Front End Gear and the Legal Side

Let's move backwards a step and look at where your audio content comes from in the first place. If you are using material that already exists in a digital format, then you may need nothing more than the encoder software. Material on CDs can be converted to computer-readable formats by using a "ripper" software package. Although the encoder packages include some basic audio editing tools, if you want to do anything fancy with your programming, you'll probably want some sort of audio editing software package.

If your source material is not in the digital domain, for example analog tapes or a broadcast of a live event, then you'll need an audio card to get the sounds into the computer. And I don't mean a SoundBlaster, but a professional-quality audio recording card like those reviewed in The Tapeless Studio. Or better yet, a set of DA/AD (digital-analog/analog-digital) converters with a digital audio card. You'll also need whatever front-end gear (microphones, mixer) you need to capture the desired content. If you mean to do the traditional radio show thing, complete with a DJ, nifty fades, bumpers and so on, then you'll need pretty much all the same stuff that a traditional radio studio needs (minus the transmitter, of course).

The Legal Side

If you are broadcasting only original material, or material that you have the rights to, then you can skip this section. But if you plan to use copyrighted material, then you need to know about how performance rights work. Yes, you can use just about any recorded material out there, as long as you pay the proper fees to the proper folks. The catch is that this can be a bit complicated.

When a radio station plays a recording of a song, a fee is due to both the owner of the copyright in the song (usually a music publisher), and the owner of the copyright in the recording itself (usually a record company). Fees for songwriters and publishers are collected by three performing rights organizations: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. The record companies' fees are administered by the RIAA. Radio stations must register with these organizations and pay a yearly fee, which is based on revenue, audience size, etc. By the way, online broadcasts are NOT covered by the same blanket license that covers traditional broadcast, so existing radio stations that add an online channel must pay an additional fee to the performing rights organizations.

The performing rights organizations allow small fish (which includes most Internet-only broadcasters) to pay a flat, reasonable yearly fee, and are making a good effort to make the process simple for the millions of small operators that are springing up. Nonetheless, sorting out how to "get legal" with all four of these outfits can be time-consuming. A good primer on how performing rights relate to online broadcasting can be found at: http://www.kohnmusic.com/articles/newprimer.html.

Delivering Media - the Technical Side
Building an Internet Radio Station
One Radio Station to Go