Radio 3 is RTVE's third radio station that attracts half a million listeners per week. Its output mostly centres on indie, alternative, hip hop and dance music that is outside the mainstream scene and the top 40 charts. Additionally, Radio 3 airs other music genres that does not air on commercial radio such as Spanish folk music, flamenco, hip hop, jazz, country, blues, Brazilian music, heavy metal, country and new-age music.

Besides music, Radio 3 also features serialised radio drama and collects news from different cultural expressions: literature, film, theater and visual arts, always highlighting and supporting the most innovative and restless in each discipline.

Radio 3's programming is split roughly 70% specialist music and 30% culture-based shows. Hosts have complete autonomy over content and the station does not have any playlists. As such, the nature of Radio 3 broadcasts varies wildly depending on the time of the week.

Radio 3 started broadcasting in 1979 as El Tercer Programa (The Third Programme), and adopted its current name in 1981.