New country radio is where today's biggest hits land first. Morgan Wallen selling out stadiums, Luke Combs breaking streaming records, Zach Bryan writing songs that somehow feel personal to millions of people at once — this is the sound of country music right now. New country has moved the genre into a mainstream moment unlike anything since Garth Brooks in the 1990s, and the right radio stations are keeping up with every step of it.
These ten stations all stream free online and all focus on contemporary country — the artists and sounds that define the genre today. Whether you're already deep into Morgan Wallen's catalog or just starting to explore what new country has to offer, these are reliable places to tune in. For a broader look at country radio online across eras, or if classic country is more your speed, we cover that separately. But for today's sound, read on.
What Is New Country Radio?
New country — sometimes called contemporary country or hot country — refers to the current mainstream sound of the genre: polished Nashville production, big chorus hooks, crossover pop sensibility, and a roster of artists who regularly top both country and general pop charts. It's the format heard on Top 40 country stations nationwide, built around current chart releases and the biggest touring names.
The sound draws on the genre's traditions but runs them through modern production values. Songs about trucks, small towns, and summer nights are still there, but the sonics have broadened: there are hip-hop influences in the rhythms, pop structures in the hooks, and production budgets that can rival anything coming out of Los Angeles or New York. New country is country music as a mainstream American genre rather than a regional one, and the stations below are its best broadcast homes online.
10 New Country Radio Stations Worth Streaming Online
WSIX 97.9 FM — Nashville, TN
WSIX 97.9 FM broadcasts from Nashville — Music City itself — making it as close to a ground-level new country source as you'll find. Nashville is where the hits are recorded, the careers are built, and the charts are written, and WSIX programs with that proximity in mind. The station focuses on current chart toppers and the biggest names working today, carrying both the established stars and the artists moving up fast. Streaming WSIX means you're hearing what Nashville is actually playing, not a curated replay of greatest hits from the past decade.
New Country 96.3 FM — Fort Worth, TX
New Country 96.3 FM has the genre right in its call letters, broadcasting contemporary country to Fort Worth and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex — one of the country's biggest markets and a region with a deep country music tradition. Texas has always been central to what country radio sounds like at its best, and New Country 96.3 carries that legacy into the current era. The station programs today's chart hits alongside the Texas and Red Dirt artists who keep new country connected to its roots. A strong choice if you want mainstream new country with a regional identity.
98.5 KYGO — Denver, CO
98.5 KYGO is Denver's flagship country station and one of the most recognized country radio brands in the American West. The Rocky Mountain setting suits the genre — country music about open roads and wide landscapes sounds different when you're actually in the shadow of the Rockies. KYGO programs contemporary country with a deep knowledge of what its Colorado audience wants: current hits, major touring artists, and a sense that country music belongs in the West as much as it does in Tennessee. The station has been a Denver institution for decades and brings that history to its present-day contemporary programming.
New Country 101.5 — Marietta, GA
New Country 101.5 serves the greater Atlanta metro from Marietta, Georgia — the Deep South's largest city and a region that has produced some of the most important names in country music. The station programs current chart hits alongside fan favorites from the past decade, making it a reliable stream for both the very latest releases and the songs that defined new country's recent rise. Atlanta's growing country music scene gives New Country 101.5 a listener base that takes the genre seriously, and the station programs accordingly.
WSOC 103.7 FM — Charlotte, NC
WSOC 103.7 FM is one of the most listened-to country stations in the Carolinas, serving a Charlotte metro that stretches across both North and South Carolina. The station features the artists defining contemporary country right now — Luke Combs (who is from North Carolina), Morgan Wallen, and the rest of the current mainstream roster — alongside the established names who have earned permanent spots on any contemporary country playlist. The Carolinas are home country for some of new country's biggest stars, and WSOC understands that connection.
KNIX 102.5 FM — Phoenix, AZ
KNIX 102.5 FM is one of the longest-running and most-listened-to country stations in the Southwest, with a broadcast history in Phoenix stretching back to the 1970s. That kind of longevity means KNIX knows how to program country radio — it has survived format shifts, changing audiences, and every wave of what's new in the genre, and it has always adapted without losing its core audience. Today KNIX programs contemporary country for the Phoenix market with the authority of a station that has been doing this since before most current country stars were born. A reliable, major-market new country stream.
