Internet radio in the UK

This page takes a look at some of the options for listeners looking to get access to radio content over the Internet.

In the mid-1990's we saw the start of a small but growing collection of Internet radio stations stringing up worldwide. Using "streaming audio" technology, webcasting (as it's now commonly known), brings radio stations from around the world within easy reach via your desktop computer.

Many of the UK broadcasters offer a streaming radio service over the Internet, often tied into the station's website. Viewing a station's website allows you to the faces behind the voices (and shatter some illusions!), in some cases see what's happening live in the on-air studio via a studio webcam, plus send email or instant messages to the on-air presenter.

To listen to Internet Radio, you need the following:

An Internet connection – Broadband is obviously the best option here as streaming radio requires a strong connection with a largish amount of bandwidth. Broadband also has the advantage of offering "always on" connection for a fixed monthly fee, meaning you can listen to Internet Radio without running up a huge phone bill. If you're looking for Broadband, it's worth seeing what's on offer from BT Total Broadband. As an alternative, consider Virgin Media, another of the UK's leading Internet Service Providers.
Streaming audio software, such as Microsoft's Media Player, or Real's RealPlayer, depending on the stations you'd like to listen to.

We featured Internet Radio in Show 15 of our online radio show.
Listen to the show online, or download it to your MP3 player.
Listen to Show 15 | Latest Show | More Info

Internet Radio Software

In many cases, Microsoft's Media Player, or Real's RealPlayer will be perfectly fine for accessing streaming radio stations over the Internet, but you may find you're better off with a dedicated Internet Radio software package. In this section, we take a look at two or three of the top Internet radio packages available.

Software: Replay AV

This package, formerly known as Replay Radio, is the team's personal favourite. It offers access to radio stations, old radio shows, podcasts and even streaming TV stations. We reviewed this product in show 15 of our podcast and at the time of recording in May 2007, Replay AV was carrying 5,251 radio stations, 1259 shows 511 TV stations, and 20,700 podcasts - you can also add your own favourite feeds if they're not listed.

Searching with this application is very easy, and the Record wizard makes it easy to get a copy of what you're listening to, or to schedule a future recording. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone.

Replay AV

An evaluation version of Replay AV can be downloaded from www.applian.com

Software: Webradio, from Magix

Web Radio software from Magix supports recording of multiple broadcasts simultaneously, automatic programming and track splitting, full control over volume or time tariff and 'permanent recording'. You can create your own programme, specify artists and titles, and there's and intelligent search function with fast keyword search. Features include:

Record filter: record or exclude selected titles, genres or artists
Intelligent search function: worldwide radio stations by genre and much more
MP3, OGG, WMA: listen to radio in the latest streaming formats
Realtime effects maximizer, equalizer, echo, reverb and more
Automatic backup of music archives onto CD and DVD

Magix Web Radio Deluxe
Magix Webradio

Magix Webradio is available for around £18 from Amazon.

Software: Radio tracker

The Radiotracker package also gives you access to lots of Internet radio software, but for a slightly different purpose. Radiotracker comes preconfigured with 14,000 radio stations - and allows you to build a collection of mp3 tracks from the Internet. You can enter the names of tracks and artists you're interested in, and the software will scan radio stations for those tracks and download them for you. RadioTracker offers a fast way of downloading content from radio stations round the world.

Radio Tracker
Radiotracker

We looked at RadioTracker in Show 15 of our podcast. A free trial of Radiotracker is available from www.radiotracker.com. You can buy it online, or a boxed version from Play.com

