How to Download and Use Internet Explorer's Radio Toolbar

Online radio is all the rage. No longer must you manually search local stations with the tuning knob on your radio in the hopes of finding music you enjoy. Never again will you be limited to only radio stations in your immediate geographical area. With the advent of Internet radio, you can now access radio stations all over the world and swiftly scan these stations to find your kind of music right away. Internet radio does not have to involve lengthy setups of complicated software that will bog down your computer's speed. Internet Explorer has just the solution you need with its selection of radio toolbars. These toolbars are easily downloaded and fit snugly into the top of your browser.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Computer with a connection to the Internet
• Internet Explorer Version 7

Listen to the Radio With Internet Explorer

1. Double-click the Internet Explorer icon on your computer's desktop to open Internet Explorer. If it isn't already installed, visit the Microsoft Web site to download the latest version (see Resources below).

2. Visit the Internet Explorer home page (see Resources below).

3. Click 'Get Add-Ons.'

4. Find the 'Entertainment' column and select 'Music and Audio Players.'

5. Peruse the list of music and audio players available for download and look for those labeled as radio toolbars.

6. Choose the radio toolbar you want to download. Most of these toolbars are free. When you have made your selection, click 'Download Now.'

7. Click on 'Run' to download your selected toolbar to your computer.

8. Listen to the radio on the Internet. Once your toolbar has successfully downloaded, you can use it to search and listen to any radio station that has an online stream. On most toolbars, you can also make lists of your favorite radio stations, so you can go to the ones you like best over and over without doing a new search.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit the FAQs page any time you need a question answered about Internet Explorer's radio toolbar and how to use it (see Resources below).

• Internet Explorer 7 will run on computers using Windows XP, Vista or Server 2003 with a 233MHz processor or higher.

• Avoid downloading files from suspicious or unfamiliar sources. Stay away from Web sites with questionable credentials.

• Change your passwords frequently on the sites you use the most.

• Downloading radio toolbars, as described by this guide, is done using Internet Explorer version 7. If you are running a prior version, you may need to upgrade your browser.