GTA V
A large-scale radio system showing how far the concept had evolved.
Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, is set in Los Santos and the surrounding Blaine County, a fictional version of Southern California. The world is large, and the radio is built to stay interesting over very long stretches of driving.
Many stations are hosted by well-known musicians and DJs, which gives each one a personal voice. Genres range from classic rock and punk to underground electronic music, soul, funk, hip-hop and Latin music, and two talk stations, WCTR and Blaine County Talk Radio, round out the dial.
Compared with Vice City, where each station had one clear musical identity tied to the 1980s, GTA V shows the radio concept at a much larger scale, with stations for very specific tastes.
The stations
A selection of the music and talk stations of Los Santos. This overview describes the radio of the original game; the player shows which stations are currently available.
Los Santos Rock Radio
Classic rock hosted by Kenny Loggins.
Non-Stop-Pop FM
Pop hits hosted by Cara Delevingne.
Radio Los Santos
Modern hip-hop and rap, hosted by Big Boy.
West Coast Classics
Classic West Coast hip-hop hosted by DJ Pooh.
Channel X
Punk and hardcore, hosted by Keith Morris.
Soulwax FM
Electronic and dance music, hosted by the duo Soulwax.
Worldwide FM
Eclectic electronica and world music, hosted by Gilles Peterson.
FlyLo FM
Beat music and electronic sounds, hosted by Flying Lotus.
The Lowdown 91.1
Soul from the seventies, hosted by Pam Grier.
Space 103.2
Funk and R&B, hosted by Bootsy Collins.
East Los FM
Latin music from the neighbourhoods of Los Santos.
WCTR and Blaine County Talk Radio
Two talk stations with news, phone-ins and satire.
GTA V is the most recent game in the GTA Radio library. The idea behind the project is the same as in the game: you press play and the broadcast simply continues.
See how the project is built and the technology behind the player.
Where to start
For an easy start, try Los Santos Rock Radio, Non-Stop-Pop FM or Radio Los Santos. For something more adventurous, try Worldwide FM, FlyLo FM or Soulwax FM, and for soul and funk, The Lowdown 91.1 and Space 103.2.
Other eras
Earlier: GTA IV. See also the overview of all games.
GTA Radio is an independent fan project and is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Station and game names are used for identification and commentary.
Radio at scale
GTA V has one of the largest dials in the series, set in a fictional Southern California. Many stations are hosted by real musicians and DJs, which gives each one a distinct voice. The result is a dial that rewards long drives: there is always a station tuned to a narrow taste.
Specialist stations
Compared with Vice City, where one station equals one clear genre of the decade, GTA V includes stations for specific scenes, from underground electronic and beat music to soul, funk, punk and Latin music. This reflects a shift from broad genre channels to curated stations with a host’s point of view.
What it shows about the idea
Looking back across all four games, the trend is toward more variation, more personality and more connection to the world. That arc is traced in the games overview and explained in the anatomy of a station.
Station-by-station guide
Genres and hosts below were checked against several independent fan wikis and press coverage. If you spot an error, tell me and I will correct it.
Los Santos Rock Radio
Genre: Classic rock. Host: Kenny Loggins.
Non-Stop-Pop FM
Genre: Pop. Host: Cara Delevingne.
Radio Los Santos
Genre: Modern hip-hop and rap. Host: Big Boy.
West Coast Classics
Genre: Classic West Coast hip-hop. Host: DJ Pooh.
Channel X
Genre: Punk and hardcore. Host: Keith Morris.
Rebel Radio
Genre: Country. Host: Jesco White.
Soulwax FM
Genre: Electronic and dance. Host: Soulwax.
Worldwide FM
Genre: Deep house, lounge, world music and jazz fusion. Host: Gilles Peterson.
FlyLo FM
Genre: Electronic and beats. Host: Flying Lotus.
Space 103.2
Genre: Funk and contemporary R&B. Host: Bootsy Collins.
Radio Mirror Park
Genre: Synth-pop, indie pop and chillwave. Host: Twin Shadow.
East Los FM
Genre: Latin American music. Host: Don Cheto and Camilo Lara (Mexican Institute of Sound).
The Blue Ark
Genre: Reggae, dub and dancehall. Host: Lee “Scratch” Perry.
WCTR and Blaine County Talk Radio
Genre: Talk radio. Host: Programme-specific. Two talk stations, one for Los Santos and one for Blaine County.