How to Start an Online Radio Station
If you have always dreamed of having your own radio, being a radio host or a cool DJ, now’s the chance to do so. You can start your online radio station with little costs. You don’t have to be technical savvy as you will learn things as you go.
It won’t be too hard to start your own online radio station, but once you do, you have to make it known to your target audience. Think of a musical genre, think of the age group that listens to this particular type of music and get the show on the road.
The Right Gear
You won’t need expensive gear or fancy equipment, but you will need to buy a mic if you plan to say something between the songs. You will need applications to stream music. Winamp is preferred by many people out there. This application is easy to manage and it offers a quality sound. Edcast is one of many Winamp plugins that will help you turn your radio into a server which makes it easier to stream music around the world.
The Server Setup
Setting up your server will be a little trickier, but there are many online tutorials that guide you through every step of the way. So you don’t have to worry about it. You will have to pay a monthly subscription depending on the server you choose, but it’s around $5-$6 per month which is pretty affordable.
Be Legal
You need to acquire licensing and there are many companies that offer you licensing on a monthly based fee which is affordable. Always make sure to be legal, no matter what. You can risk to get sued or face jail if you don’t do your research and abide the law.
Have Some Playlists Prepared
Before you start broadcasting for the first time, have some playlists prepared for the first days. To make it easier for you.
Think of a Cool Jingle
You can ask a musician to come up with a catchy jingle for your radio. Talk to the musician about the ideas that you have and the music you want to play. Based on that, you can get an accurate jingle. Set a price for the musician’s work.
Talk with the Graphic Designer
You will also need a cool logo for your radio so might as well talk with a graphic designer and brainstorm till you feel that what the graphic designer created is the right logo for your radio. It might take some time, but you want to get this thing right. A lot of people will associate your radio with the logo.
Flyers, Banners, Badges and Stickers
A little bit of advertisement hasn’t hurt anybody. Coming up with flyers, banners, badges and stickers can be really handy because you will share them with people that genuinely love listening to music. And you will get more listeners. You can get some amazing discounts if you order flyers, banners, badges and stickers in bulk.