For those who would love to be an on-air-personality (OAP), but do not want to leave their jobs, starting an internet radio is one way out.
Not only can it be fun for those whose interest lie in this area, it is also an added source of income that requires little to kick off. It can also expand to become a major source of income if handled right. Unlike terrestrial radio, you don’t actually need to own a license to broadcast. However, if your station is going to be playing commercial music, then you may need a license, otherwise your radio station may be classified as a pirate station and against the law.
An internet radio is similar to the traditional radio, except that there is no need for transmitters as the broadcast is done via the internet and listeners are not limited to one particular geographical area. With the internet radio, the world shrinks into a village that becomes your audience and marketplace.
In starting an internet radio, you will need a quiet room, a laptop with internet connection, a good microphone and noise cancelling headphones. Also, you would need a website to give your listeners a platform to learn more about your station, listen to your station, and get regular updates such as upcoming shows and more.
Once you have your internet radio station going, social media is a good place to keep your listeners up to date, create conversations with your listeners and get more followers. Good social platforms for radio include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok.
With the hardware and software needed to kick start your internet radio in place, you will need to define your station focus. Your internet radio can focus on talk shows, education, music, sports amongst others. You will also need to define your target audience. Your target audience determines the type of content you deliver.
If your content is music, it will determine the genre of the music you play. If your content type is talk, it will determine what topics to talk about on your station – whether it’s sports, current affairs or more. Defining your target audience ensures that you are delivering the right content to the right audience.
You will also need to find the perfect radio automation software for your internet radio station.
If you plan on running the station for 24 hours, it is advisable that you get an internet radio a software that allows you to schedule your programmes and music. Another thing to look out for in the software provider is ability to broadcast live and have multiple streaming options
With automated radio software on the market your station can run 24/7 without human intervention. This means you can plan your shows ahead, and schedule your music, ads, jingles and radio interviews.
However, to make your station more social, and to also create a human connection with your listeners, it is advisable to also have live broadcasts on some days. This means you can run a internet radio station as a hobby, or as a secondary business.
However, to start an internet radio station, you mainly need a computer, a stable connection and a quiet place for broadcasting. This means you can even broadcast from your bedroom. Once your radio station grows, you can consider having a dedicated studio.