October 22, 2025 — Sunset Radio Network, a global broadcast platform specializing in live music programming with a new radio format for Live Music, has announced the launch of ten curated radio stations, each focused on delivering live performances and festival coverage across multiple genres. The expansion represents a major milestone for the network, which now reaches thousands of listeners in over 85 countries.

The new lineup includes Live Jam, JamFest, The Grateful Dead Live, MetalMania Live, Tomorrowland Live, Coachella Music Festival Live, Electric Daisy Carnival Live, Ultra Music Festival Live, Improv Café, and Unplugged Live. Each station is designed to broadcast live performances, curated artist showcases, festival sets, and select historic recordings. NPR News Now segments are interspersed four times daily across all stations, keeping listeners informed in addition to music programming.

Live Jam features entirely live music and festival performances, including signature shows such as Live From the Vault, counting down top live albums, Friday Night Lights, highlighting newly released live recordings, Live Country Radio, spotlighting iconic country performances, Don Plays Live Zappa, a five-hour exploration of Frank Zappa’s live catalog, and Get the Led Out Live, delivering weekly Led Zeppelin performances.

JamFest focuses on festival-oriented programming, presenting live sets, historic recordings, and international rhythms. Highlights include Project Reggaeologist, featuring world music, reggae, and dancehall; NewGrass Radio, which showcases bluegrass; and What Is Hip?!, highlighting music from and inspired by NOLA-styled artists. Weekends include dance, club, and EDM shows such as Club Night and Sunday Spunday, along with exclusive tracks on the Festival Radio Show, curated NPR showcases via All Things Considered Live, and the Live Nuggets weekly program.

The Grateful Dead Live, formerly known as Dead Set Live, features performances from the Grateful Dead catalog and solo projects of Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh. Programming includes JGB Radio, Ace Radio, Phil & Friends, Music Plays The Band, which showcases tribute bands like JRAD, Splintered Sunlight, and Dark Star Orchestra, Fare Thee Well, documenting post-1995 performances, and Planet Drum Circle, a weekly percussion-focused program. Don’s Pick, a weekly curated selection, highlights rare or unreleased performances.

MetalMania Live delivers live heavy metal and hard rock content, including the Metallica Live Radio Show on Friday nights.

Improv Café, described as the world’s first all-live jazz station, features Singing with Swing, focusing on vocal jazz every Sunday night, Swing with the Big Bands, highlighting live big band performances, and live sets from the Village Vanguard and Blue Note. Unplugged Live, previously part of Live Jam, now operates as a standalone station, focusing exclusively on live unplugged and acoustic performances. The station officially launched this month, delivering 24/7 live acoustic sessions spanning multiple genres.

The Sunset Radio Network reports strong international engagement across its stations. Listener metrics include: Live Jam with 2,345 listeners in 46 countries; JamFest, 1,870 listeners in 50 countries; The Grateful Dead Live, 1,200 listeners in 47 countries; MetalMania Live, 632 listeners in 31 countries; Improv Café, 878 listeners in 63 countries; and Tomorrowland Live, 3,706 listeners in 85 countries.

Tomorrowland Live, Coachella Music Festival Live, Electric Daisy Carnival Live, and Ultra Music Festival Live broadcast sets from internationally recognized electronic music festivals, delivering DJ performances and stage coverage directly to listeners. Tomorrowland Live notably peaked at over 23,000 listeners this summer spanning 144 countries at one time, highlighting its growing popularity and global reach.

Don Lichterman, founder and curator of Sunset Radio Network, continues to oversee programming across all stations. Beginning in 2001 as Don Edwards on KCLA FM 96.2, syndicated across 11 markets in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, Lichterman personally curates content, moderates shows, and DJs each station. He also hosts On The Rampage on iHeartRadio, covering politics, current events, music, film, television, wildlife, animal welfare, and social issues. The show and podcast were top ten on Apple in India and and top 14 in Slovania.

The launch of the new fully automated stations across multiple genres underscores Sunset Radio Network’s growth as a global live music broadcaster. By combining festival coverage, historical recordings, exclusive artist performances, and real-time news updates, the network continues to expand its international reach while maintaining a focus on live, authentic music programming.

“No one has ever dedicated a platform to servicing record labels’ live albums. Traditionally, live tracks on the radio are fleeting, rarely staying in rotation. Today, major labels are embracing our approach of focusing exclusively on their live albums and recordings, making live music a sustainable format for radio while also giving the labels a new way to promote these titles,” says Don Lichterman, head of Sunset Radio Network and the DJ (Don Edwards) for all of the network’s shows.

Lichterman adds, “It’s widely understood that in virtually every major recording deal, there is often a live album option or an option I should say, could be a live album. For decades, none of these albums were serviced to radio in a real, viable way—until now.”

About Sunset Radio Network
Sunset Radio Network is a worldwide broadcast platform offering curated live performances, festival coverage, and artist showcases across rock, jazz, country, electronic, and metal genres. Its programming integrates historic recordings, live music, and real-time NPR News updates to deliver a comprehensive live music experience to listeners around the globe. It has also introduced the worlds first all live radio stations where all songs are the versions. It has also created a new format, Live Music for radio airplay.