Internet radio involves a streaming medium that presents listeners with a continuous "stream" of audio over which they have no control, much like traditional broadcast media; in this respect, it is distinct from "on-demand" file serving. Internet radio is also distinct from podcasting, which involves downloading rather than streaming. Some of the first Internet-only commercial radio stations emerged in 1995.NetRadio "was one of the Internet's original Webcasters," eventually "streaming more than 100 channels including both music and spoken material. At its height, NetRadio offered more than 125 online radio stations and attracted more than 50 million listens per month, but closed shop after the dot com bust because of funding problems .
While traditional AM/FM radio stations struggle to survive in today's highly competitive world of broadcasting, Internet radio stations continue to flourish. With technology that is both affordable and easy to obtain, today's net-savvy citizens are breaking down new barriers everyday and running either Internet radio stations or talk shows.
Starting an online radio show on your own can require costly materials such as microphones, headphones, a station website and server space. However, you can eliminate all of these costs and materials by creating your own online radio show for free by signing up with BlogTalkRadio.com or a comparable platform.
If you want more control and you want a more powerful platform you can use a service such as Live265. In a few steps you can be up and running with your own radio station. There are a lot of reasons for starting up a radio station, and a lot of choices.
How To Earn An Income With Your Internet Radio Station
7 reasons why you can make a lot of money with internet radio:
1. People listen to radio while they work, on the internet and at home. There a thousands of computers on every block and in every home across North America. People love to listen to the radio on the web at work or home while doing other things. One of the fastest growing businesses on the net is multi-media. It has the big broadcasters worried. It is starting to suck into their ad time and that is where you can make a lot of money.
2. If you have your own radio show, famous people seek you out! When you are a host of your own radio show, you can invite them by phone to be on your show. Steve Harrison has a publication RTIR (Radio and TV Interview Report) that you can get signed up for at his web site, and he will send you contact information on how to get famous guests and writers on your internet radio show.
3. People buy products from people who are famous and know famous people! Imagine you on your radio show on the internet taking a short commercial break. The music pans down and the wonderful commercial plugs your book, your service, your name, and your bank account grows. Because you can implement reason 2, you now have greater credibility to sell your products or services on your own radio show. This is how to brand yourself so that you can earn more money. You become your own brand to offer to stars that they will want to associate with because of Buzz (Talk about you in certain famous or powerful social circles). You get the Buzz working for you and your show becomes ‘Hot’ property!
4. Use Affiliates Ads to get companies to send you checks for your web site. Joining an affiliate program to put banner ads on your web site where your radio show is broadcast from, gives you money for clicks or when products sell. The link affiliate company tracks the click through from your web site by a code put into cookies, and you are mailed a check for your commission on the sales. You can join one of these organizations from my web site at InstructionsToMoney.Net and we have a program to add these to your radio page when you broadcast with RIBN.
5. Advertising. Now you can, as the politicians say, do the math yourself. So you have your own show on Internet radio. If you were on normal radio, it might cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. So by being on the internet, blogging, my-space, and through other PR techniques, you got a good amount of listeners.
Your show is one hour, but you are not talking for the whole hour, you are playing ads and news pieces in between talking segments. That is where more money comes in for you. You can sell your advertising time for a few dollars. One 60 second spot on one show nationally costs over $1400.00
So let’s say you decide to sell your ad time at RIBN (Radio Internet Broadcast Network) for $600.00 a minute. RIBN puts the ad in for you and you get it all produced with little effort on your part other that finding some advertisers and talking on your show. RIBN gives you 10 minutes for your own ad time on your show. Other companies have other offers and charge more for their show time on the net (One even tried to sell me at $5,200.00 a show). So to add up your 10 minutes at your price per spot the total is $6,000.00 a show! Now last time I checked there are 52 weeks in a year. 52 times $6,000.00 equals:
That’s $312,000.00 a year!
Now if you’re making that on one hour, couldn’t you double it on two? Why sure you could. Then your total would be $624,000.00 a year and you could do it from your home with a simple computer with only a few modifications.
RIBN will do practically every thing for you from mixing your show and also setting up archive in mp3 podcast format. RIBN is for doing the work for you. It saves you time to be able to talk with companies about advertising on your radio show so it is well worth the small investment for you to have RIBN doing it.
RIBN is the first network of it’s kind that provides media content for free to their hosts and reporters. With RIBN I don’t need any special equipment to get what I need done and they produce my content to some degree. They also allow music programming with a small annual fee for royalties for the music companies. ASCAP and BMI will allow you to play any other their song writer’s music for just a few hundred dollars a year in a license fee.
