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Using your computer to listen to the radio may seem like a strange thing to do, until you realize that there are thousands of radio stations around the world and most of them only broadcast locally. By putting their programming online, these stations can now reach a global audience.
Let's say you just moved to London from Dallas and long for some twanging country guitar. Listen to country & western hits from 99.5 The Wolf right over the Net. Best of all, Internet radio puts you in control. You can listen to what you want, when you want.
The technology that makes this all possible is called streaming audio. "Streaming" means that you don't have to download an entire audio file before the music starts playing. Once a small amount of the file is buffered, the audio begins.
Tune It UpTo listen to radio online, your computer must be equipped with a sound card and speakers or you'll need headphones. You'll also need a stand-alone media player or possibly an audio plug-in for your web browser. If you're not sure what plug-ins are or you want to know how to install them, read our plug-in article.
Another useful audio/video player is RealPlayer from RealNetworks.
These two media players are not cross-compatible; you can't play a RealMedia file with Windows Media Player and visa versa. However, some types of files, like .mp3, will play on both.
Another popular and versatile program is Apple's iTunes for both the Mac and PC. Here's where to get a free download.
Don't expect miracles with online radio. In general, speech sounds better than music. The audio players work adequately with a dial-up connection, but just like the rest of the Net, the faster your connection, the better the results. Regardless, you won't hear hi-fi audio, at least not yet. Streaming audio technology has been improving steadily though, and may soon deliver the crisp sound we've come to expect from CDs. Take ControlOne compensation for the low-fi sound is the control you have over the program. Just like with cassette recorders, software audio players have control panels, so you can play, pause, fast-forward and rewind at will. Also, some online radio programs are indexed, which means you can jump right to the content you want, for instance skipping the weather report to take in the local sports scores.
Turn on Those Tunes
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