Info about Internet Radio
Internet Radio
Internet radio, which is also known as streaming or net radio, is audio radio service that is transmitted through the Internet and includes music that streams live. It is sometimes called web casting because it is not transmitted broadly through wireless methods. Internet radio service will stream media to give the listeners a continuous stream of audio which may include music, interviews and informational podcasts. One of the biggest advantages of Internet radio is that is often accessible throughout the world, meaning a radio station that is set in the United States can be heard in Europe or Australia. This broadens the music choices for everyone that chooses to use this method of listening to music. Internet radio may include major broadcasting stations like CBS Radio, local radio stations or independent and indie radio stations reserved only for Internet use.
Not only can you listen to a variety of music you love with Internet radio, but you can also get music that isn’t necessarily popular on local radio stations such as euro-dance, progressive rock, ambient music, folk music and classical music. You can also hear interviews and podcasts, news, sports talk, morning talk shows on the radio and virtually every musical genre you can think of. Internet radio is available free and for a monthly or annual charge, through a variety of different websites and methods. While some Internet radio lets you choose a station, others allow you to pick a genre and it will create a radio station specific to the type of music you chose.
The newest streaming technology is what has allowed Internet radio to be possible. The audio formats typically streamed for Internet radio are MP3, Windows Media Audio, Real Audio, Vorbis, Ogg, and HE-AAC. Internet radio first became popular in 2003 when the streaming technology was invented and known amongst Internet users and was making about $49 million in revenue at that time. In 2006, Internet radio skyrocketed bringing in an astounding $500 million in revenue. The revenue for Internet radio comes both from commercials and advertisements on the website, as well as some sites that charge for their radio services. Aside from listening to Internet radio on your computer, you also have the choice of listening to it from a variety of Internet Radio Devices. These may be devices for your vehicle or personal use which allow you to choose from a variety of Internet radio stations through Wi-Fi or satellite radio services. Additionally, many updated MP3 players also have the option of listening to Internet Radio as do Tablet PC’s and many of the newer mobile phones, also called smart phones that have advanced Internet abilities.
You have dozens of sites to choose from when looking for reliable Internet radio; some of the most popular Internet-based radio websites include Pandora.com, Live365.com, Shoutcast.com, Slacker.com and Jango.com Websites like Pandora do not have popular radio stations but rather allow you to create your own individual stations based on the music genre, artist or band, song or style of music that you choose for each station.