Stream Cleveland Soul Radio Free
All eight stations stream free through RadioStationsUSA — no account or subscription needed. Click any station name to open its page and press play. Works on any browser, desktop or mobile. Let Cleveland soul fill your speakers.