Now when you first get started, you may not be able to sell time at that price. You will need time to get known and build a listening audience, so lets say you sell your 10 minutes on your radio show for $100.00 each. That is still $1,000.00 a show and you would be making $52,000.00 a year! That is awesome if you ask me.
6. Free news content to add to your radio internet broadcast. RIBN has resources such as Media Link, PR Web, and other providers that have free news or story segments that you can add to your show. Information about IRA’s or real estate are just one click away on the internet to be added to your show. You can read the segments over the phone and have the audio put on your show, or some come in audio web ready formats already. You can obtain more information from RIBN when you sign up for a show with them.
This is good content professionally done so you sound like the big networks and it is free because advertisers get their branding put into the news story with media link and they have already paid for the story to be produced.
This makes it easy for you to have a professional show by using the resources on the web to make you sound like Fox News, ABC, or NBC with out having to hire the big staff to get the piece performed. They allow companies to use this as long as they are a news agency. Working with RIBN makes it easier because they are an internet news agency.
Your show on RIBN is syndicated and you are given every resource to get a quality broadcast up and running in as little time as possible. You can produce a show any way you like with RIBN with only tow exceptions:
Follow all FCC rules and NO FOWL, HATEFUL, OR LUDE LANGUAGE. RIBN is a network that is family friendly so you get more listeners and can sell your ad time to more companies.
7.Ways you can say things that will make you more money. Did you know that the ad agencies on Madison Avenue have psychologists that teach people how to say things in commercials that make them sell? The old ad for Chevrolet that said: “See the USA in YOUR brand new Chevrolet” was designed to make you think of the car as YOURS! You can observe and hear the same things on infomercials on late night TV. The man with the British accent says: "Isn’t that great, Wow, that so amazing, wouldn’t you agree?”These are what sales professionals call closing statements. Phrases of words that get people to buy their products or services. You can use these phrases in your presentation on your radio show to get people to buy your products also. The phrases I use are:
Isn’t it
Wasn’t it
Couldn’t it
Shouldn’t it
Isn’t that true
Don’t you think that’s true?
Wouldn’t you agree?
By having your commercials on a radio show and talking about your products to thousands of listeners on internet radio, using these phrases, you could sell a lot of products, wouldn’t you agree?
Of course you would because the natural response to this question is yes. That is the psychology of using these sentences to make a person want what you have on the radio.
With practice, you will learn to paint ideas and pictures in the minds of your listeners so that they will naturally go to your web site or call your ORDER LINE number. With this knowledge you can also create commercials for your advertisers and increase your marketability by knowing how to produce more customers responding to your advertiser’s spots on your radio show.
One other key phrase you’ll learn to use is a ‘Which’ Question. Now which would you prefer, a one time payment of 9 hundred and 69 dollars or three easy payments of 5 sixty 5?
Notice that by using a ‘which’ question you do not have the options to say no. You only have a choice to pick between two purchase choices.
Can you see how powerful that can be? You can create small marketing seminars on your radio show to close a person to buy your books and products with out ever giving them the choice not to buy!
Ways to network with other authors and earn even more money.
By having your own radio show with RIBN you can meet authors, business persons, and writers who are on the same path to wealth as you. Some of them will be open to associations and partnerships of mutual benefit that will help you make more money. Once you have proven yourself as faithful allies and have them on your radio show, you can establish friendships so that you can network your interests and perhaps invest in businesses or real estate together. One of the greatest sales trainers in the world with books, courses, and a company that trains people to be successful, Zig Ziglar puts it this way:
“You can get anything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want”
Streaming or Podcasting: Which Should You Use?
There are more choices today for creating and distributing your own Radio program than any time in history!
That’s really amazing when you think of it. What used to only be only possible through AM and FM radio stations (aside from amateur radio) can now be done through the Internet via streaming or Podcasting. What's more: for practically nothing, you can reach a global audience!
Anyone with a small budget can create their own Internet Radio station to air his or her own programs. Or, you can spend practically no money and Podcast. Podcasting has quickly become cost efficient and in some cases, free. Plus: it’s now easier than ever to create your own Podcast and you don't need to learn any coding.
The Main Difference - Delivery
The main difference between streaming audio and Podcasting is the distribution method and the content load.
Generally, a streaming station can carry more than one program continuously, should you choose. That means you can webcast you all day and all night. All someone needs to do is have a software player to tune in.
