Smartphone Apps Innovate Automotive Radio

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc... 

Image via CrunchBase

There’s a popular saying about technology: “there’s an app for that.” For those who like to listen to the radio while in the car, but would prefer the variety and features of Internet radio, that saying will soon be true. Livio Radio is an application available for both Androids and iPhones that puts Internet radio in your car. It does require some additional hardware to be installed in your vehicle, including a Dice Car Kit (which simulates a satellite radio receiver) or a Bluetooth adaptor, one of which will be necessary to make this work. Both products are still in development.

The primary advantage of using the Livio app is that it does not require a monthly subscription fee like Sirius XM satellite radio does. Instead, a purchase of about $100 for the hardware and $19.99 for the smartphone app will have you set up, with no fees required in order to keep yourself in business. Whether or not the sound quality matches a satellite radio receiver is questionable, and while early testers are reporting good results, we’ll likely have to wait until the products hit the actual market to get some real data.

The good news is that innovations are still being made in the field of radio and portable music. While MP3s and iPods have been considered the death of the physical album, that doesn’t mean that the music industry has really suffered. Indeed, the converse is largely true in that the work of many more artists is available to a much larger fan base than in decades past. Here’s to hoping that trend continues to grow.

 

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How Radios have Changed the World

May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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The radio has completely changed the ways of the world. Once the radio was invented humankind was able to transmit sounds from one place to another allowing people a more effective means of communication. From being priceless during the times of war, the radio also evolved as the singular most important means of entertainment as well. This could be for game shows, music, news and anything else you can think of.

The history of the radio is a quite colorful one and it has gone through several technology-based improvements over the years. Today in fact, it is quite a portable device, being made available in our iPods and our cellular phones as well. Radios are relatively easy to own. All you need is a means of receiving a transmission and you are good to go.

Radios today have developed to such an extent that they are even available in digital form. There are several radio stations that are broadcast by major broadcasting organizations. There are several advantages to having these. You have a great variety in terms of entertainment, there is something for every member of the family, the services are free and you have complete freedom in controlling the way you listen to the music.

Digital radio stations are plenty and the fact they are popular shows that the interest in radio is not something that will wane over a period of time. Tuning in is simple and once you have done so with your receiver, you do not have worry about it anymore. In fact, even if you move, your receiver will tune itself to the stations of your choice.

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Advantages of Digital Radio

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Digital radio versions of all your favorite shows are available online. Every major network has them and they are easily available. All you need to do is log into a digital radio site, type in your postal code and you are good to go. The great thing about digital radio is that there is a variety of shows that you can listen to and enjoy. Therefore, there is something for the entire family.

The advantages of digital radio are plenty. The quality of sound you get is crystal clear and it comes with the added advantage of text being made available. This means that you can read all about the program that is being streamed. You can browse through online guides to choose programs of your choice and should you want lyrics to a particular song that you are listening to, they are available to you as well. If you have newer versions of a digital radio receiver in your home, you will find that the means of controlling them are all the more varied but simple enough to use. This makes things a lot easier for you.

In addition, if you happen to be moving out of town, then there is absolutely no need for you to retune your receiver. All you need to do is plug it in and play. There are also several free stations that you can tune into making your experience even more pleasant. Amongst the several advantages to having a digital radio station, the variety in terms of choice alone should be good enough for you to consider it.

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Understanding Digital Radios

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Digital radio stations are quite popular these days. Almost every commercial and popular major network has a number of digital radio stations to their credit. These are available in a number of formats and are often in conjunction with the national broadcasting networks of the country. This means that you can get all the stations you want in one place. The simplest way to access these stations is to get online and visit the site of the digital radio station. All you need to do is register by entering your postal code and you are connected. After that, all you need to do is press the listen icon to begin listening to the station’s streaming in real time.

There are several advantages to having digital radio stations. You have clear sound and a large variety of radio shows to tune into and enjoy. Since you are online, you will also be able to see information related to the song being streamed. You will also have access to a program guide that will give you an update on programs.

