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Is Internet Broadcasting/Streaming just for fun?

T

TheMakdaddi

In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like there are sooooo many more competitors out there that internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm too narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I have my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...

From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience with internet streaming, but I thought that's what 'simulcast-streaming' is for.

I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit standpoint).

If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any money, how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based stations?

Anyone care to comment?!
 
Good subject,Good question. From my standpoint, I have 1 internet station. Just recently this weekend, launched another one. I do it for a hobby and experimental purposes at the moment hopefully I might be able to make a business out of it in the future. Where I believe once when the Quality of service and cell sites (WIFI's) are one day planted, I think it will cause alot of competiition with not only terrestrial, but satellite as well.
The problem with internet only at the moment is the inconsistencies of the thousands of programmers out there. It's a hobby as first, but you have everybody from teens to adults putting up some kind of programming, especially on the likes of LIVE 365, shoutcast, and quite of few others.

Live 365 pretty much leases bandwidth to the customers who are the radio stations on there. For the stations who purchase the non pro packages, it's pretty much a hobby for most. The thing I personally don't like is the CD changer effect and the flatish sound your gonna get when you use the Live 365 servers. My point as a listener.
I myself added my automation equipment and processors to avoid that effect. It makes it easier to consistently change programming without spending time uploading which causes alot of the stations to sound the same over and over and causes tune out listening. When the hobbyists see their rankings start going down, (due to lack of time changing, or just ran out of programming), they start to dissappear.

The good thing about it is there's a myriad of formats out there, some are good, clever or terrible. But hey, it's a choice that's offered to you for free and your choice for sharing or relating to someone else's taste.

At the moment, it's not too far around the corner, there will be devices like the ipod, and the mifi's (XM) that you will be able to walk around town or the world with your favorite pre-set internet radio stations to listen too. There will be more portable and eventually in the cars too...but alot further down the road (unless you can Ipod that with a wireless FM transmitter. But the average person isn't aware of that unless it's shown or presented it in their face.

I have a few products I'm going to try to promote on the station without making a commercial out of it, but drop down 5-10 second promos to lead that person to the internet site for advertising.
The point is to make the web site the commercial while you still stream music.
And find the product you can sell nation or world wide. I don't mean sell Joe's Bar and Grill or Cissy's gift shop that's around the corner.
Internet sales are up in the nation 24%, and driving to malls for gifts or necessities for me are dreadening. I hate those malls, and shopping centers are also more and more crowded for parking.

There are many internet stations that have an average cume share of no more then 1 listener. And there are stations on Live 365 like Mak radio, Soulsville, that have up to a 1000 listeners cume share. That's a lot for net casting. It depends also how much your bandwidth will allow.
A former disc jockey put up a site back 5 years ago and was drawing 200 listeners average world wide. Had to take it down due to copyright problems.
On Shoutcast I see very high numbers for many, but I've seen debates posted in the past about how accurate it is. I wouldn't now what to tell you if that's true or not.

As far as terrestrial simulcasting on the web, the AM/FMer's are not aloud to broadcast their on-air commercials on the web. Yes they can sell seperate commercials for their web streaming, but that seems slow as well. Because you can still get the same corporate broadcasting over the air, but with internet streaming... obviously you can't. (unless you decide to pirate it).

I'm going trial and error with trying to make money with my project. What else do I have to lose. That's why you get in for the fun of it first, and the business part hopefully will follow.
How do you think terrestrial radio did it back in the 20's. Hobbyist set up signals and studios in the garage and basement putting out anything that speaks or makes sounds, and Americans spent over 6 million dollars on receivers just to hear these signals which formed these stations from out of the garages to corporations today.

It would be interesting if anybody out there would share their experience on how profitable there internet hobby or business is or was without the bullsht in there. It would give us all a lift. Then I won't be afraid to go to clients that my stream grabs an average of 1000 listeners a cume. How about $20.00
a spot.

> In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like
> there are sooooo many more competitors out there that
> internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem
> worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm too
> narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've
> never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I
> practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I have
> my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...
>
> From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into
> the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not
> just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest
> money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC
> licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience with
> internet streaming, but I thought that's what
> 'simulcast-streaming' is for.
>
> I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run
> internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make
> much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit
> standpoint).
>
> If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any money,
> how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you
> rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based
> stations?
>
> Anyone care to comment?!
>
 
The next five years or so will be the shakeout phase of webcasting. My webstream is mostly a hobby/diversion thing (a friend calls it "new age ham radio"). It is the logical growth of the album parties my friends and I threw back in the vinyl days. We'd all meet at somebody's house with our obscure imported records and play them and make cassette dubs. With the webcast, the listening parties have now expanded to the internet where anyone can join in. The recent appearance of podcasting extends it still further, and I have several podcasts in circulation right now. This do-it-yourself method of radio is fun but at this point I have no delusions about it becoming a commercial medium. There are more streamers than listeners, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Webcasting is at the same point where AM radio was in the 1920s. Radio was a brand new thing, regarded as miraculous by some and as a fad that would never last by others. Radio listeners were mostly hobbyists intent on pulling in elusive DX catches. Stations like WBT in Charlotte NC and KDKA in Pittsburgh PA started in garages and back rooms, but today they are heritage institutions worth millions. There will probably be mega-webcasters at some point in the distant future where all of our electronic media will enter the home on one wire. If I'm still around then, I intend to be the webcasting equivalent to Ted Turner, but we need a Paley or Sarnoff to enter the game too. Eventually the divisions between AM, FM, TV, shortwave and internet broadcasting will fade and it will all become generic electronic media. Meanwhile, I'll keep on truckin' with my "new age ham radio" and you're all invited to listen.


