The following advice will provide you with some insights to head down the right path :

• Fundamentals of Internet radio : What to look out for when searching for a provider and terminology you should know .

• Automated broadcasting 24 / 7 : What you can achieve with tools at your fingertips to broadcast non-stop to a global audience .

• Live broadcasting : Different methods to get your voice and shows live online .

• Station branding : How to standout from the crowd and get noticed .

Setting up an Internet radio station

Before we get into what you need to know for setting up an

Internet radio station , let us first address some concerns you may have about Internet radio broadcasting :

Common questions

These are a bunch of frequently asked questions that float about , which are worth mentioning :

I ’ m new to Internet radio broadcasting and not super technical , is there someone that can help me ?

Kindly go to Radio . co ; the station has a dedicated team of in-house experts who can walk you through the system and answer any questions you may have . Plus , there is a support team on standby ready to help look into anything .

Do I need expensive equipment to broadcast ?”

Not really , you just need a standard computer or laptop ,

Internet connection , and a microphone ; you can even get away with a built in mic !

When you are first starting out , it is better to just get up and running as quickly as possible ; so , use the equipment you have and upgrade as you go along .

Can I broadcast live non-stop ?

You can , but that means you have to have a dedicated machine running round the clock and streaming your audio .

It is easier to automate your shows using Radio . co ’ s scheduler ; this way , you can switch between live and automated tracks .

FM / AM & DAB require a licence to broadcast . Do I need one for my Internet radio station ?

Unlike terrestrial radio , you don ’ t actually need to own a licence to broadcast . However , if your station is going to be playing commercial music , then you may need a licence ,

otherwise your radio station may be classified as a pirate station and against the law .

Fundamentals of Internet radio

Understanding the basics of setting up an Internet radio station and how it works can help you to know what to look out for and get a clearer picture of how your audio travels from point A to point B , and eventually gets to your listeners .

How it works

There are three basic stages when it comes to Internet broadcasting :

1 . Source ( You ): Your computer mixes audio ; this can be live voice or music ; then converts it into a stream of data packets which are constantly sent to a server .

2 . Server ( Provider ): When your stream arrives at the server , it is cleaned up and dispensed to the appropriate channels .

3 . Listener ( Everyone ): Wherever your broadcast is online , if there ’ s a direct streaming link to the server or via a player , anyone can connect and hear your output .

Note : Your content is pushed to the Internet , managed in the cloud via server providers like Radio . co , and distributed to your audience worldwide .

Server costs

Providers use data centres to house radio stations on servers , but it costs money to host them , especially on reliable servers , as prices vary depending on specifications like memory , storage , and so on .

Providers offering low-cost services should be looked at sceptically , as they need to cover their own costs and make profits to run their business ; they are cheap for a reason !

Bandwidth

The content you are streaming to listeners is known as bandwidth , which costs money depending on the quality of content and how frequently you ’ re broadcasting . Use Radio

Toolbox to determine roughly how much you will use before setting up an Internet radio station .

Listener caps

Servers have limits , without them they fall over when pushed , and that is what listener caps are for – to prevent server loads becoming unmanageable and deteriorating streams .

Media management

Storage space for your station determines how many tracks you can upload to manage your media . For instance , 10GB is enough for around 2,500 tracks and 50GB is for 12,500 tracks .

Tuning in

There are multiple ways listeners can tune into your station , either directly on your server and port like streaming . radio . co : 80 / sced7c0e79 / listen , through Internet radio directories , or on an embedded player on your site .

Internet radio providers offer different methods listeners can get access to your stream , but the more they have , the better . Think of your own mobile app ( iOS and Android ), and as many directories or third-party places you can manage .

Automated broadcasting 24 / 7

Running a radio station live throughout the week can sometimes be exhausting ; that is where automation can help .

Services like Radio . co provide an all in one solution to create round the clock radio shows , not to mention the fact that it gives you peace of mind knowing your radio station is running non-stop and managed by professional veterans in the industry .

Friends & Disc jockeys ( DJ ) takeovers

If automating your station is really your thing , then you can invite your friends and DJs to takeover your broadcasts when you are not available .

You can set the date , time and duration of when they can jump on board ; you can even repeat slots if you want them to have a regular spot on your station .

Live broadcasting

Radio automation is pretty great , but when it comes to setting up an Internet radio station and broadcasting to your listeners , then , doing it live is still king .

Talk in real-time to your legion of fans about current events , tracks you are broadcasting , and give shout outs to listeners , everyone loves a special mention about himself or herself on the radio every now and then !

When it comes to finding something you like in regards to software solutions the real question is : What broadcasting solution should you choose ?

Simple vs complex broadcasting software

Whether you are new to Internet radio and need a simple solution or you are an experienced professional scouting for the next best alternative , there ’ s plenty of choice . From easy

“ click and broadcast ” to complex “ oh my god why are there so many buttons ” solutions .

Additional information : Radio . co Blog and NQR . FM