How to Do an Internet Radio Show

Interested in hosting your own radio show? You're in the right place.

We see a lot of stations here at Radio Cult. That means we see even more shows. There is more variety in radio shows than you can imagine - from talk shows to music, live streams to pre-recorded shows and more. So if you're looking to start an online radio show then we can help.

We have some tips to help you on your way but if you're more of a visual learner then check out our post on the best movies and tv shows based on radio to grab some inspiration from people, both real life and fictional, who have come before.

Now, let's get into it.

Radio show format

First things first – you need to decide the format of your show. There are actually quite a few different categories here but let's keep it simple.

Some common format options to choose from are:

• Live vs pre-recorded
• Manual vs automated

Live vs pre-recorded

This is one of the first things you'll need to decide - do you want your show to be live or pre-recorded? Neither option is better, they both have advantages and disadvantages.

Live shows allow you to have more interaction with your audience. Especially with tools like chat rooms. However, you need to make sure you're prepared for your live show so that everything goes smoothly.

Pre-recorded shows give you the flexibility to record your show whenever suits you best. You can prepare, perform multiple takes, all in a time frame that suits you. Then, you can schedule it to automatically air on your station whenever is the best for you, your listeners or your station. The trade-off here is limited interaction with your audience.

Manual vs automated

This one might sound a bit odd, but it's actually a very real consideration with the internet radio broadcasting technology of today.

A manual show is where you're choosing all the content - whether that be music, guests, panels, you name it. You're responsible for mixing it together and putting it out via your internet radio stream.

Manual shows are great but can be tricky if you have hours of content to fill. What do you do if you want to create a regular show that's a bit less stress? The answer is an automated show.

With powerful broadcasting technology, online radio providers can mix your songs together for you. Either mixing and fading a pre-defined and ordered playlist, shuffling a large playlist to ensure freshness or even generating dynamic playlists.

The best part is that you're still in charge of organising the content in your station's media library. An automated system won't play out anything you haven't uploaded and tagged. You're still in control of your station's sound but the individual song / media choices can be made for you – greatly decreasing the amount of effort you need to put in.

Radio show content

Now that you have your format sorted, it's time to discuss content. The actual audio that will be playing during your show.

The format you choose may very well impact your content, not every type of content goes well with all formats.

Talk content

Talk is one of the mainstays of radio. The range of this content type is absolutely massive. From guest panels, interviews, comedy sketches to political discussions - you name it.

Talk shows are a great way to showcase your personality and what you and your station stand for.

If you have the gift of the gab then feel free to wing this category. However, most people aren't that comfortable with making content up on the fly so it's generally best to prepare your questions or other content before each episode.

Music content

Music is, unsurprisingly, the other hallmark of radio. Music has been a mainstay of human culture since the beginning and will continue to be so.

However, just because you opt for a music-based radio show doesn't mean you don't need to talk. You can go pure selector mode and just bang out one track after another but most people do prefer some light commentary over the music. There's a reason they're choosing to listen to your radio show rather than a Spotify playlist.

Do ensure you research the different licensing and royalty regulations for radio in your country. Factors you may have to consider are whether you're playing royalty free audio, whether your radio is online only or dual-broadcasting on FM, the country your station is in and more.

Other

There is a whole world of content that can fit in a radio show. You can live stream events - whether that's interviewing guests at an art show, performers at a music festival or even conferences.

You can even do plays on radio, or interludes, skits, historical treatises– you name it, the world is your oyster when it comes to online radio content.

Choose whatever feels like the right fit for you and your radio station.

Radio show details

Now it's time for the finer details. They may seem small but they can heavily impact the success and popularity of your radio show.

Some common things to consider are the names of your show, any promotional artwork or logo, even your broadcasting schedule (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly etc).

Choose your radio station

Once your show is all planned out you need to consider where your show is going to air. Are you going to start your own radio station? Do you want to join the roster of an existing station?

The nice thing is that you can do both. Many stations do guest appearances and share syndicated content. It's a very real thing to have your own station and also appear regularly on another internet radio station.

If you want to join an existing station then you'll need to find one that aligns with your values and choice of show topic and has a spot at a time that works for you.

If you're leaning towards starting your own station then you'll need to find a platform that has the features you want, is in your price range and that you think can support you from conception to success. You'll need to consider how much storage you need, how many listeners you expect to have, what tools you want to integrate with and how many different presenters you think your station will need.

Your answers to the above questions will then determine what software and equipment you'll need to buy.

Some stations may have dedicated spaces with equipment you can use to broadcast. If you're looking to broadcast from home then you may need to invest a small amount in equipment for yourself – such as microphone, mixer, computer and a solid network connection.

And you're done

With all of that behind us, all that's left to do is to get out there and start broadcasting. Promote your stream and share it with your friends, family and, hopefully, a few fans!

If you ever have any questions then please reach out. We love independent and community radio here at Radio Cult so we're always happy to help out.