The RadioReference Database Web Service is a SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) XML-based web service that allows software applications to programmatically read data from the RadioReference.com database.

We are incredibly developer-friendly. RadioReference was built by hobbyists and we genuinely want third-party applications to thrive on top of our data. That's a big part of how the platform reaches its users. Our API is free to use for approved developers; the only requirement is that each end user of your application holds an active RadioReference premium subscription, so the subscription is a passthrough straight to the user.

Scope: RadioReference database only

This API covers the RadioReference database (frequencies, talkgroups, agencies, trunked systems, and the rest of the reference data you see on RadioReference.com) and nothing else.

It does not provide any access to, or information about, any part of Broadcastify. For Broadcastify APIs, see https://www.broadcastify.com/api.

What the API is for

The intended purpose of the API is to let developers integrate the RadioReference database with radios and radio-related tooling, like software that auto-programs a user's scanner based on their location, codeplug builders, or alternative on-device display layers for users actively monitoring radio traffic. If your application puts RadioReference data into a radio, a codeplug editor, or a tool a user runs alongside their scanner, you are squarely in the use case we built the API to support, and we'll work with you to get an API key.

Your application is required to have each end user authenticate with their own RadioReference credentials, and each end user must hold an active RadioReference premium subscription. The API uses the end user's login on every call, so the subscription requirement is enforced per user, against their own account, not yours. You do not share or pool credentials, and you do not subsidize subscriptions on behalf of your users.

What the API is not for

We are currently seeing unprecedented demand for API access driven by AI-assisted developers ("vibe-coding") who are using LLMs to spin up applications, sites, and mobile apps that effectively recreate the functionality of RadioReference.com itself. We will not issue a free developer API key for any application whose purpose is to reproduce, mirror, or substitute for the public RadioReference.com website. RadioReference.com is the front door to this data. Building a competing front door on top of our API is not something our standard developer terms cover.

Almost every other non-radio-programming use case (directory apps, location-aware listening apps, white-label data products, dashboards, alerting services) is a commercial use of our products and services. A paid license agreement is the path forward for these, and a license does include API key access along with the redistribution and commercial-use rights your project will need. If your project falls into one of those buckets, please reach out at support@radioreference.com and we'll discuss terms; we'd much rather work out a license than say no.

Documentation

The RadioReference.com Database Web Service is currently documented using the following WSDL:

• https://api.radioreference.com/soap2/?wsdl&v=latest

Documentation and endpoint version information can be found here:

• SOAP Web Service Documentation

A list of applications that support the Web service and further details can be found at:

RadioReference.com_Web_Service

For Broadcastify APIs, see https://www.broadcastify.com/api.

Requesting an API Key

API keys are now requested through your RadioReference account. Apply at https://www.radioreference.com/account/api/apply (sign in first). The application page walks you through the required information and creates a pending request that our team reviews directly.

When you fill out the form, be specific about what you're building and who will use it. Helpful detail includes:

• What kind of radio or radio-adjacent tool the app integrates with
• Whether end users will be configuring their own scanners, programming codeplugs, etc.
• Roughly how many users you expect, and how each will reach the app
• Whether your app is open-source, commercial, free, paid, or internal-only

Requests that boil down to "because I want to," or that look like a pasted LLM prompt with no specific use case, will be declined, but we'll always tell you why and point you toward either a better-scoped request or the licensing path if your project warrants one. We're happy to support developers who are extending what users can do with their radios, and we're open to commercial conversations for everything else.

Note: An active RadioReference Premium subscription is required on the account that will use the key.