How to Build an Internet Radio Station for Free Hosting
Starting your own radio station is relatively easy these days; you don't need a degree in broadcasting or a perfect speaking voice to do it. And if you're on a limited budget, there are many options available to broadcast your station for free. In this tutorial, we'll look at some popular websites that allow users to host their own unique radio shows and stations at little to no cost.
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Things You'll Need
- Music Library/Content
- Computer
- Internet connection (hi-speed recommended)
- Microphone
- Headphones
- Mixing Board (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
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Build your broadcast studio. his can be something as simple as a spare room or closet, so long as it is quiet. Your equipment may consist only of a computer, CD player, headphones, a telephone line and microphone at first--that's really all you need for the basics of webcasting.
If you have the budget and a desire to produce really professional-sounding shows, a mixing board, high-quality microphones, audio components and outboard gear are highly recommended.
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Have the content and concept for your Web radio station all ready to go.Your music library, talk show topics and/or guests should be lined up well in advance of your first show. Some careful pre-planning is essential; you don't want to just turn on the mic and "wing it."
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Do several practice broadcasts before you go live for the first time. This lets you work out technical bugs, get your verbal patter and mix smoothed out. If possible, record them and listen back later with a critical ear. You'll likely hear things that still need improvement before you take to the worldwide airwaves.
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Get your music library correctly organized with a file system (usually alphabetized). If you plan on taking listener requests during live shows, you'll need to have an excellent command of the music library so that you can find a record fast when you need to get it on the air.
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Now that you're ready to make your radio debut, it's time to choose a hosting service for your streaming audio. Live365 and ubroadcast are two of the most popular providers of independent web radio stations. This is mainly because they bring your station to a large listening audience. Their web interfaces are simple to use and ideal for beginners. Sign-up is simple and only takes a few minutes.
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Check out the numerous other places to host your radio station without spending a penny, too: iRadeo, SHOUTcast, Pandora, Last.fm, Jango, Project Playlist and many others can stream right from your website, blog or social networking site.
If you're using SHOUTcast, it's easy to run your broadcast directly from your Winamp media player. (See the YouTube video below for a detailed tutorial on how to combine Winamp and SHOUTcast to broadcast your radio station for free.)
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For talk radio hosts: If you're not playing any copyrighted music on your show, you can save paying music licensing fees and use a free hosting service like BlogTalkRadio. This site allows you to call in and broadcast your show live using only your telephone and computer. You can have listeners call in their questions/opinions and conduct interviews by phone.
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Tips & Warnings
Because the Federal Communications Commission does not regulate Internet broadcasting, Internet radio offers hosts more freedom in programming their stations. Be sure that your station abides by the hosting company's Terms of Service and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
If you plan to play copyrighted music on your station, be prepared to pay a small monthly rate (starting at around $10 for personal stations) with some hosts. This small fee covers your royalty fees to music licensing organizations like BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC.
While you may not need to pay for hosting, there are other expenses you should figure into your budget. These include higher electric bills, microphones and audio equipment, sound editing software, CDs for your music library, on-air talent fees and promotional expenditures.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit dj wave 16 image by Nathalie P from Fotolia.com
