With a 35% listener growth since 2015, internet radio is one of the fastest-growing technology niches in the world. It’s no surprise that people are opening an internet radio stations compared to a traditional radio stations.
The best part about starting an online radio station is how easy it is to start one. It may sound intimidating, however, you can move from concept to broadcasting with just a few investments. Check the easy steps in our beginner’s guide below and launch your own internet radio station today!
Why start an Internet radio station?
Why would anyone want to start their own radio station? Well, if you have incredible ideas, tastes, and experiences you want to share with the world, it makes sense to take advance of the free media.
Getting your own online radio station is much more accessible and a lot cheaper compared to a traditional radio station.
The return on investment for the internet radio stream is good – you just need good radio shows, a target audience, and some basic equipment.
Unlike video streaming services, online radio allows the viewers to catch up on the latest music and content while working on other things. The unintrusive nature of internet radio explains why it has a bigger audience.
What do you need for your internet radio station
Equipment
Radio broadcast online is much simpler in terms of hardware. Although it does away with big towers and high-tech gadgets, you will still need some basic hardware to get started. Some of these hardware includes:
Fast computer and stable internet
You’ll need to invest in a good computer and high-speed internet to prevent buffering during a live broadcast. Nothing will kill your brand more quickly than a poor internet connection during a program – especially live sessions.
Don’t have a computer? use your phone and connect to high-speed internet.
Broadcasting Platform
One of the biggest motivations for setting up an internet radio is the low cost of hardware. In most, cases you only need a good broadcasting platform for your live broadcasts. Shopping around for one with a good audio stream.
Microphones
An essential part of internet radio, besides an internet connection, is a microphone. Microphones help you create audio files for your recorded sessions or live stream with guests or solo.
Broadcast license
Copyright lawsuits are expensive. Unless you are playing royalty-free music and content, you need a license for everything your audience is listening to.
What is the distribution of your listeners? If you are playing to an international audience in places like Canada or the UK, you need a license that covers those regions.
It’s a good thing some broadcasting software has all the licenses you need. Talk to your broadcasting service provider to find out more info.
Content
Content is key for all online radio stations – whether music, talk, or a combination of both. engage your potential listeners to find the right content before you begin live broadcasting. Have a repository for all audio files – you seek professional help to schedule shows.
Where can you find trends, the latest news, etc? Social media is a great place to find all the latest trends.
You can invest in search engine tools to find what people are interested in – the tools display demographic data for the searches – start with google search tools.
Initial setup – branding, niche, etc
Do you have all the equipment you need? It’s time to think about your brand and target listeners. Look for a catchy station name for your radio, an interesting logo, a good description for the station, website, and social media pages.
After you are done with branding, you are now closer to broadcasting.
Look for a niche you are comfortable with. The goal is to get more people to tune into your station
Start Broadcasting
Set a publication date for your new radio station. Create engagement for your potential listeners – whether it is music or talk-show topics – and proceed to record or stream.
You can add videos as part of your live stream to capture a wider audience. If you find any challenges with the broadcasting platform, access the knowledge base or support to get help.
Will you manage to run your internet radio station on your own? The workload can be overbearing for a single person. Look for other broadcasters you can work with to diversify your station’s content.
Market your Internet Radio
Getting the initial audience is the biggest hurdle for any new radio station. For a start, you can get a few friends and family to listen and play your content before aggressively marketing your page.
Start building a strong audience with consistency and high-quality content. There are plenty of tools to track your listeners and get further information on how to improve.
If you don’t already have a website, you can build one. Also, take advantage of social media to grow your audience.
Add-on software
Take advantage of third-party software to broadcast live content to additional platforms.
Are you using recording? you can invest in editing software to get the best results and improve the quality of your audio and video.
Take a look at all the third-party software that integrates with your broadcasting software or platform.
Monetization
If done right, internet radio has the ability to make you money doing what you love. There are a lot of options when it comes to monetization. You can have paid ads, product endorsements, or influencer marketing.
How do you maximize your monetization potential? grow your audience. Get to understand your listeners and build a niche on radio waves that will make you stand out. Once you do that, sit back and watch all money come in.
Start your internet radio station today!
After reading our beginner’s guide to starting your internet radio station, you are now ready to go live on air. Take advantage of the companies, like ours, that offer broadcasting software to get your station up and running fast.
Get in touch with Glacer FM today and begin your journey into internet radio.
