Internet Radio
Audio broadcasts transmitted over the Internet are known as Internet radio or eRadio. Since Internet radio is delivered over the Internet and not transmitted using wireless technology, Internet radio broadcasts are commonly called webcasting. As the term eRadio suggests, it is a continuous stream of audio very similar to conventional radios. Internet radio is distinct from podcasting in that podcasts are generally downloaded and are subject to copyright concerns. Traditional radio stations often add Internet radio to their websites as a way to broaden their listening base. Unlike conventional radio stations which are only available to listeners who's radios receive the broadcast signal sent out by the station, Internet radio is available anywhere there is an Internet connection. So you can listen to your favorite local Midwestern station while you're on business in Alaska or on vacation in Europe provided that station is accessible via Internet radio.
Any format available through conventional radios is also available through Internet radio such as news, sports, and talkshows, as well as themed music formats like rock & roll, country, classical, etc. Internet radio has grown in popularity for several reasons. Internet radio is popular with expatriate workers who like to listen to news & radio from their home country. Internet radio also offers enhanced listening options for those who live in rural areas or other areas with a minimal selection of radio station. These listeners need only get on the Internet and find a radio station that meets their listening needs. Internet Radio Technology Streaming technology in conjunction with a lossy audio codec is the most popular way to broadcast Internet radio. The most popular codecs are: MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Windows Real Player, and RealAudio. HE-AAC, also known as aacPlus, is also becoming more popular. The bits are "streamed" over the Internet in packets (TCP or UDP) then are reassembled and played with a lag time generally between 2 to 10 seconds depending on the Internet connection. How to Create an Audio Stream Several methods can be used to create a source audio stream. SHOUTcast which uses Winamp & the SHOUTcast DSP plugin to deliver MP3 audio at high bitrates are used by technologically advanced Internet radio stations. Open source technologies such as IceS, Streamcash, MuSE, and stream-db are also used as well as Ogg Vorbis which is a patent-free data format. The use of open source streaming tools for Internet radio facilitates the creation of interesting web interfaces such as phpStreamcast. How to listen to Internet Radio To listen to Internet radio, you'll need audio playback software or hardware capable of reading HTTP data streams. Some of the more popular Internet radio listening tools are Winamp for Window, iTunes for bot Macintosh & Windows, and Rhythmbox for Unix/Linux operating systems. This is just a short list. There are many other softwares available for listening to streaming audio. Software is definitely more popular than stand-alone hardware for listening to Internet radio. This makes sense when you consider most people listen to Internet radio on the personal computers and know how to install simple software. However there are an increasing number of portable units available similar to conventional portable radios. It's easier to take a boom box to the beach than your computer for example so look for these units to become more popular and affordable as Internet radio becomes more prevalent. |