Streaming means you're serving up the audio and wherever it is in your programming schedule is where the listener will start listening when he/she tunes in.
Podcasting is different. Podcasts are usually smaller, self-contained programs which are pre-recorded by you and uploaded to a location (server) where they reside until a listener decides to retrieve the audio program. The listener decides which program to listen to and when.
If you air your Radio program on your own Internet radio station, you should keep in mind that the stream will most likely be available 24-hours-a-day. You might want to continuously loop your program and as you add more, just fill in the schedule. Or, you might want to offer space on your station to others who are creating similar programs. And remember: when using a provider like Live365.com (Buy Direct) to host a stream, you can create pre-recorded shows (or programming segments) or do live broadcasts. There’s a lot of flexibility for very little cost.
If the thought of being the “Program Director” of an Internet radio station as well as a “talent” creating a program seems a little much, then consider starting out offering your show as a Podcast.
Podcasting Can be a Simpler Solution
Podcasts are very flexible. You can create any length show, as often or as seldom as you like. Then, you can upload it into your blog or Podcast provider and let listeners retrieve it and listen as they like.
Once you create a show it will be available as long as you wish. Using Podcasts, you can quickly build a library of shows to offer listeners.
Podcasts are generally recorded ahead of time, allowing you to fuss and mix everything just right. Although all you need is an inexpensive microphone and your computer to create a simple Podcast, some enthusiasts create elaborate sound studios in their home or office to build very professional shows. This is a personal preference. I advise people to start out slow and small and see how you like it. Then, as you grow so can your tools.
There are many resources for both creating programs on streaming Internet Radio stations or as Podcasts.
If you already have decided that you want to stream an Internet station from your own server and you're looking for Windows or MAC sofware solutions, see the Server Software for Streaming Audio and Internet Radio Broadcasting section within the Radio.about.com website.
But, for easy and economical Internet Radio streaming options which require no technical knowledge, familiarize yourself with Live365.com
Tools And Equipment
Tools For Recording
So, you’ve decided on what kind of Radio shows you want to record and maybe even which way to deliver them: streaming or Podcasting. Now, the task is to actually create these shows.
Your needs can be very simple to more complex depending on the type of program you’re going to distribute. For instance: if you’re going to create a Podcast where only you will be speaking, you could - at the very least- “get away” with using an inexpensive headset microphone and free software.
If you want to increase the quality of your broadcast, there are many types of microphones which range in quality and price. For affordable voice recording, I recommend a unidirectional, dynamic-type microphone. Radio Shack sells inexpensive ones and you’ll also find a good selection of higher quality mikes at most music stores.
If you want to create a radio show which features your voice, music, and maybe even other “in-studio” guests or guests on the telephone, you’re going to most likely find a “mixer” a very needed tool in this process.
Audio Mixers
There are two varieties of mixers: hardware and software. What I’m referring to at the moment is a hardware mixer which will physically take the audio output from, say, your microphone, a guest microphone, your CD player (cassette, etc.), or possibly a guest on the telephone and “funnel” or “mix” it all down into one output of audio which you can then input into your computer for digital recording.
Using a hardware mixer allows you to visibly set your sound levels on-the-fly and individually for each audio source. This is how many traditional radio studios and recording studios do it.
Hardware mixers can be found in a very wide choice of prices. At home for my recording needs, I use a Radio Shack 4-Channel Stereo Sound Mixer which features an input for 1 microphone and 4 additional audio inputs. It will also cross-fade between left and right, fade any or all channels at once, mix in mono or stereo and even provide a rudimentary treble and bass control.
My particular unit cost around $60 but at the time of this writing Radio Shack has a newer, streamlined model for $39.00. This is very low end but the signal-to-noise ratio, which is a measure of signal strength relative to background noise, is surprisingly acceptable as is the amount of hum (stray magnetic fields that produce audible noise). Radio Shack also carries a 4 channel/3-Band Equalizer Sound Mixer for about $149.
In addition to a microphone and a mixer, I also use an Alesis 3630 compressor unit to boost the performance of my microphone. Compressors add body and fullness to spoken word and most radio stations and many recording studios use similar equipment on their mikes. This is definitely a luxury but these units are not that pricey. This particular unit is around $100 dollars. You can compare prices here.
This is my setup or “rig” but you can create whatever you’re comfortable with. My little home studio costs a total of about $210 when you add it all up which is really dirt cheap. But, I can also do wonderful audio enhancements because I use a recording application called Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit Pro) which is basically a recording studio in-a-box.