Internet Radio Receivers

	Revo Blik RadioStation - Internet / DAB / DAB+ and FM - Top Choice This is a combined DAB digital radio, FM radio with RDS, and Wi-Fi internet radio (easy access to over 9,000 stations from around the world). Released in December 2007, it's the first commercially-available radio to support the upcoming DAB+ standard. The Blik has an alarm clock and allows you to plug-in your MP3 player and use BLIK as a loudspeaker. We looked at this in Show 24 of our podcast. More details on our Revo page. Available for £149.99 from Revo, AdvancedMP3players and Maplin (Save £7 if you sign up to Maplin's newsletter). *10% off Revo Radios* if you use the code affrevo* at AdvancedMP3players while stocks last!*.
	The BT Internet Radio is a portable radio that uses a wireless connection to hook into your PC's Internet connection, to stream Internet radio stations to wherever you are in the house. There's a frighteningly large number of Internet radio stations out there, and this product makes tuning in to them possible, without having to be glued to your PC to listen. This opens up the possibility of listening to stations from other regions in the UK as well as from around the world. The radio has a database of Internet stations supplied by the Reciva database, so it's always up-to-date and has new services added. The BT Voyager can also allow you to play other media from your PC, such as MP3 music and podcast files. It supports the following formats: Real audio, WMA, MP3, AAC, AIFF & WAV. Currently £99 from BT Shop
	The Acoustic Energy Wi-Fi Internet Radio makes use of an existing wi-fi network, to access the world's Internet stations without relying on a USB dongle connected to a PC. This is the world’s first radio capable of accessing over 99% of Internet radio stations broadcast anywhere in the world. Compatibility with all three major streaming formats gives the Wi-Fi radio an amazing choice of content from Britain’s BBC Radio1 to Brazil’s Radio Calypso! There’s no subscription to pay, no signal coverage problems and no international content boundaries. You can search by country or genre, and the formats Real Media, MP3 and WMA are supported. The Acoustic Energy Wifi radio is available for between £150-£170 from Play.
	Logik IR100 Logik IR LOW PRICE The Logik IR100 Internet Radio provides access to over 5,000 online radio stations, using your broadband connection. It also allows you to stream audio files from your PC, supporting Real Audio, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and AIFF formats. Available for £59.99 from Dixons
	Bush TR2015WiFi This supports up to 1000 stations and can also stream music from your PC. Available for £69.99 from Argos (Cat No: 049/0380).
	Revo Pico Wi-fi - Internet Radio Access to over 5,500 Internet radio stations. The Pico Wi-fi has a built-in rechargeable battery, offering completely wireless access to Internet radio stations. Supports Windows Media, Real Media and MP3 formats. Can be connected to an iPod and has FM radio. With infrared remote control. More details at www.revo.co.uk or on our Revo page. Available for £149.95 direct from Revo.
	Revo Mondo Internet Radio Adapter This device connects to your hi-fi and adds Internet Radio. It supports access to over 5,500 radio stations from around the world. It has two standard RCA phono outputs, for connection to your AUX inputs on your hi-fi or home cinema. More details on our Revo page. Supports Windows Media, Real Media and MP3 formats. Connects to your wi-fi broadband Internet connection. Stylish unit with remote control, alarm clock and presets. Available for £99.95 direct from Revo.

Your own Internet station

If you fancy a try as a broadcaster, you can set up your own online radio station and run it from your home computer. There are a number of ways. Here's one of the easiest ways:

Create a free account at www.live365.com, and enter a name and description for your station.
Download their Studio 365 application, which will let you upload MP3 files to Live365
Record your show on your PC as MP3 files (more info on our DIY Podcast page)
Upload the MP3 files that will be used on your station, then set up your playlist by dragging your clips into an order you're happy with
Once you're happy, select "Start broadcast", and your station should be live. Check ours out: FrequencyCast @ Live365.

Ahh - but is it legal? Broadcasting material that you don't own the copyright for (including over the Internet) is not legal, but Live365 do send a percentage of their fees to the music industry, and provided you follow the rules laid out clearly on their site, you may be in the clear. Worldwide copyright laws differ, so you should check the legality of broadcasting over the Internet carefully. In the UK, the organisations responsible for music copyright, are PRS, PPL and MCPS - more.

Also, take a look at the free web-broadcasting service Shoutcast.com.

A radio station on your PC

If you're looking to be able to start broadcasting or recording radio shows from your PC, you might want to take a look at this convenient little starter kit. The USB Podcast kit is made by Behringer, a respected name in the broadcast industry. This kit is designed for podcasting, but works for any voice and audio recording you might want to consider. The kit includes a 5 channel mixer, an audio interface that plugs into your PC's USB port, a dynamic microphone, mic stand, and a set of headphones. It's supplied with a CD of software, including a package called Audacity - this will allow you to record and mix together a podcast or audio demo tape. See and hear our review.

The USB Podcast kit for the PC is available for under £90 - USB Podcast Kit

Podcasting

A new type of radio... this takes its name from the iPod music player, and is essentially an audio MP3 file that can be downloaded onto your PC and then synced to your portable music player.

You can either download files manually, or use software such as Juice. We'd like to expand this section to include more information on podcasting. Please contact us if there's anything you'd like to know about podcasting.

More on podcasting on our Podcasting Page

Note that if you run your own Podcast, you need to consider either using non-copyright music, or obtaining a licence to use existing music on your Podcast - More on our Podcast page

Internet Radio Feature

We featured Internet Radio software and hardware in Show 15 of our online radio show, FrequencyCast.

Listen online at www.frequencycast.co.uk.

Tuning in to Internet Radio

What is Internet Radio?