Internet Streaming

Internet streaming radio (sometimes called "webcasting") is not strictly radio, but it can be a great way to reach listeners. In streaming radio, audio content is continuously sent to listeners over the internet. Streaming is a convenient form of radio for people who spend a lot of time around computers or mobile internet devices like iPhones. If you're already on the air as an FM or AM radio station, you can use internet streaming to reach listeners outside of your normal coverage area or to provide additional content that won't fit into your on-air schedule. If you're on your way to starting a radio station, you can stream as a way to build an audience and train volunteers in the time leading up to your first broadcast. In this section we talk about what equipment and skills you'll need to stream, how much it will cost, and how to keep it legal.

Take note! It's important to remember that despite the advantages of internet streaming, it also has some real disadvantages. One major disadvantage is that while streaming radio is generally cheaper to transmit than "on-air" radio, it's a lot more expensive to receive. Buying a computer and paying for internet service costs a lot more than buying an AM/FM radio. Also, one of the beautiful things about radio (especially low power radio) is that it is inherently local and is a great tool for building local communities. It's easy to lose your focus on local people and local issues when your stream is available to the entire world. For these reasons, we at Prometheus see internet streaming as a supplement to old-fashioned on-air radio, but not as a replacement for it.

Resources:

The Key to Internet Radio

The Key to Internet Radio is our new initiative to demystify web streaming and remote broadcasting for community radio stations. Check it out here!

Streaming Radio Webinar

Our former Technical Director Andy Gunn put together a webinar on streaming radio in conjunction with the National Association for Community Broadcasters. The archived webinar, available here, will give you all the basics for getting started, from how it works, to different approaches, and the practical components you'll need (equipment, servers, and formats). It also touches on licensing, reporting your streaming content, and the ways and means of archiving. Note that the webinar is focused on full power stations, but much of the content applies to LPFMs as well.

Get Set to Stream!

The National Federation of Community Broadcasters' streaming audio guide is and excellent companion to the webinar above. It features specific details about streaming software and hosting providers as well as pointers to other online streaming resources.

Get Set to Stream!

Flujos-vivos

Flujos-vivos is a project intented to introduce people to streaming radio via open source software. The flujos.org website contains excellent Spanish language streaming resources.