With this software I can fix audio, amplify it, equalize it, add reverb, mix it, change the pitch, add a host of effects, filter out noise and much more. Adobe Audition is also a software mixer and I can create multi-tracked projects - one track at a time - and then mix it all down exactly as I want it.
Besides the hardware/mixer route, there are other software-based solutions for recording and mixing sound including WebPod Studio and iPodcast Producer.
More Accessories
If you’re going to be recording guests on the telephone, you might want to check out Teletool 2000. It lets you record telephone conversations or voice messages directly to your PC. Compare prices by clicking here.
And finally: save on long distance calls when talking with guests by signing up for a free account at Skype. Skype is a little piece of software that lets you make free calls over the Internet. It’s free and easy to download (Download Direct) http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home
Original Material, Music Royalties & Getting Guests
If you’re going to do a radio show that features music created by someone else, you will be responsible for paying royalties for the right to webcast that music.
Streaming Rates: There’s No Free Lunch
There are different rates for commercial webcasters, broadcast simulcasters (an AM or FM for instance), small commercial webcasters/simulcasters, non-commercial webcasters/simulcasters and even non-commercial educational entities. Rates vary but nobody gets a free ride. You can see the various rates here.
When you stream a radio station through Live365.com (Buy Direct), one of the real nice aspects of using that service is your monthly fee also includes the royalties you owe for whatever music you play. Boy, does that take the hassle and worry out of things!
Podcasting Rates: What Rates?
When it comes to Podcasting, as of this writing, things are a bit gray.
By contrast to webcasting, a podcast may include a reproduction of a sound recording. Podcasting is an interactive activity. It results in the transmission of a sound recording which is fixed and is accessible on demand by the user. The reproduction requires clearances or licenses - for the sound recording, and for the musical work.
Although the performance rights societies offer licenses to cover the musical works in a podcast, no uniform or industry-wide licensing scheme has developed yet to cover the sound recording.
So, technically somebody is owed something for music or other copyrighted aural works offered within Podcasts but this arena is not yet being policed as stringently as webcasting is. I think the music companies are trying to figure out how exactly to do that.
Meanwhile, there are no doubt thousands of Podcasters using copyrighted music in their programs and not paying fees. I suspect that will change sometime in the future.
Original Programming
For those Podcasters who make available original programming featuring interviews or audio they originate themselves or who own copyrights to any music they distribute, they need not worry about the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group which represents the recording industry.
You can Webcast or Podcast any material you own the rights to. You can also allow someone the same rights by granting them permission.
Of course, if you have a talk show, you won’t have to deal with the royalty issue since more likely than not, everything you say will be original.
Where Do You Find Guests?
Finding guests for your radio shows isn’t as hard as you think. There are various resources on the Internet which offer access to authors, experts, and interview subjects like:
- Yearbook.com
- ExpertClick.com
- PodcastGuests.com
- Radio/TV Interview Report
Another excellent way to find topics and guests is to peruse the hundreds of press and news releases that are put out over the Internet through various Press Release portals. You can find a good list here.
Steve Harrison has a publication RTIR (Radio and TV Interview Report) that you can get signed up for at his web site, and he will send you contact information on how to get famous guests and writers on your internet radio show.
Option For Setting Up Your Radio Station
Ubroadcast
ubroadcast.com allows anyone to easily set up an Internet radio broadcast and begin transmitting almost instantly from any location with ubroadcast's software and an Internet connection. To this end, ubroadcast has just released its "Station Manager" software which allows users to host a live radio show.
The software lets the user broadcast live at any time to ubroadcast listeners or upload MP3 and WAV music files, commercials, and other pre-recorded content to play on their ubroadcast station 24 hours-a-day. ubroadcast also claims "...several enhanced features will soon be released to provide a full interactive experience between broadcaster and listener unlike anything else currently available in traditional or Internet Radio."
The software is designed to be used by someone with no prior broadcast experience. It is divided into several areas including station content (Add CDs, Add MP3s, Manage Ads, Manage Playlist), station options, LIVE status, and File upload status.
Because the Federal Communications Commission does not regulate Internet broadcasting, broadcasts on ubroadcast are uncensored. In addition to the live user generated content, ubroadcast also offers HD quality music and other premium content stations.
To listen to ubroadcast streams, download the free "player" software available at ubroadcast.com. At the time of this writing, the "Station Manager" software is also a free download.
I have not been able to accurately assess what - if any - future fees might be in the works from ubroadcast itself.
At the moment, the software and broadcasting privileges are at no cost. I have no indication if this is for now or forever.
