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Webcasting - How to Listen to Internet Broadcasts
There's a revolution brewing in non-commercial radio and there's no telling how it will affect the radio landscape in the next couple of years: webcasting. Tiny community and college stations can now be heard round the world, thanks to the internet. There are even webcasts like Folk Image that have already taken the next logical step and thrown away the Marconi kits altogether. As more people use their computers to listen to the world while they're surfing it, web radio may give international prominence to many high quality local folk shows, many of which have loyally broadcast this music for decades.
Listening is easy, but not yet as convenient for the average computer user as downloadable midi and MP3 files. There are two ways to listen to folk radio: by listening to live broadcasts or by accessing pre-recorded archives. Either way, you'll need the latest version of RealAudio G2, which you can download from the Real Audio website. Most of the radio websites include a convenient link. Just choose the version that's right for your computer's OS.
Once you have downloaded RealAudio software, simply go to the radio station website of your choice and click on the live audio link if they have one. Some stations can only feed certain locally produced shows; others only webcast from stored archives. The advantage to archives is that you can listen whenever you want to, but they aren't always complete or current.
When you click on the audio link, the station will download a 4K RealAudio document file to your desktop:
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This file does not contain any audio signal, it's just a placemarker to open the RealAudio software and channel the radio bitstream through it. However, the file stays on your desktop even after your session is over. You can trash it or use it as you would an alias to connect to the station's audio feed the next time you want to listen. Depending on your CPU and your internet connection, you may or may not be able to do anything else on the computer while receiving the feed.
So enjoy your favorite folk show while you're on the road or check out some of the country's most knowledgeable DJ's. Now you can have folk radio virtually around the clock. In fact, I'm creating a schedule that will tell you who's broadcasting when, including an instant link to their bitstream. Go to: Webcasting Schedule
(Feel free to help me fill in and diversify the schedule by e-mailing me with your favorite webcasting station, folk show times and RealAudio URL).
Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com
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