How to Make an Internet Radio Station

You may not be able to start your own traditional radio station, but Internet radio is up for grabs.

Thanks to the development of faster Internet connections and more affordable personal computers, Internet radio has become a way for some to listen to music. With online traffic continuing to rise, Internet radio stations can broadcast music to a big and growing audience. Fortunately, starting your own Internet radio station is something any computer savvy person can do.

Things You'll Need

• Internet connection
• Audio files

Instructions

1. Decide what type of Internet radio station you want to host. This is important, because this will determine what services you will need from the service provider that will ultimately help you stream your radio station on the Internet. Things to consider are the type of music you will play, your use of copyrighted music, and the length of time you plan on broadcasting a stream. For example, if you plan to have a 30-minute or 60-minute broadcast every once in a while, or even daily, you may want to consider starting a podcast instead of an entire Internet radio station.

2. Search for the Internet radio station provider that best fits your needs. There are several out there, both free and subscription-based (see Resources). Three popular services are Live365, Shoutcast and Ubroadcast.

3. Register your radio station with the service provider of your choice. With some providers, you may have to download the software before you begin the registration process. With some services, like Live365, be prepared to enter the genre, title and the purpose of your station.

4. Download your service's software and install it onto your computer. Some services, such as Shoutcast, require that you download an additional plug-in, but any such service should provide the location of the plug-in on the website.

5. Upload the audio files you intend to use to the online library that comes with your service. This will involve using the downloaded software, opening its library and selecting the files you would like to upload. Programs such as Shoutcast, in which you can choose to host the stream from your computer, do not require you to upload your music.

6. Create a playlist from your collection of songs. You can do this with your software program. Make sure that the length of your playlist is long enough to give you time to come back and create another playlist before the first list stops playing; otherwise you will have dead air on your radio station.

7. Once your playlist is complete, you can initiate the broadcasting of your Internet radio station by clicking on the "Start" or "Play" button in your program.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are going to use copyrighted music, make sure your service covers that as a part of your monthly subscription; otherwise, you will have to pay royalty fees on your own.

• Be careful playing any music with any derogatory or incendiary messages, as the FCC is increasingly under pressure to regulate Internet radio.

References

• The Orange County Register: Will Internet radio replace broadcast?
• RBR: Activists want the FCC on the beat against Internet, radio and cable hate speech

Resources

• Ubroadcast: Register
• Shoutcast: Download
• Live365: Online radio hosting service