Then, there's the music royalty issue. Although there are no royalty fees required from a radio show which features talk programming YOU create, incorporating copyrighted music into your broadcast requires either a waiver from the artist (unlikely) or a royalty payment. ubroadcast points out at its website:
"All broadcasters must adhere and agree to the rules set forth in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, (the 'DMCA') as well as our own broadcasting Terms and Conditions. If you have any question as to the use of a particular copyrighted work, or are unsure if you have permission to use it in a broadcast, it is best not to do so."
I inferred from this statement that ubroadcast is suggesting copyright and royalty issues are your concern as the actual broadcaster.
Speaker.com
Spreaker.com is not the first website devoted to helping people create their own radio shows. But, it does provide some new tools for helping you create one and share it.
Spreaker lets you create any kind of radio show with the help of a "DJ console" which, according to the website, "allows real-time mixing of voice, music and sound effects." This software allows you to switch back-and-forth to live broadcasting or podcast recording. There are controls for your microphone, two decks for music with slider controls for mixing, a sound effects library, and a few other controls to indicate recording, commercial breaks, and more.
Go Live!
You can broadcast live on Facebook and other social media sites with Spreaker, providing an interactive opportunity for you and your listeners. But, you don't have to be live - or broadcasting all the time. You can schedule your show. Spreaker is also an easy solution for creating podcasts.
Plus: there's no need to worry about paying royalty fees for music you play because Spreaker gives you access to a 4,000 track library of royalty-free music.
If you have a blog or website, you can embed the Spreaker player to make it very easy for site visitors to listen to your radio shows or podcasts.
Broadcast or Just Listen
Obviously, with radio shows and podcasts constantly being created, Spreaker is building up a library of content which you can listen to on-demand. You don't need to create an account just to listen and can browse by genre.
To broadcast you do need to create an account which requires your name, email, and a password. The learning curve for Spreaker is very low and the website has even created video tutorials to help you get up and running.
At the moment, Spreaker is free.
BlogTalkRadio.com
A quick way to set up a talk show:
1 Visit BlogTalkRadio.com. Click the link marked "Start your free talk show" at the top of the home page.
2 Fill out the registration page that loads onto your screen. Check the box marked "I want to host my own show."
Submit the registration information.
3 Click the link marked "My BlogTalkRadio" that now appears at the top of the BlogTalkRadio.com home page when you are logged in. Edit your account information to name your show and provide other profile information.
4 Return to the "My BlogTalkRadio" and click the link marked "Add/Edit an episode." Schedule the first episode of your free online radio show.
5 Open your online switchboard from the "My switchboard" link in "My BlogTalkRadio." Use the switchboard to field calls and play audio files during your scheduled online radio show's broadcast.
Read the welcome package and important user information before attempting your first life BlogTalkRadio show.
Live365.com
1. Find an internet radio provider. One of the most popular is Live365.com. Sign up for an individual or pro account, which start at $9.95 a month.
2. Download radio software. For instance, Live365 uses the software Studio365--a user-friendly interface that allows for mp3s, AAC and Wav files. Most importantly, these files will upload to Live365's server, so you won't have to set up a separate server for hosting audio files. The advantage of Live365 is they have the right to host copyrighted songs, so you avoid legal issues.
3. If you don't use a service like Live365, you will have to pay licensing fees out of your own pocket. Determine if a song has been licensed by ASCAP, SESAC or BMI. Contact each of these entities for licensing rights to songs. If you broadcast copyrighted material independently, you'll need to pay for the right to do so--usually a few hundred dollars for each license. This is one of the reasons people pay a monthly fee to a place like Live365--to avoid these costs. However, Liver365 can look more generic.
4. Next, you need to file a "Notice of Use of Sound Recordings under Statutory License" with the United States Copyright Office. This will allow you to play songs for a set fee per song. Note: This fee could go up in the near future (see Warning below). This new fee will apply to Live365 users as well.
5. If you're setting up an independent station, get a program like the SAM Broadcaster. Similar features to the Live365 program. It's a bit more powerful, with better EQ features, info screens (album cover, other info), as well as statistics about the number of listeners. Check out spacialaudio.com for more details.
6. If you're uploading songs to your own server, you're going to need a program like Shoutcast (Shoutcast.com).
Unlike Live365, you host the show on your own server. Keep in mind that as a radio show grows in popularity, you may need to get additional server space. For some, this won't ever be a problem if the demographic is small.
Download Shoutcast's Shoutcast Server application, which allows you to stream online via Shoutcast.
