Building an Internet Radio Station

Charlie Morris

September 25, 2000

Internet radio is one of the new Web's killer applications, beating out the traditional AM/FM kind in several departments. Although there's already a huge amount of material out there, there are still opportunities for creative people to develop new cutting-edge music sites. If you're thinking of setting up your own Internet radio station, here's a broad overview of how to do it, including the technical and legal angles.

Internet radio has quietly become one of the new Web's killer applications. A short browse through the Internet Radio List gives you an idea of how much audio material is available on the Internet these days, and things are just getting started.

Internet radio beats out the traditional AM/FM kind in several departments. Are you into some obscure type of music that doesn't get played on mainstream radio? You can find it on the Web. Perhaps you live in a foreign country, and would like to hear some programming in your native language. Or maybe you're just homesick for your old hometown radio station. While an old-fashioned radio gives you access to perhaps a couple of dozen local stations, a computer with a sound card and an Internet connection can give you access to an unbelievable variety of programming, anywhere in the world. Not only music, but a huge variety of news, sports, talk shows and other audio programming is available.

Online radio does not have any geographical restrictions, nor does it need to be sequential - users can listen to an ongoing program, or listen to pre-recorded pieces on demand. Furthermore, the medium is not limited to audio. Limited bandwidth is the only reason that it's called "Internet radio" instead of "Internet TV". Online audio programs can be accompanied by pictures, text, and hyperlinks to related Web sites. Few sites have really started to explore these possibilities. Many online radio stations are run by traditional radio broadcasters, which simply duplicate their usual programs online. In other words, there are still opportunities out there for creative people to develop new cutting-edge music sites. If you're thinking of setting up your own Internet radio station, here's a broad overview of how to do it.

Building an Internet Radio Station

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