Is setting up a digital radio station your longstanding dream but you don’t know how to go about it?
If yes, this post is for you.
Read on to know about the basic things you have to do to have your own digital radio station in North Carolina.
Step 0 – Dare We Share
Before you start with your radio station thing you really need to take a look at Dare We Share series of Adult Time. It’s all about having the very best three-way fun in your relationship. One lucky dude versus two beautiful women. How it’s gonna end? Are you brave enough to find out?
Step 1
Equipment You Will Need
Some fundamental tools you need for the digital station include a computer with a good internet connection and the content you want to broadcast such as talk shows (pre-recorded) or music.
A top quality microphone and a professional program for digital recording are other essentials you will need if you want to broadcast sports shows or introduce comments between tunes or talk radio.
Step 2
Find A Service Provider
Once you have the necessary basic equipment ready, the next step is to find the right service provider. A provider for stream hosting is necessary for establishing a platform on which you can upload all your automated playlists. Live broadcasting is also best done via a service provider using encoder like Altacast.
Finding a suitable provider that meets all your basic needs is a difficult but doable process. You need to put in some effort to research the various features offered by the providers and choose a provider that meets your requirements fully.
Step 3
Use A Streaming Source
Apps like Winamp for playing music and Edcast for streaming and Icecast 2 for serving the broadcasting are needed. The pairing of Edcast and Icecast2 is easy to configure for the different radio server types and the audio formats.
If you are thinking of broadcasting in MP3 style, which is compatible with older players, download special.DLL file in zipped form, unzip it and add lame_enc.dll in the root directory of Winamp present under Drive C.
Step 4
Source App Configuration
When the streaming source is ready, set Edcast plug-in to use your Winamp playlist or microphone jack. You can disable or enable microphone by clicking on the mic icon. If you have disabled the mic, use Winamp for input. This can be checked by activating the app by clicking on the sound level meter and playing music via Winamp. By toggling the microphone on and off, you can verify whether the input radio is working or not.
Step 5
Once You Have The Basic Setup Ready Here Are A Few Things To Consider
Use ads for making money – The money you have to pay for the provider can be reduced by playing commercial ads on your digital station. If you want to run ads of your own or do not want ads, you have to find a provider who can work under these conditions.
Total listening hours – The time for listening provided by the service provider varies based on the plan you have chosen from your service provider.
Automated/live broadcasting – Whether you do not want to have live broadcasting and prefer setting up your playlist and make it automated, or want live broadcasting or a blend of both, ensure the service provider offers such help.
Licensing – This is very important as the regulations differ from one country to another and within the states too. So check for the North Carolina regulations you have to satisfy for the smooth running of your radio station. For USA audience, using radio licensing organisations like ASCAP, BMI and Sound Exchange is a good option. When you have the basics in place, you will be able to have a good start, and as you increase your listener count, you can make further additions and enhancements to make your radio station popular.