Informational article

Broadcastify Overview: What It Is, Key Features, and How to Use It

Broadcastify is the leading global platform for streaming live, unedited public safety, aviation, rail, marine, weather, and amateur radio scanner feeds across the United States and select international regions. It removes the barrier of purchasing expensive dedicated radio scanning hardware, delivering real-time audio from thousands of volunteer-contributed feeds directly to any internet-connected device, serving hobbyist radio enthusiasts, emergency management professionals, journalists, and general listeners seeking real-time public communications at the local, regional, or national level. ## Key Features of Broadcastify Broadcastify’s core functionality is built around its extensive, user-contributed feed library, which includes thousands of live streams covering police, fire, EMS, airport air traffic, freight rail, harbor operations, NOAA weather radio, and licensed ham radio bands. All feeds are organized by state, county, city, and agency type, making it simple to locate streams for specific geographic areas or service categories. The platform offers cross-platform compatibility, with full functionality available via web browsers, as well as free native apps for iOS and Android devices. Mobile users can listen to feeds in the background while using other apps, adjust volume settings per feed, and save custom playlists of frequently accessed streams. Optional premium subscription tiers unlock ad-free listening, extended archive access, and advanced alert customization for power users. Users can set custom alerts for specific agencies, geographic areas, or feed types, receiving push or email notifications when activity is detected on feeds they follow. Many feeds also include searchable archived audio, letting users review past communications for specific date and time ranges, a feature often used by researchers, journalists, and hobbyists tracking event timelines. The platform also includes tools for licensed radio scanner operators to upload, host, and manage their own feeds, expanding the platform’s coverage as contributors add streams for underserved areas. ## How to Use Broadcastify To get started, navigate to the official Broadcastify website or download the free mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. No paid account is required to access live public feeds, though creating a free account lets you save favorite streams, set alerts, and access additional platform features. To find a specific feed, use the search bar to enter a city, county, state, agency name, or service type, or browse the categorized directory by region and category to explore available streams. Once you locate a feed of interest, click or tap the stream to start live audio playback immediately; you can adjust volume, pause playback, or switch between open feeds at any time. To save feeds for quick future access, log in to your free account and select the favorite option on any feed page. To set activity alerts, navigate to the feed’s page, select the alert option, and customize your notification preferences for that stream. For feeds with archived audio, select the archive tab on the feed page, then use the date and time picker to locate and play past communications. If you cannot find a feed for your area of interest on Broadcastify, check your local government or emergency management agency’s official website, as many host their own public scanner streams directly. Other aggregated scanner feed platforms like RadioReference also offer complementary feed libraries, though Broadcastify maintains the largest collection of publicly available scanner streams globally.