7. If you're only broadcasting your own songs or running a talk show, you won't have to worry about copyright issues. However, you're still going to want a fully-featured software package to run the show. For talk radio, it's important to have live broadcast capability, so you can take calls and do interviews online. Live365 and SAM can both handle live broadcasting. Icecast is another server option, good for live broadcasting.
8. Get yourself a good microphone and USB interface if your computer doesn't have a decent soundcard for inputting a mic. You can then use Winamp, Live365 or other program to record your radio program. You can also use programs like Audacity or GarageBand to edit together a podcast.
Notes:
Radio shows are a good idea for schools, businesspeople, musicians or just music lovers. Often schools are starting online-only radio stations to convey information about the school--much like a newsletter. Students can also run individual stations.
Make sure that the radio station can be played on a variety of media, such as iTunes, Real Audio, Windows Media Player and others. The station will be able to reach the widest number of listeners.
There's a caveat to all this: There will potentially be new legislation on the books which could end up with Internet radio stations being charged the same royalty per song as traditional radio. If you run a voice-only podcast, this isn't a problem. If you play songs, be on the lookout for the new legislation. Check out Savenetradio.org for info about the Internet Radio Equality Act.
freestreamhosting.org
1. Download Internet radio broadcasting software; see the Resources section for examples.
2. Add music to the library of your software. To do this, select "Add Music," browse for your music folder and select the songs you wish to add.
3. Find a third-party server to host a stream of your radio show; see the Resources section for examples.
4. Configure the broadcast settings on your software, which creates a link between the software and the stream to enable live broadcasting. Your third-party server provides all the settings and information. This includes bit rate (quality of the stream), server IP (the address of the Web server) and the port (your personal output and a password).
5. Start mixing. Don't forget to let people know where to find your radio show.
Note: you'll need to press "Start" once you have logged in for the first time; this will activate the server.
How to Broadcast Your Programs
1 First off, to break it down, you will need a music player to broadcast with. I prefer Winamp and highly recommend it so get it if you don't already have it.
2. Next you'll need to download and install a DSP plug-in so Winamp or your music player can broadcast the station. Winamp offers their own plug-in and server you can use called SHOUTcast. You can also use your own server and DSP although I recommend SHOUTcast for beginners, it will handle all of the streaming and host you on their own third party server so you can worry about what you want to play on your station.
3. Once you have downloaded Winamp and the SHOUTcast plug-in and have everything installed, start Winamp and open Preferences ( Ctrl+P ) and click on the DSP / Effects category below the Plug-ins tree.
4. Setup the DSP plug-in until it's configured properly. Afterward, play the Winamp player like you normally would, it will broadcast whatever is currently playing on your music player in real-time!
Notes:
Refer to the README file that comes with the DSP installer for additional instructions on how to use SHOUTcast Radio DSP.
Now all you need is listeners, you can choose whether to make your station public and be listed in the SHOUTcast Radio directory.
If you start getting too many listeners and take too much bandwidth, SHOUTcast won't host you on their server, so you'll need to find a third party hosting solution in your budget range.
Free Streaming Media Software
Icecast
Icecast is a free streaming media project maintained by the Xiph.org Foundation. Icecast is an audio broadcast system that manages both music and voice streaming. Typically, icecast and its streaming utilities use both MP3 and Ogg Vorbis formats. Listeners can connect to icecast servers using a variety of client applications.Chances are good that if you have ever listened to radio stations over the Internet they were using icecast or some related open source technology for their streaming needs.The LiveIce utility was developed for icecast to provide real-time streaming over the internet.
Freecast
FreeCast is a free software application which allows peer-to-peer streaming, sometimes called peercasting. It makes possible an audio (Ogg Vorbis) or video (Ogg Theora) stream broadcast to a large number of listeners from a simple DSL connection.The distributions can be download from http://download.freecast.org./
FireFly
Firefly Media Server (formerly mt-daapd) is an open-source media server (or daemon) for the Roku SoundBridge and iTunes. It serves media files using Roku Server Protocol (RSP) and Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP)
PeerCast
PeerCast is an open source streaming media multicast tool. PeerCast uses peer to peer technology to minimize the necessary upload bandwidth for the original multicastor. Peercast can be used to multicast streaming audio (Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WMA) and/or video (Ogg Theora, Nullsoft Streaming Video, or WMV), or any other stream of data, over the internet. Peercast uses a distributed bandwidth technique to lighten the load of the broadcaster's upstream bandwidth where each listener/viewer will relay the stream they download to one or more additional listeners.
