One thing that has been making me happy lately is Radio Paradise, which is an Internet radio station. Several things about it make it special:

  1. It is completely ad-free. It runs on the public radio model, in that it is listener-supported. A DJ breaks in between songs a couple times an hour to say hello and remind listeners that they can donate. These breaks never annoy me.

  2. Its “Main Mix” is the best eclectic rock radio station I have ever listened to. The songs played on this station range from huge hits to album tracks I have never heard of. It has no pretentious or underground vibe: whatever is playing is always interesting, musical, and accessible.

  3. It streams high quality audio. I listen to its AAC 320 Kbps stream, because my Apple devices support it. There is also a lossless FLAC stream, if your hardware can play it. Most Internet radio I listen has much worse audio quality, like 64 Kbps or (if you’re lucky) 128 Kbps MP3.

  4. Its web player is great, it has apps for many platforms if you want them, and it can be streamed from third-party Internet radio apps as well.

I highly recommend giving it a try.