Make Your Own Internet Radio Station: ubroadcast
ubroadcast provides a platform that gives users the ability to create and broadcast their own internet radio station.
ubroadcast’s Station Manager software allows users to host a live internet talk radio or music show complete with play list support, inline CD ripping, MP3 uploading, commercials and other pre-recorded content.
User generated internet radio stations are far from being new.
Live365 and
Shoutcast have provided similar functionality for years. Where ubroadcast differs is the simplicity and cost: setting up and running a ubroadcast station is free and the learning curve is close to zero. It’s more internet radio creation for the mass market.
Setup takes no more than 5 minutes. The client is quick to download and registration options are built in. Users can immediately broadcast live content, upload music from MP3′s, or select from music uploaded by other ubroadcast members. There is a lack of depth in the existing ubroadcast playlist; this isn’t a Last.fm or similar site with an extensive music library, it’s strictly user uploaded content and I’d imagine that this will become less of an issue as the service grows.
The only real negative I could find with the service is the need for listeners to download the ubroadcast player to listen to stations. ubroadcast’s John Castiglione told me that “some of the features are unlike anything Internet Radio has seen before, and this level of interaction between the broadcaster and listeners can only be accomplished with our own Player”. The service is free so perhaps asking for Real or Windows Media streaming options is too much.
Professional internet radio station operators will stick with Shoutcast and Live365, but for casual users, ubroadcast is a strong alternative to the more complicated and expensive existing players in this space.
For those looking to test the player, Channel 677 on ubroadcast is currently the “TechCrunch Test Channel” and is playing non-stop music from the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
How to Create Your Own Internet Radio Station
Flexible and Cheap Personal Broadcasting Using Your Own Computer
If you wish to set up a broadcast and don't want to pay the fees a other third-party to host your Internet radio stream - and you are a do-it-yourself kind of person - you might do well creating your own online radio station by using your own personal computer to create a dedicated server for doing the job.
Some of the software options for getting this done include:
SHOUTcast
SHOUTcast is one of the original free Internet radio software solutions for streaming audio. You can start your own station fairly easily and the software is
free to download.
Helix Server Basic
Free streaming media server software which can distribute live and on-demand video and other media. Realnetworks.com describes it as: "Simple 5-stream server. This free media server is a great solution if you are getting started with streaming media and want to experiment before rolling it out to a large audience." The Helix Server Basic is
free to download.
Quicktime Streaming Server
Apple.com says: "Whether you are looking to add streaming media to your web site, deliver distance learning or provide rich content for your mobile subscribers, Mac OS X Server has all of the tools you need. QuickTime Streaming Server lets you deliver live or prerecorded content in real time over the Internet." You can find out more at
apple.com.
Quicktime Broadcaster
Apple.com writes: "Combining the power of QuickTime with Apple's ease of use, QuickTime Broadcaster allows just about anyone to produce a live broadcast event." Download this software from
apple.com
Peercast
Peercast.org is a non-profit website that provides free peer-to-peer broadcasting software. "PeerCast is a simple, free way to listen to radio and watch video on the Internet. It uses P2P technology to let anyone become a broadcaster without the costs of traditional streaming," according to the
peercast.org website.
Icecast
Icecast is "free server software for streaming multimedia." Download a copy from
icecast.org.
Andromeda
Andromeda is delivery-on-demand software. "Andromeda scans your MP3s and presents them as a fully-featured streaming Web site. That means you simply add, move, rename, and delete files and folders to update the contents of your Andromeda-powered site. It's as easy as drag, drop, stream," according to
turnstyle.com where you can download an evaluation copy.
Create Your Own Live Internet Radio Station at ubroadcast.com
ubroadcast.com allows anyone to easily set up an Internet radio broadcast and begin transmitting almost instantly from any location with ubroadcast's software and an Internet connection. To this end, ubroadcast has just released its "Station Manager" software which allows users to host a live radio show.
The software lets the user broadcast live at any time to ubroadcast listeners or upload MP3 and WAV music files, commercials, and other pre-recorded content to play on their ubroadcast station 24 hours-a-day. ubroadcast also claims "...several enhanced features will soon be released to provide a full interactive experience between broadcaster and listener unlike anything else currently available in traditional or Internet Radio."
The software is designed to be used by someone with no prior broadcast experience. It is divided into several areas including station content (Add CDs, Add MP3s, Manage Ads, Manage Playlist), station options, LIVE status, and File upload status.
Because the Federal Communications Commission does not regulate Internet broadcasting, broadcasts on ubroadcast are uncensored. In addition to the live user generated content, ubroadcast also offers HD quality music and other premium content stations.
To listen to ubroadcast streams, download the free "player" software available at
ubroadcast.com. At the time of this writing, the "Station Manager" software is also a free download.
I have not been able to accurately assess what - if any - future fees might be in the works from ubroadcast itself. At the moment, the software and broadcasting privileges are at no cost. I have no indication if this is for now or forever.
Then, there's the music royalty issue. Although there are no royalty fees required from a radio show which features talk programming YOU create, incorporating copyrighted music into your broadcast requires either a waiver from the artist (unlikely) or a royalty payment. ubroadcast points out at its website:
"All broadcasters must adhere and agree to the rules set forth in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, (the 'DMCA') as well as our own broadcasting Terms and Conditions. If you have any question as to the use of a particular copyrighted work, or are unsure if you have permission to use it in a broadcast, it is best not to do so."
I inferred from this statement that ubroadcast is suggesting copyright and royalty issues are your concern as the actual broadcaster.
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