Broadwave
Broadwave serves live or pre-recorded audio over the internet (audio webcast) via the http protocol in mp3. Broadwave allows users to stream audio on a website without the lag time whether you have pre-recorded or live audio.A free version has full features but requires you to host a link . If you do not want to have a link you can buy BroadWave Professional.
SHOUTcast
SHOUTcast is a multiplatform freeware digital audio streaming technology developed by Nullsoft. It allows audio content, primarily in MP3 or HE-AAC format, to be broadcast to and from media player software, enabling hobbyists and professionals to create Internet radio networks.
Audio encoding
mp3 and Ogg Vorbis
There are two major audio formats used for internet radio broadcasts, mp3 and Ogg Vorbis. Mp3 is the de facto standard encoding for the transfer and playback of music on mp3 players .MP3's use of a lossy compression algorithm is designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording and still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio for most listeners, but is not considered high fidelity audio by audiophiles. An MP3 file that is created using the mid-range bit rate setting of 128 kbit/s will result in a file that is typically about 1/10th the size of the CD file created from the original audio source.Bit rates can vary from 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 144, 160, 192, 224, 256 and 320 kbit/s, and the available sampling frequencies are 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz. A sample rate of 44.1 kHz is almost always used, because this is also used for CD audio, the main source used for creating MP3 files. A greater variety of bit rates are used on the Internet. 128 kbit/s is the most common, because it typically offers adequate audio quality in a relatively small space. 192 kbit/s is often used by those who notice artifacts at lower bit rates.
As the Internet bandwidth availability and hard drive sizes have increased, 128 kbit/s bit rate files are slowly being replaced with higher bit rates like 192 kbit/s, with some being encoded up to MP3's maximum of 320 kbit/s.ID3 is a metadata container most often used in conjunction with the MP3 audio file format. It allows information such as the title, artist, album, track number, or other information about the file to be stored in the file itself.Tag editing functionality is often built-in to MP3 players and editors, but there also exist tag editors dedicated to the purpose (see filerename.co.uk for a free open source example).
Vorbis is a free and open source, lossy audio codec project headed by the Xiph.Org Foundation and intended to serve as a replacement for MP3.The Vorbis format has proven popular among supporters of Free software. They argue that its higher fidelity and completely free nature, unencumbered by patents, make it a well-suited replacement for patented and restricted formats like MP3.Software supporting Vorbis exists for many platforms.
Although Apple iTunes does not natively support Vorbis, the Xiph.Org Foundation provides a QuickTime component which can be used in iTunes and QuickTime on both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. On Windows, DirectShow filters existto decode Vorbis in multimedia players like Windows Media Player and others which support DirectShow. Vorbis is well-supported on the Linux platform in programs like XMMS, xine, and many more.
More information about Vorbis-supporting software can be found at the Xiph.Org Foundation wiki. Users can test these programs using the list of Vorbis audio streams available on the same wiki.The ever-popular Winamp can also play ".ogg" vorbis files.
Other audio formats are Windows Media Audio, RealAudio and HE-AAC
Encoding tools to transform raw or encoded audio into a compressed format such as MP3 or Ogg Vorbis One of the more popular encoders for transferring audio to MP3 format is LAME.LAME can be found at
http://lame.sourceforge.net/.
Programming
Once you've decided which way your going to go in regards to getting your radio station up and running (a free service such as BlogTalkRadio or Speaker or create your station from scratch -with your own hosting, software and equipment), you then have to start planning your programming. You'll need to make decisions about what music you'll play (if music is part of your plan), what guests you'll need to invite, what shows you'd like to do, what information you want to share, what types of advertising you're going to sell. All these decisions have to be made and then organized. Radio stations run 24/7, although yours doesn't have to, if you want to get the most from your station it should. Listeners will be tuning in from all over the world, from different time zones and at different times of the day. By preparing a program you'll also be able to announce when a specific guest or show will be on air, what bands or songs will be features, etc.
Determine your format
Maybe you want to offer a variety of programming or stay within a certain genre such as sports or politics. Either option is workable but you need to determine what audience you're hoping to reach. With a voracious appetite for information, internet users are some of the most loyal audiences for information-based programming.
Now that you have determined your format, bring on enthusiastic experts within whatever field you have decided to present. Keep in mind that many times Internet listeners are multi-tasking and you don't want your program to just become background noise. A knowledgeable, enthusiastic host will keep your listeners interested and coming back for more.
