Today there are over 47,000 radio stations on the airwaves worldwide, though most people can only hear a small number of local stations on their radios. Most use the same frequency bands, although the more complex radios produced today give far better audio quality.
The new ONLINE method of broadcasting has allowed well over 100,000 stations to be heard and not just locally. Stations using the internet to broadcast are not limited by the power of a transmitter and they are not competing for precious space on the radio spectrum. Online radio stations can be heard globally - all that's needed is access to the internet. No need for an aerial or a connection to ground; just an internet feed, often aquired via a mobile phone.
The main ways of accessing online radio stations on the internet are:
Computers
Mobile Phones
Smart Speakers
There are just a few examples on this page - click the pictures to find more details (more models coming soon). You don't need a URL or even the streaming details; most Online Radios and mobile phone apps such as Simple Radio have thousands of station details already built-in. Just ask Siri, or Alexa.
Online Radio Book
a Guide for Broadcasters and Listeners
When broadcasting began just over a hundred years ago, receivers were very primitive and often included a cat's whisker. It wasn't from a real cat, it was just a small piece of wire that was carefully touched onto a piece of crystal. It was tuned by a large coil of wire and a variable capacitor.
Careful manipulation of this "crystal set" brought in radio stations from far and wide, except there weren't very many of them and they were only on the air a few hours a day. Listeners had to erect an antenna, as high and as long as possible as well as find a connection to 'earth', usually by connecting to a metal pipe driven into the ground, although a waterpipe works well.
Online Radio
available on
PCs, Tablets, Mobiles
SmartSpeakers
Radios & Receivers
SMART SPEAKERS
available in various shapes and sizes, such as the best-selling Echo Dot. Big sound, gets thousands of Online Radio stations plus podcasts, weather and more.
MOBILE PHONES
This is the easiest way to get access to over 150,000 (and growing) Online Radio stations. Smartphones have now become the most ubiquitous tech' item in the world, with most people owning or having access to at least one; an estimated 7 billion are now in use and that is also a number that grows every day.
It's a highly specialised field, not just the handset, but the apps too, though tariffs are now much easier, but our friends at ID-Mobile are experts and have some superb offers. Take a look at their website HERE which is now offering an unlimited SIM for only £16 a month, or a 5GB SIM for just £6 a month. They have lots of information and the very latest offers on handsets, monthly accounts, PAYG or on SIM-only accounts.
ONLINE RADIOS
(Internet Radios / Web Radios)
There are now many dedicated radios that can tune to Online Radio stations, and have presets chosen by the listeners, so that favourite stations can be quickly selected. Most of these Online Radios are 'dual purpose' and can also tune to traditional 'over the air' frequency bands too - such as FM, DAB, and some even have MW, LW and SW too! Most Online Radios can also receive PODCASTS - which are simply 'radio programmes on demand'.
click any radio to see more details
The Online Radio book has several pages explaining the differences between the different types of receiver used for both traditional 'over the air" raidios, and Online Radio stations developed over the internet. It will help you understand how both types of radio work, the differences between the two mediums and how easy it is to get an Online Radio station on the air.
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Radio Station Apps
Apps are a great way to make tuning into Online Radio simple, quick and easy. The widest used is BBC Sounds, and the commercial big-boys' RadioPlayer, but these refuse to give access to independent Online Radio stations. Most of the distributor apps offer a wide range of stations, some of them many have tens of thousands of online radio stations.
Simple Radio is one of the best apps as it lets the listener chose their favourite stations, and make 'speed dial' buttons for them. It costs nothing to download from the Apple Store or Google Play and enables easy tuning from one station to another.
Building apps for Radio Stations
To enable listeners to hear a radio station easily, it's important that they click as few times as possible and that their logo is prominent on the App button. Building apps is a skill that not everyone has; one firm who DO so is the Yorkshire-based radio station suppliers: Broadcast Radio.com.
The Broadcast Radio team build some amazing Apps with stylish clean design and colours to match the station logo. Their apps also include song artwork, the radio station schedule, push notifications and a ‘contact our studio’ facility. The submission fees due to Apple’s iStore and for Google Play plus the maintenance costs are included in BRL’s charges. A discount is available for readers of the Online Radio book by quoting ORB24.
Radio Station Apps
Apps are a great way to make tuning into Online Radio simple, quick and easy. The widest used is BBC Sounds, and the commercial big-boys' RadioPlayer, but these refuse to give access to independent Online Radio stations. Most of the distributor apps offer a wide range of stations, some of them many have tens of thousands of online radio stations.
Simple Radio is one of the best as it lets the listener chose their favourite stations, and make 'speed dial' buttons for them. It costs nothing to download on the Apple Store or Google Play.
Simple Radio is one of the best as it lets the listener chose their favourite stations, and make 'speed dial' buttons for them. It costs nothing to download on the Apple Store or Google Play.
Building apps for Radio Stations
To enable listeners to hear a radio station easily, it's important that they click as few times as possible and that their logo is prominent on the App button. Building apps is a skill that not everyone has; one firm who DO is the Yorkshire-based radio station suppliers Broadcast Radio.com.
The BR team build some amazing Apps with stylish clean design and colours to match the station logo. Their apps also include song artwork, the radio station schedule, push notifications and a ‘contact our studio’ facility. The submission fees due to Apple’s iStore and for Google Play plus the maintenance costs are included in BRL’s charges. There's a discount for readers of the Online Radio book.
