How to Listen to Radio Online

Radio has been a popular medium since it was invented over 100 years ago. While radio has definitely changed through the decades, most people usually listen to it to hear their favorite music, talk show, or sports broadcast. While most people listen to standard radios that broadcast over radio waves, recent technology has made it possible to listen to radio over the Internet.

Equipment Needed

In order to listen to Internet radio, some basic equipment including a computer, Internet connection (preferably broadband, however dial up can work in some cases), Internet browser, sound card for playing music on external speakers, and computer speakers (external speakers, laptop integrated speakers, or just headphones plugged into a sound card) are necessary.

Media Players

Each Internet radio may operate differently. An Internet connection allows access to most Internet radios, which will ask the listener to download or open a specific media player. Media players vary by Internet radio station, but many stations use different formats or only use one specific format.

Popular media players that can download or stream Internet radio include Winamp, Windows Media Player, Real Player, and Quick Time. Each specific radio station usually lists its requirements and the listener can choose which media player to use from its site or download a special media player from the radio site.

How Internet Radio Works

Internet radio works very easily. Log onto a site and click on a link that will connect to the Internet radio server. From this point, the computer will download the music file, which usually comes in a streaming format. The chosen media player can now play that music file.

Streaming files mean that while someone is listening to the Internet radio station, the computer is able to download additional data from it. This means that the listener does not have to download the entire file first to start listening to a radio program as he/she can receive transmissions that are practically live (only a few second lag). The computer does not save the entire Internet radio file, just a few seconds of it at a time so it does not take up much space.

Advantages of Internet Radio

Listening to Internet radio has many advantages. These include easy access, the ability to receive broadcasts without a traditional radio, the ability to do without receiving radio waves, low cost of equipment, enormous programming options, and low cost or free access.

Easy Access

Listeners can access an Internet radio station by just going online and connecting to the Internet radio station. Connection to an Internet radio station usually takes less than a minute and because most Internet radios stream their broadcasts, listeners only have to download a portion of the broadcast at a time.

Works without a Traditional Radio

Most people that use Internet radio are in a location that radio waves cannot reach or in a building that blocks most of the signal. Listeners can access a specific radio station anywhere they have Internet access. This means that a person living in France can easily pick up a radio station in Los Angeles with a few mouse clicks. For millions of people that work in office buildings that have poor radio wave reception, it is extremely easy to log on to their computer and access their favorite radio station in near CD quality.

Works with Practically All Computers

Anyone who has a standard computer with an Internet connection, a sound card, Internet web browser, and Internet access can usually listen to thousands of different Internet radio stations anywhere in the world. Most computers fulfill these requirements.

Enormous Program Choices

One of the great aspects of Internet radio is that there are thousands of Internet radio stations to choose from. There are radio stations that each play different genres and that provide talk radio or sports programs. Internet radio stations are available in many countries, are all usually easy to access, and provide decent sound quality. There are also many portals that let listeners access many different radio stations from one location, making it easier to switch from one program type to another.

Low cost or Free

The majority of Internet radio stations are free of charge and advertisers support them. Most Internet radio stations simulcast (to broadcast simultaneously) their normal programs over the Internet. There are Internet radio stations that charge a small fee, usually less than $15 per month. They include special programs such as talk shows, exclusive sporting events, and commercial free music.

Disadvantages of Internet Radio

While Internet radio is a great service for the most part, it has some disadvantages including poor sound quality, shoddy connections or software, and does not allow dial up Internet users to access certain stations.

Sound Quality

While the majority of Internet radio stations provide near CD quality, some Internet radio stations stream a lower quality sound due to bandwidth limits. More data is necessary to produce high quality sound. The higher the quality, the more data that must be sent. Internet radio stations trying to save on bandwidth costs usually send a lower quality signal.

Poor Connections and Software

While most Internet radio stations provide good connections with competent media players, there are some Internet radio stations that have a shoddy connection or a buggy media player application. Temporary problems often arise, however, some Internet radio stations allow these problems to persist.

Problems with Dial up Internet Connection

While most Internet radio stations can stream programs to listeners with only a dial up connection, listeners usually need a broadband Internet connection to receive high quality transmissions.