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Net Radio is Slick
Recently I have been quite appreciative of net radio. It is such a cool concept and I have been enjoying some net radio station at work and home via broadband Internet connection.
It is just freaking cool to be able to be anywhere in the world with an Internet connection and listen in to a net broadcast than just about anyone who is interested in can start. All it takes is a good net connection like a DSL line, a PC to use as a radio server, some software and a good microphone. For existing old fashion radio wave radio stations all they have to do is just add an audio server.
Net radio can also be non-synchronous and offer non-linear access to the same radio content but with the more choices since the content is separated from it's broadcast time. A perfect example of this is NPR News. They have all their daily stories and you can skip ahead and listen to only the ones that you are interested in.
At noon today Air America Radio will start offering their shows on the net. This radio network is brand spanking new and they do not yet have a broadcasting point here in the Seattle area. But I can listen in to their webcast at work and at home.
Real Networks were a crucial part of the concept and adoption of Internet radio but they are also one of it's biggest problems. Their Real Player is a very rude application that nags the user to pay for a deluxe version and collects too much personal information about the user. My workplace has the Real Networks web page and player blocked by our net filter. But I can listen to net radio streams using WinAmp, iTunes and Windows Media Player.
The proposed IEEE 802.16 standard or WiMAX that is now being developed has the potential to deliver Internet access with the coverage and accessibility of a radio station and will bring about the next generation of wireless Internet radio. In a couple years it will be possible to listen to an Internet broadcast remotely on a small portable networked device. This can change the medium and put the choice back in the hands of the users instead of the corporate monopoly that currently control most of the analog broadcast media sphere.
There are some legal issues being worked out but I am damn glad to have our hard working boys and girl at the EFF on the case. Heck they even have their own EFF radio show!
Jake at March 31, 2004 
Nerd
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Comments
bah! AirAmerica Radio only broadcasts in Real Audio! suck!!
I wanted to listen to it, but I'm not going to willfully install that virus Real Player on my system.
Posted by: roXet at March 31, 2004 9:44 AM
GamingFM forever!
Posted by: jason at March 31, 2004 9:49 AM
Jason beat me to it!
GamingFM is good working music (unless they start playing either that annoying Kingdom Hearts song or anything vocal from the Sonic games... arg).
Posted by: nowak at March 31, 2004 11:31 AM
Net radio is hot. My friend used to broadcast a show for her college in NM, I loathe Real Player, but it was cool to listen to her show all the way over here in Florida.
Posted by: Jessica at March 31, 2004 11:44 AM
You can get a nag-free, ad-free, spyware-free version of Real Player on any one of the BBC websites - just follow the links.
The BBC have a unique deal with Real that lets users get a cool version of the app.
I'm very interested in producing my own home-based Radio Station. Do you have any sites that might be good for me to visit for software etc.?
Posted by: Martin at April 5, 2004 4:35 AM
Webmonkey.com had a good tutorial. I would look into using Shoutcast.
Posted by: Jake of 8bitjoystick.com at April 5, 2004 5:18 PM
