Interactive Marketing

Right after the introduction of the Internet, we have come across many electronic counterparts in our day to day lives. It has changed the way of our communication is made, whether it be sharing of information, marketing or infotainment. It has introduced the age of e-mail, e-commerce, e-shopping, internet radio and internet TV.

Live Internet radio is one of the latest trends in cyberspace. Talks pertaining to e-radio is very common these days. Perhaps, e-radio is the next most sought after thing in the cyberspace right after the e-mail, and e-commerce. In fact, e-radio is not that a new thing, it has been in existence for quite some time now. But, it is only of late that it has flourished and it has improved radio connectivity tremendously. As such, listeners are flooded with live radio stations, which have exhaustive range of channels. These channels cater to the varied needs of the listeners.

Definitely, the Internet radio talk is one of the most striking programmes. Streaming talk shows and discussions on a variety of lively topics have become very popular among the listeners. Such programmes are being fed by the live radio stations host talks shows even with experts of various subjects.

It has been found that the traditional radio broadcasters have been using the live Internet radio to promote their programmes or advertise them. Whereas, the e-radio technology has brought about a sea change in the way of presentation of the radio programmes. Because of its contribution today individuals can host their own talk shows from the comfort of their home.

This radio technology includes different methods for creating the audio stream source. It uses the SHOUT cast service that makes use of Winamp and SHOUT cast DSP plugin to deliver MP3 audio. This method also uses open source technologies like the Stream cast, stream db, IceS, and Muse., patent free data formats like Ogg Vorbis as well.

There is no shortage of radio networks online these days. The services offered by live Internet radio are really marvellous. Voice America is an Internet radio network that helps host ones own internet radio talk show. Moreover, it also gives the complete package of Internet streaming, media broadcasting, support services on line, marketing and Internet solutions that help make a mark on the on line audience.

Crazy about listening to music or playing games Want to know about current news Live music, breathe music and educate yourself with recent news! Use free Internet radio stations from any location and listen to channels from all over the world.

Music is something which most of us can't do without. No matter where we are, what we are doing, all we want is to listen to music. Some people are addicted to reading newspapers, watching news or listening to news channels, etc. However its not always possible to carry newspapers, music systems, etc and therefore it becomes very costly to listen to music, watch your favorite program or read news online. If you also fall in the same category of addicts then read further to know about some digital ways to cherish all the above without any cost!

What is this Free Internet Live Radio

One of the best forms of entertainment is free live radio. It can be accessed easily through online free Internet radio stations, irrespective of which place you are putting up. What's more interesting is that you can listen to channels from almost all over the world. Numerous radio programs like current news, songs, etc are available in abundance through various websites. In earlier times, radio devices used to operate by catching radio signals, though the reception would become unclear due to the weak signal. However those days are gone now since with the help of the Internet, we can listen to live radio stations work without any interruption.

No Registration Required

Surprised Don't be! Yes it's true that these kinds of sites do not require any kind of registration. You will find many sites online which offer the facility of listening to radio programs as a guest, but require proper registration with the particular radio station website. Now you can create a play list of your own, listen to various songs and also play various games online, etc. All these and more, absolutely Free!

A Flexible Source

You will be glad to know that these free live radio stations with their wide range of channels are becoming their listener's first choice day by day. Free live radio is a very beneficial feature for those who have to travel often from one place to another. With this feature they can keep themselves abreast with the most recent happenings of their native place or any other place for that matter. Also this is a cost effective process as there is no unusual charges like registration incurred on them.

But How Do They Operate

I am sure you must be curious about the functionality of these radio stations. Let's now learn how they actually operate. No rocket science, just one computer, some good music, broadcast scheduling software with encoders, Win Amp, microphone to host the program and a VPS hosting account is all that a very basic Internet based radio station requires. First of all, free music is gathered from bands that are searching to get exposure for themselves. Next step is to load this music to the Win Amp, which is easy and then use the free media player and broadcasting unit.

