Pin It

Internet Radio: Frequently Asked Questions

mulberry | Mar 23, 2011 |

0 Comments | Rating: 0

In generations past, we enjoyed music live, on AM/FM radio, and in the form of recorded albums and then CDs. In recent years, the options have expanded to include media players that allow us to tote around our favorites, satellite radio which greatly extends and improves our listening, and internet radio which gives us a more diverse experience.

Internet radio offers us the ability to extend our listening to include far greater variety in our entertainment. If you've never enjoyed internet radio, there are a few things you should know.

1. What is internet radio?
Internet radio delivers music and radio-type entertainment via the internet. It's basically music streaming, meaning that what you listen to is not downloaded, therefore it doesn't take time as you wait for the material to be delivered and it won't take up space on your hard drive. This also means that there are few boundaries and distance restrictions. You can listen to a broadcast from across the globe as easily as you can a local broadcast.

2. What is on internet radio?
A variety of things. You can find news, sports, podcasts, music, and so forth. Some of the entertainment is available with no fees and some of it may be via paid music services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Slacker, and others. Traditional radio broadcasts may also offer simulcasts on internet radio.

3. Do I listen to internet radio on my computer?
Yes, but you aren't limited by that. There are also internet radio players that can be placed anywhere in your home for you to enjoy your entertainment. Some cell phones, media players, tablets, and so forth can stream internet radio, and there are also portable internet radio players that are offered by some of the paid services such as Slacker.

4. What does it cost?
It depends on the device you choose for listening and what broadcasts you plan to enjoy. As mentioned above, some of the entertainment is free, while some of it requires a subscription fee. The average player ranges from around $99 to $249 but certainly you can use some portable devices that you may already have for other purposes.

5. How do I find internet stations?
There are a number of sites online that can provide a fairly exhaustive list of stations. Just do a search on "internet radio stations".