Brazil is a huge country with thousands of radio stations, and its radio reflects that size: every region has its own music, accents and style, from the north-east's forró to the south's gaúcho traditions.
Station counts updated September 30, 2026
Radio in Brazil dates back to the early 1920s, and Rádio Sociedade do Rio de Janeiro, founded in 1923 by the anthropologist and educator Edgar Roquette-Pinto, is often cited as one of the country's first stations. From the 1930s to the 1950s — the "golden age" of Brazilian radio — stations such as Rádio Nacional made stars of singers and broadcast radio soap operas that the whole country followed. Radio helped spread samba nationwide and shaped Brazilian popular music.
Few things are more Brazilian than football commentary on the radio. Brazilian commentators are famous for their fast, passionate narration and extended cries of "goool" — many fans still listen to the radio commentary even while watching a match on television. If a big game is on, sports stations are worth tuning in to just for the atmosphere.
Because Brazil is so large, stations sound very different depending on where they broadcast from. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have the biggest commercial networks, while stations in the north-east lean towards forró and axé, and those in the south carry the music of the gaúcho tradition. Spinning the globe from one region to another is a quick way to hear that variety.