The text that appears along with the broadcast can give you visual information on what you are listening to, lyrics of songs you are listening and more. The choices available when it comes to digital radio stations are plenty and you can be assured of something good for everyone in the family to listen to. The ease of using the digital radio stations is what makes it all the more exciting. You do not need to be technologically skilled to be able to tune in and listen to the shows of your choice.

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Creating Your Own Digital Radio Station

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Internet is a growing business and it even made people interested in radio launch their own digital radio station. With the creation of being able live stream, anyone can pretty much create their own digital radio station from the comfort of their own home on their own computer. Before deciding on which live streaming program will work for you, browse through your option and find the one that fits the needs of your programming.

Once you’ve gone through your options, pick the one you’re going to stream your digital radio station on. Majority of these hosting services do have a fee you’ll need to pay every month. Some also have tiers that could potentially affect the options available to your digital radio station. These options could include the amount of simultaneous listeners you’re allowed to have and your data storage. These are important decisions that could affect your decision on which service provider to go with.

Next, download and install the software you’ve chosen. Some might not require downloading since they’re a web-based platform.

Get your music collection together and organize your files. To keep your station going 24/7, you’re going to need a good size music collection. Make sure you convert all of the music you own to MP3 files for your software. You should be fine when it comes to copyrighted music as long as you purchased your music legally. Then categorize all your music by genre. Then take your music set list and load it so that your digital radio station will play it.

Lastly, it’s time to launch your digital radio station. Make sure there’s enough music so you won’t have to worry about dead air from happening.

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Setting Up An Online Radio Station

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The great thing about an online radio station is that you can start one from the comfort of your own home. In fact starting an online radio station has become really popular thanks to the popularity of the Internet and sites like YouTube and MySpace. Setting up an online radio station is pretty easily, but you need to make sure you know about all the legalities.

Before setting up an online radio station, make sure you brush up on the Digital Millennium Copyright Laws. The law requires that you pay any royalties if you want to play songs on your radio station. I’m guessing you’re planning on playing music. If you’re just doing a talk online radio station than you should be fine there.

Next, set up your server that’s going to host your online radio station. Finding a hosting for your website isn’t super difficult if you’re good with the technical side of starting your own online radio station.

Read all the rules about what you can and can’t do. You don’t have to have any problems with the servers. Also read all the information on the hosting site you go with. Some will have a monthly fee and this fee will cover the royalties of some of the songs you’re looking to play. Cover your basis.

Be sure to have the amount of bandwidth that can support a large number of listeners. You don’t want anything to happen if you have more listeners than what your bandwidth can hold.

Lastly, set up your music player. Doing this will be based on which server you’re going with. If it’s your own server than you can just link all your music to your website.

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How Digital Radio Works

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many people have a huge interest in radio digital radio but they don’t exactly know how it works. Here is a rundown on how digital radio works.

Digital radio is differs from of traditional radio in that its information is encoded on its carrier waves differently.  AM (amplitude modulation) or FM (frequency modulation) radio is a little bit weaker than radio stations using digital signals. These two options will use kilohertz or megahertz as opposed to gigahertz that majority of the digital radio stations will use.

Analog signals usually have a hard time knowing the difference between signals that are either desired or undesired. This is why you sometimes turn to a radio station and there’s a ton of static. You won’t experience this with digital radio.

In order to work, all radio stations will have to manipulate the electrical charge that are found in the air. To send out your radio signal, all that’s needed are an antenna and some electricity. What happens is that the electricity will make the particles vibrate and in return they will create an electromagnetic field.

For the most part satellite digital radio will be a bit stronger than your regular signals because the signal come from space and there’s less interference from there as opposed to getting the signal from the ground where there could be a ton of interference.

The great thing about satellite digital radio is that the waves are a lot longer and stronger than ground-base so sending digital signals all over the world without a ton of problems.

Digital radio is going to be huge in the upcoming years and it’ll be interested to see how well it does in the near future.

