Have you recently had the idea of starting an online radio station - to provide an independent platform for music and artists you love, whilst creating a community of like minded listeners - but are unsure of the initial broadcasting equipment needed to turn this dream into a reality? If so, then you’re in the right place.
The process of purchasing all the broadcasting equipment you’ll need isn’t as daunting as it may initially seem. Once you’ve signed up to Radio Cult (or any other internet radio broadcasting software), the additional live remote broadcast equipment you may consider purchasing is fairly limited. In this blog post, we’ll detail all the other equipment and software needed to start an online radio station. Let’s dive into it!
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The most essential item for a prospective internet radio station is a computer. In fact, a half decent modern computer with a solid internet connection is the only purchase you’ll need to make if you’re really strapped for cash.
Whether you should buy a PC or Mac really comes down to personal preferences as either operating system has a very limited effect on the other equipment and software needed. The computer you ultimately purchase should have an audio input, audio output and USB ports. But there’s no need to stress if your device is lacking the aforementioned ports due to the prevalence of cheap adapters.
Broadcasting software
The next item on our broadcasting equipment list is broadcasting software. These computer programs simply put, encodes audio from your computer and transmits it out to your internet radio platform of choice.
There’s a range of different products to choose from. The more basic tools are generally free and usually only stream audio from your computer with no other functionality. The more advanced products likely require some form of payment, but they do offer more features such as media management or mixing capabilities.
The following list is a selection of the most popular broadcasting software available:
- BUTT (Windows, Mac and Linux): is a free, easy to use, multi-OS broadcasting tool,
- Mixxx (Windows, Mac and Linux): is a free and open source DJ software tool with livestreaming capabilities,
- VirtualDJ (Windows and Mac): is the number one most popular DJ software in the world, but requires a paid subscription for most uses, and
- Audio Hijack (Mac): is a professional-grade recording tool which includes live broadcasting functionality.
For more detailed information on broadcasting software and how to connect them to Radio Cult, please refer to our help section.
Microphones
We now move onto the next item of our list: microphones. The purpose of this type of broadcasting equipment should be self-explanatory. But it's important to note that a microphone is only necessary if you intend to live broadcast someone’s voice. If you intend to only play audio content such as playlists or pre recorded sets, you can probably do without one.
Having clear audio is essential for your station’s audience when listening to one of your presenters. So you do want a reasonable quality microphone. For stations new to the world of online radio, we recommend either the Audio Technica ATR2100x or the Blue Yeti. Both are USB microphones and each is excellent for beginners due to their affordability and ease of use. If you have more experience in broadcasting and are after a more professional setup, we would recommend XLR microphones such as the Shure SM7B paired with an audio interface.
Please refer to these Amazon links for purchasing the aforementioned microphones:
Headphones
The next item on our internet radio equipment list is headphones. Similar to microphones, a detailed explanation as to why your online radio station needs headphones is not warranted. Headphones are so commonplace these days, you already know what they do and you’ll likely have access to a pair already.
Not all headphones are equal however and you’re current set might not be best suited for online broadcasting. Ideally you want a pair which is closed back, is comfortable to wear for extended periods and are compatible with your other broadcasting equipment. We recommend the popular options of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x and the Sony MDR-7506 due to their sound quality and their overall comfort.
Please refer to these Amazon links for purchasing the headphones we mentioned above:
Audio mixers
The final item on our list is audio mixers. Also referred to as mixing desks or broadcasting desks, this type of equipment enhances the quality and control of your online radio station’s audio. An audio mixer as the name implies, receives audio from various sources, which it then mixes and ultimately outputs to multiple channels in a consistent way. Say your internet radio station has a computer, microphone and turntables, adding an audio mixer to this set up would allow your broadcast to seamlessly switch between these different audio sources.
If you’re only just starting out in internet radio, we would recommend the Behringer Xenyx 802S due to its price and its USB connectivity. For a more advanced option, our recommendation would be the Behringer DX2000USB Pro, which offers a greater number of features and inputs.
Please refer to these Amazon links for getting your hands on the mixers we just mentioned:
Decision time
As we laid out above, you can get further than you might expect by bootstrapping hardware you already own to start broadcasting online. If you’re after a more dedicated setup, we hope this blog post has set you on the right track for purchasing the equipment needed to start an online radio station!
With your broadcasting equipment considerations out of the way now. You’ll still need to choose an internet radio broadcasting platform like Radio Cult. So click on the link below to start your 10 day free trial on the platform designed for independent and community radio!
Sign up now and enjoy a 10-day free trial to see how easy it is to transform your broadcasting experience.
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