Select the best website which offers free Internet radio stations with your favorite programs. Now you could relax and be tension free or not worry about missing your favorite programs or current news. Listen to the uninterrupted free music and live out your music addiction. Getting bored Don't be, because free Internet radio stations also feature an option of free online games for you. All this and lots more... Could life be better

The author of this article works with Grace Digital Audio which offers Internet radio across the U.S.

There are numerous things in life that would never lose their value in this society. These things can just transform to a new mold or wear new looks but their essence of existence would always remain. The radio is a perfect example of man's invention that has never depreciated its value. It may have changed its style and even its size, but never will it be off our possessions. When was the last time you tuned in to your favorite radio station

Although we are now living in a new generation where life revolves around technology, one of the best sources of entertainment remains to be the radio. This time, it can now transmit through the internet. It is commonly called internet radio or online radio. You will rarely find those bulky radios or the tinier ones transistors instead you will find the radio broadcasting or what is commonly known as streaming live on any computer with internet connection. Since almost everyone does utilize the internet with various purposes, indeed the power of the radio is obviously felt on any streets, commercial establishments, offices and houses. That said; the internet radio has invited different audience from every walks of life. Thus, it has gained attraction from different business sectors. This gives it the power to promote a new product or service that could result to translation to sales.

Indeed, online radio is considered as the best source of advertisement since almost anyone uses the internet. Mostly, internet radio can be heard over the internet while someone is browsing other web pages. This gives the convenience for the internet users to be entertained and given information to while doing something else on their computers. Businessmen have capitalized on this idea understanding the potential profit they will gain through the expected number of people who would patronize online radios. It is believed that business growth is most likely to happen when there are consistent prospective customers. They, of course, found it on internet radio. Local and national radio stations broadcasting their shows through conventional radio have begun to compete through the internet by acquiring websites. Some of these websites include streaming features and ad banners of sponsors.

Since the primary objective of major sponsors is to promote their products and services to large number of people, they are willing to pay huge amount to internet radio networks to get their products promoted. This is the main source of revenue for most internet radio networks. On the online radio though, advertisements can come in the form of ad banners and may no longer be announced in between songs just like the regular radio. This is the recorded type of internet radio. It gives you the option to choose which song to play. It works like a library of music that you can joggle in a play list much like a DVD compilation. Not only that the internet radio could provide a source of entertainment but also, it can serve as a channel for advertisement.

Streaming live audio involves using bitrates. What are bitrates Bitrate is the bandwidth used to send a stream to the listener. If you are going to broadcast via the internet you must choose a bitrate to send the content to the listener. When choosing bitrate you must take into consideration your target audience. Will my listeners be using a broadband connection such as dsl or cable, or will they be using a dial up connection.

Streaming at a bitrate higher than the listener can download results in buffering. This basically means the stream is stopped while the listeners player downloads enough of the stream to resume playing. Obviously the listener will not want to continue listening to the stream if he has to wait 30 seconds or so in the middle of a song.

Generally a dial up listener can listen to a stream that broadcasts between 8kbs and 32kbs without experiencing buffering depending on the individual listeners connection. Dial up modems can accomodate a maximum band width of 56k although the actual bitrate can vary from 21k to around 52k dependant on the phone line.

Broadband listeners can listen to audio streams at a much higher bitrate. The highest bitrate recommended to stream music to broadband listeners is 128kbs. Why Music cd's are recorded at 128kbs. Any streaming above this bitrate is just a waste of your bandwidth. Of course you can choose any rate between 8kbs and 128kbs to stream to broadband. Rule of thumb is the higher the bitrate the better the quality of the stream although there are several other factors to consider which I will address in my next article.

Whats the alternative if you wish to include multiple bitrates The alternative is to get stream hosting that allows you to broadcast at multiple bitrates. Many stream hosts offer packages that include several different bitrates to effectively let you stream to a larger audience. You send the stream from your computer to said stream server and it sends the stream to your listeners at the multiple bitrates. You can also send your stream to multiple stream servers if you choose in the event that one stream server fails, your stream will still be up and running.