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Competition In Broadcast Radio

March 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Everything changes and it will always change at different paces. Many people are looking to get into the competitive world of broadcast radio. Using the word competitive is an understatement at how the broadcast radio industry really it. To make it in this industry will require a lot of drive, hard drive, determination and the tenacity to handle the job tasks that will eventually be thrown your way.

Technology is a wonderful thing. It creates a ton of different creative jobs to work in, but it made the competition only harder for you. The glamorous side of broadcast radio is what draws people in. Who wouldn’t enjoy talking to celebrities or sports players each and every day?

In order to land a job in broadcast radio you will need your degree in broadcasting or journalism. You’ll also need some exceptional work experience. For example, a great internship working at a radio or television station will look great on your resume. You should also have experience working at your college radio station. This is a perfect way for you to get real world experience and to see if you can handle the pressures of the job.

Your first job will more than likely be an entry-level position at a smaller radio station, so be prepared to the possibility of relocating to another state. You might not land your first job in your dream city or hometown. If you’re not willing to relocate than this might not be the job for you.

The competition in the radio industry is tough. Everyone wants to land a job working on the radio. The hardest broadcast radio position is in the entertainment industry.

The competition is stiff, but with great credentials you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting your foot in the door. Just be prepared to relocate and work your way from the bottom until you reach the top.

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Opening An HD Radio Station

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many people have an interest in getting into the exciting world of the radio. HD radio is currently in currently in competition with FM radio in terms of sound and technology. FM radio has multiple issues with interference, which causes a lot of problems with the sound quality.

Before starting your own HD radio station, make sure you have your money in order. This could cost quite a bit. Then write up your business plan which will includes our goals for the station and how and why it will be a profitable one. Submit this business proposal to private investors and banks that could help fund your radio station.

Purchase a licensed broadcasting radio station. Just know that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) do require that you back up this request for new license. This could be years before you’re actually approved. Make sure you fill out the FCC form 314 in order for it to get approved.

Then you’ll want to take the radio station and convert it to digital format. There are HD transmitters editing programs, microphones and everything else you could possibly needed available to purchase.

Pick which format you want your HD radio station to be in. This means what will you be doing? It is just a music station, a radio show, etc? To really stand out make your radio station a unique one.

Next complete the small tasks of choosing a name and slogan. Be original and make sure the name isn’t taken.

Get your licenses to play your music. You can buy the rights to any music you want to play. Make sure it’s in order; you don’t want to get sued for playing music.

Hire engineers to help run your radio station and anyone else you think could be beneficial to the radio station.

Advertise your station. You’ve got your niche so go spread the word!

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Broadcasting Your Own Radio Show

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many people dream about having their own show on the radio. I’m sure many of you have heard a few times that you’ve got a great radio voice. People are looking for different ways to get creative and public radio is definitely one of those ways. Below are tips that will help you broadcast your own radio show and develop a great radio audience.

Before getting an audience you’ll need to figure out who you want your audience to be and what type of radio show you’re looking to start.  There really isn’t any need to have another top 20 radio station, but if you can narrow it a little further, you’ll do great.

You can also figure out your show by getting more specific with the demographics. For example, you can think about gender, age, education and geographic location. If you’re living in say Southern Calif. than try and target those who enjoy fishing, swimming or surfing. It’s a tight niche and there probably aren’t a lot of radio stations like that out there.

Content development is important. It helps you decide what to add to your show. For example, think about the show above, adding some weather and surf conditions with beach traffic and some music and you’ve got the potential of a really great show. Once you’ve got your specific niche, finding segments for your show won’t be too difficult. The hardest part is actually finding your core audience.

You’ve got your audience, now who do you want as advertisers? Choose advertisers that relate to your core audience. For example, find retailers who sell fishing, surfing and boating equipment.

Create and build a website for your radio show. Use a .com domain for your radio show. Be sure to add a request page, list of topics and songs playing. You want the site so you can promote your radio show and interact with your listeners. The tricky part is creating a domain name that’s not taken.

If you’re show doesn’t make, try bringing your radio show to the Internet. There are a ton of opportunities for online radio shows. Don’t get discouraged the first time around.

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