How to Change the Radio in GTA 5

AvatarByMatthew Yates Radio Setup, Pairing & Settings

To change the radio in GTA 5, open the in-car radio selector, choose a station, and release the selector control. Use the radio-selector control for your platform. You can choose a station from the in-car radio selector or create a personal Self Radio station on PC. The game uses a station-selection wheel rather than tuning individual broadcast frequencies.

How GTA V Radio Works

The radio wheel is the in-game selector for available stations.

The station wheel lets you choose among music, talk, and specialty stations. It may be temporarily unavailable in a scripted mission, cutscene, or vehicle without a usable radio.

The radio wheel chooses the station; the Audio menu manages Self Radio’s music library and playback behavior.

How to Change the Radio Station in GTA 5

Enter a vehicle, use the radio-selector control shown in your control layout, and select a station to begin listening. This same rule applies on Xbox and other consoles.

Step 1: Get Into a Vehicle With a Radio

  1. Enter a car or another vehicle with a functioning radio.
  2. Start driving or remain parked; you do not need to be moving to select a station.
  3. If music is already playing, you can change it immediately.

The platform guide lists the radio-selector steps for keyboard and mouse, consoles, Xbox, and customized controls:

Platform Open the Radio Selector Choose a Station
Keyboard and mouse controls Use the radio-selector control. Move the mouse toward a station, then release Q
Console Use your platform’s selector control. Select a station.
Xbox Use your platform’s selector control. Select a station.
Customized controls Use the binding shown in your control layout Highlight the station and confirm or release the selector control

Step 2: Open the Station Wheel

  1. Hold the radio-selector control for your platform.
  2. Keep holding it until the circular station wheel appears.
  3. Select the station you want.

If the selector does not bring up the wheel, check your controls. Check the game’s control settings or use the on-screen control prompt for the current binding.

Step 3: Select and Listen

  1. Highlight the station’s logo or name, then release the selector control to select it.
  2. Wait a moment for the station to begin playing.

How to Turn the Radio On or Off

To turn the radio on, open the radio wheel and select any named station. To turn it off, open the wheel and highlight the Radio Off segment, then release the selector control.

Choose a station again whenever you want music or talk radio back.

If the radio seems silent after entering a vehicle, open the wheel first. You may have previously selected Radio Off rather than a station.

How to Add Your Own Music With Self Radio on PC

Self Radio is GTA V’s built-in option for playing personal music files on PC in both Story Mode and GTA Online. It uses local music files rather than a streaming-service connection.

Step 1: Add Compatible Music Files

  1. Open your My Documents folder.
  2. Open this folder path: Rockstar Games > GTA V > User Music.
  3. Copy your music files into the folder.

Self Radio supports non-DRM’ed MP3, WMA, and M4A files. You need at least 3 audio files before creating a usable Self Radio station.

You do not have to duplicate a large music library. Instead, create shortcuts inside the User Music folder that point to the folders where your music is already stored.

Step 2: Scan the Music Folder

  1. Launch GTA V or GTA Online.
  2. Open the Pause Menu, which is usually bound to the Esc key.
  3. Go to Settings > Audio.
  4. Select Perform Quick Scan for Music after adding or replacing files.

A Quick Scan reads the audio files currently available in the folder. Choose Perform Full Scan for Music when you want the game to perform additional analysis of the files.

You can also set Auto-scan for music to ON. With that setting enabled, GTA V performs a Quick Scan when the game starts.

Step 3: Choose How Self Radio Plays

In Settings > Audio, use Self Radio Mode to choose the listening style:

  • Sequential: Plays files in the order they appear in the folder. You can skip tracks.
  • Shuffle: Plays files in random order. You can skip tracks.
  • Radio: Plays files randomly with radio adverts and DJ banter between songs. You cannot skip tracks.

After scanning, enter a vehicle, open the radio wheel, and select Self Radio like any other station. Rockstar provides the same PC setup process for GTA V and GTA Online in its Self Radio instructions.

Radio Stations Added in GTA Online Updates

GTA Online’s station lineup has grown through updates, so an older copy of the game or an unpatched installation may not match the station list shown in newer gameplay videos.

Rockstar added Still Slipping Los Santos and The Music Locker as radio stations in a GTA Online update. Other updates have also added K.U.L.T. 99.1 FM.

In player-owned properties with a jukebox, GTA Online also allows the jukebox to play any radio station. That is separate from choosing a station in a vehicle.

Fix GTA V Radio That Will Not Change

Start with the simplest cause: make sure the radio wheel is actually selecting a station rather than returning to the one already highlighted.

The Station Wheel Will Not Open

Check that you are inside a vehicle with a radio. Then try the platform’s selector control again.

If you play on PC with a controller connected, disconnect unused controllers and restart the game. A stuck or conflicting control input can keep the selector from behaving normally.

The Radio Keeps Returning to One Station

Open the station wheel, deliberately highlight a different station, and release the selector control.

If the problem persists, open Pause Menu > Settings > Audio and restore the audio settings to their defaults.

Self Radio Does Not Appear

Confirm that the files are in Rockstar Games > GTA V > User Music, not in a similarly named folder elsewhere on your computer. The files must be non-DRM MP3, WMA, or M4A files, and the folder needs at least 3 audio files.

Then open Settings > Audio and run Perform Quick Scan for Music.

A Station Name Appears but There Is No Music

First, select a different station to rule out an interrupted station stream or a mission-specific audio restriction. If every station is silent, check the game’s music and overall audio levels.

If the issue affects only one installation after a restart, use your launcher’s game-file verification tool, then launch GTA V again and test the radio in a normal street vehicle.

Confirm Your Radio Is Working

Use this short check after changing controls, adding Self Radio files, or troubleshooting:

  • Enter a standard car in free roam.
  • Open the radio wheel.
  • Select a named station and release the selector control.
  • Drive for a few seconds to confirm the selection stays active.
  • If using Self Radio, select it and confirm that a local track begins playing.

Keeping your game updated helps ensure that newly added GTA Online stations appear in the wheel. Rockstar’s GTA Online update notes document the addition of stations such as Still Slipping Los Santos and The Music Locker.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Change the GTA Radio on PC?

Use the radio wheel to select the station you want. If the wheel does not open, check the displayed control prompt or the game’s control settings for the current binding.

No, GTA 5 does not have a built-in Spotify linking feature. On PC, you can use Self Radio instead by placing non-DRM MP3, WMA, or M4A files in Rockstar Games > GTA V > User Music, with at least 3 audio files available for the station.

What Are All the Radio Stations in GTA 5?

For the complete station list, use the radio wheel in your installed version.

PC players can also use Self Radio after adding compatible local files. The exact stations visible can vary with game edition and update status, so the radio wheel in your installed version is the final list to use.

Did GTA V Update Its Radio Stations?

Yes. GTA Online updates have added stations over time, including Still Slipping Los Santos, The Music Locker, K.U.L.T. 99.1 FM, and MOTOMAMI Los Santos. Install available game updates, then open the radio wheel in a vehicle to check which stations are available in your version.

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Matthew Yates

Matthew Yates is the voice behind Earth Repair Radio, a site dedicated to making the world of radio clear and approachable. His journey began through community service and emergency broadcasting, where he learned how vital reliable communication can be when other systems fail. With vocational training in communications and years of hands on experience,

Matthew combines technical know how with a gift for simplifying complex ideas. From car radios to ham licensing and modern subscription services, he writes with clarity and warmth, helping readers understand radio not as jargon, but as a living connection in everyday life.