WFMS 95.5 FM — Indianapolis, IN
WFMS 95.5 FM is Indianapolis's premier country station, serving Central Indiana with a mix of contemporary hits and established country favorites. Indiana has a strong country music culture — it's the kind of place where country radio is not background entertainment but the main event — and WFMS has served that audience for years with consistent programming. The station blends current chart releases with the recent catalog that made new country's current wave possible, offering a stream that connects the hits of 2024 and 2025 to the artists and records that set the stage for them.
New Country 93.1 — Detroit, MI
New Country 93.1 serves the Detroit metro as the Motor City's home for contemporary country. Detroit might not be the first city that comes to mind for country radio, but Michigan has a substantial country music audience, and New Country 93.1 has built its programming around delivering the latest hits to that audience. The station focuses squarely on what's current — the artists dominating country radio right now — making it a clean, uncluttered source for new country if that's what you're looking for. No deep catalog dives, no nostalgia programming: just today's country, streamlined.
Nash FM 97.3 — Des Moines, IA
Nash FM 97.3 brings contemporary country to Des Moines and the broader Iowa market with a blend that connects the current moment to the recent past. The Nash format is known for mixing today's chart leaders with the established favorites who made the modern country moment possible — Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw alongside Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan. For listeners who want new country without completely losing the recent catalog that built it, Nash FM 97.3 strikes a useful balance. Iowa's Midwest country audience gets a station that respects both what's new and what has earned its place.
WKIS 99.9 FM — Miami, FL
WKIS 99.9 FM is Miami's flagship country station, which means it does something that might sound counterintuitive: it delivers contemporary country to one of America's most diverse, most urban, most decidedly non-Nashville cities. And it works, because new country in the 2020s is genuinely a mainstream American format rather than a Southern or rural one. WKIS programs the current chart with Miami energy — the same hits you'd hear in Nashville or Phoenix, delivered to a listener base as cosmopolitan as any in the country. If you want proof that new country has genuinely gone national, a Miami station devoted to it is about as clear as it gets.
What New Country Radio Stations Have in Common
These ten stations vary by market, history, and regional personality, but they all program around the same core: the artists who are currently defining mainstream country music. That consistency is useful if you're building a new country listening habit — tuning into any of these stations during primetime puts you in contact with what's actually moving on the charts.
If you want to go deeper into the genre's history, classic country radio stations play the Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and Patsy Cline era, and our Nashville country radio guide covers the full range of Music City broadcasting. But for the current sound — the country music people are buying tickets to see in 2025 and 2026 — these are your stations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is new country music?
New country (also called contemporary country or hot country) is the current mainstream sound of the genre, characterized by polished production, pop-influenced song structures, and artists who regularly appear on both country and general pop charts. Key artists include Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, and Chris Stapleton. It draws on country's traditional themes — small towns, heartbreak, working life, summer nights — while incorporating modern production and broader sonic influences.
Is new country radio free to stream online?
Yes — all ten stations on this list are completely free to stream online. No subscription or account is required. Click any station to start listening immediately from any device with a browser or internet connection.
How is new country different from classic country?
Classic country (roughly the 1940s through mid-1980s) uses traditional instrumentation — steel guitar, fiddle, acoustic guitar — and focuses on straightforward storytelling with minimal production. New country uses contemporary production techniques, often including electronic elements, pop song structures, and broader sonic palettes. The themes overlap, but the sounds are distinctly different. For classic country streaming options, see our classic country radio guide.
What artists do new country radio stations typically play?
New country radio in 2025-2026 rotates heavily around Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Tyler Hubbard, Carly Pearce, Chris Young, and Blake Shelton, among others. Current chart entries from emerging artists also get regular airplay. The format prioritizes hits and current releases over deep catalog programming.
Start Listening
From WSIX in Nashville to WKIS in Miami, these ten stations give you new country radio in every corner of the country, all streaming free online. Pick one and put it on — the current era of country music has some genuinely great songs in it, and these are the stations that play them.