Mind Your Schedule
Just because it is the Internet doesn't mean that you should ignore time factors. Keep your program moving and on time. If you are a one-hour show, keep it to one hour! The FCC won't care but your listeners like to budget their time and going over schedule can be irritating and show a lack of respect for your listeners' time. You should consider having a producer for each show that can assist the host(s) with staying on time and taking timely breaks.
Legal Stuff
An Internet radio station is an audio broadcasting service transmitted through the Internet. Because Internet broadcasting does not broadcast through radio waves or use limited frequencies that require licensing, it does not fall under FCC rulings. So you don't need a license in America as a broadcast station would . If you are broadcasting copyrighted material, you may need to pay a royalty .Websites with info on licensing in America:
LoudCity and Swcast are the best options for a small operation. For larger operations there are BMI, ascap, SoundExchange and SESAC. In the U.K ppluk and MCPS.
Final Word
So now you have your own show on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ and you may feel a bit lost with all that is before you and have more questions. You can find a lot of information online, Remember that you control your show and it’s content. Although the internet has few restrictions that you might find in a normal terrestrial AM or FM station, if you want to expand your fame and gain Affiliates (AM, FM, or satellite networks that broadcast your show) you will need to run your show in a professional manor. The first thing is if you are an adult show, with foul language, you should rate it adult in the options when you add a segment in the dash board controls when scheduling your shows. This is important in that there are children on the internet under 18 that can not listen to adult language or content. If you want to be picked up on AM & FM stations you must comply with FCC rules also.
That is why Howard Stern moved to satellite radio. Radio Stations pay fines for foul words on the air and announcers MUST HAVE AN FCC LICENSE to broadcast on AM or FM stations but NOT ON THE INTERNET. Many announcers have lost their licenses with the FCC or have had the license suspended for breaking FCC rules on AM & FM.
If you want to be on AM or FM and attract affiliate stations to play your show you need to get an FCC 3rd Class Broadcast Endorsed license. There is a short test and a small fee with helps and study material at http://www.fcc.gov/. If you're in Canada, you'll need to submit an application with the CRTC. You can submit
your application online at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/b313.htm
Additional Resources
Librarian of Congress on Rates and Terms for Webcasting and Ephemeral Recordings
http://www.copyright.gov/carp/webcasting_rates_final.html
Video Series - How To Build An Online Radio Station
http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_5888_build-online-radio-station.html
Gcast.com
http://www.gcast.com/
Free Stream Hosting
http://freestreamhosting.org/
We provide free Shoutcast hosting for internet radio stations and individuals that are unable to use paid streaming services, or anyone that just wants to have a go at broadcasting their own radio shows. With our fast, reliable servers, you don't need to worry about your stream buffering when you get too many listeners for your connection to handle - we take care of the bandwidth requirements for you.
The following services and more are included with every FreeStreamHosting account:
Free listing on StationFinder
All streams are listed on stationfinder.org as well as being featured on the free toolbar.
www.StationFinder.org
Free Shoutcast server
A free shoutcast server with a generous 1000 listener limit in up to CD quality 128k.
Free shout box
Your listenes can chat with you and each other in real time using our InstantChatBox.
www.InstantChatbox.net
Free listener statistics
See how many people are listening to your broadcast and where they are from.
Spreaker.com
http://www.speaker.com/
Spreaker provides you with a user-friendly console to manage voice, special effects, and your music library. You could be on air right now! Go live or pre-record episodes and broadcast them later. Invite your friends to follow your show, share your episodes on facebook, and tag and categorize your episodes for easy navigation.
Shoutcast Software Links
http://www.shoutcast.com/
Sopcast
http://www.sopcast.org/
SopCast is a simple, free way to broadcast video and audio or watch the video and listen to radio on the Internet.
Adopting P2P(Peer-to-Peer) technology, It is very efficient and easy to use. Let anyone become a broadcaster without the costs of a powerful server and vast bandwidth. You can build your own TV stations comparable with large commercial sites with minimal resources. Using SopCast, you can serve 10,000 online users with a personal computer and a home broadband connection.
SoP is the abbreviation for Streaming over P2P. Sopcast is a Streaming Direct Broadcasting System based on P2P. The core is the communication protocol produced by Sopcast Team, which is named sop://, or SoP technology.
Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/b313.htm
FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/
Well that's today's home business idea. I hope you found the information on starting your own internet radio station helpful. I could have turned this post into a book once I began researching all the options available :-) If this is the business you've decided to begin, do some research of your own and find the best choice for you. And don't forget to have fun.
Until tomorrow,
Terry