KL

<a href="http://home.nc.rr.com/gttyson/lastradio.html">The Last Radio Station<a>


<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
Or, think of it this way:
Commercial radio will have been a fun experiment for about a century, but the time has come to move on. Their has to be a better way than to subject the listener to any level of non-program material. For me, I chose the satellite delivered subscription model when it became available. I will have streaming in my car, soon enough.<P ID="signature">______________
Proud 2 B a pioneering satellite radio subs¢riber
Ai4i is always on the trailing edge of technology
______________</P>
 
With the right business plan internet radio could be profitable. However the biggest obstacle is Sound Exchange. Their royalties are 10 times that of ASCAP, BMI, & SESAC. Until those rates are lowered it will be very difficult to turn a profit especially with high bandwidth costs. The competition factor is really not a factor, you just have to build your business in a pure competition market rather than an oligopoly like exists in Radio. Farming is a good industry to benchmark..some farmers are very succesful, others are out of business in a few years. Internet radio will be the same, those that have some broadcasting background or learn the trade will prosper the rest will fade, and others will have small stations for fun.

In my 1 1/2 years of full time net casting I've seen an audience growth that has doubled about every 6 months. Unfortunately in the next 6 months I'm going to have to make the tough decision to either increase costs or remain at the same audience size due to listener caps. Maybe after I complete my MBA I'll look at more than a hobby.





> In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like
> there are sooooo many more competitors out there that
> internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem
> worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm too
> narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've
> never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I
> practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I have
> my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...
>
> From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into
> the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not
> just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest
> money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC
> licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience with
> internet streaming, but I thought that's what
> 'simulcast-streaming' is for.
>
> I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run
> internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make
> much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit
> standpoint).
>
> If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any money,
> how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you
> rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based
> stations?
>
> Anyone care to comment?!
>
 
> Or, think of it this way:
> Commercial radio will have been a fun experiment for about a
> century, but the time has come to move on. Their has to be
> a better way than to subject the listener to any level of
> non-program material. For me, I chose the satellite
> delivered subscription model when it became available. I
> will have streaming in my car, soon enough.
>

My webcast is strictly a hobby.

As for Live 365...forget them. Please try: www.loudcity.net Better rates, better service, better operators.<P ID="signature">______________
Mike
MOR Memories - Class from the Past
http://www.mormemories.com
































</P>
 
> In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like
> there are sooooo many more competitors out there that
> internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem
> worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm too
> narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've
> never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I
> practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I have
> my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...
>
> From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into
> the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not
> just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest
> money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC
> licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience with
> internet streaming, but I thought that's what
> 'simulcast-streaming' is for.
>
> I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run
> internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make
> much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit
> standpoint).
>
> If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any money,
> how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you
> rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based
> stations?
>
> Anyone care to comment?!
>

I ran a internet radio station fulltime from my studio at home and I sold CA time! It paid for the DSL service and Website. it can be done you just have to put in alot of time.
<P ID="signature">______________
Sean Nizzle
The Sean Nizzle Show.</P>
 
I for one am very pleased with the results I have had with Live365. My station, "SuperStation WXRB", is for the most part, an all automated oldies station. It is like a second channel for my FM'er WXRB-FM (95.1/Dudley, MA). It's the same format (music wise), but is separate and unique from the FM... and is run from my home and streamed to California (Live365). The only simulcast with WXRB-FM is on Sunday nights at 11:00 PM/Eastern when we run Max Schmid's "Mass Backwards, featuring Jean Shepherd" (from WBAI/New York, on a two week delay). I'm hoping to get even more syndicated product, unique to the webstream. The webcast is somewhat of a hobby, but I do put in a lot of time and effort to make it enjoyable. The webcast ( http://wxrbfm.com ) is streamed in 64K mp3PRO/Stereo, with a little help from an Orban Optimod 8100A. Sure, Live365 does limit some of the high-end frequency response. But it is still very pleasing to the ear. Live365's service has been very good for me. The webcast is fully ASCAP, BMI and SESAC compliant, thanks to their licensing agreements. $300 a year is all it takes. 73.

Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
CE/GM, WXRB-FM and "SuperStation WXRB"



> My webcast is strictly a hobby.
>
> As for Live 365...forget them. Please try: www.loudcity.net
> Better rates, better service, better operators.
> <P ID="signature">______________
Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts</P>
 
sports is only way

I broadcast local sports and have made a living for almost two years - getting better by the day. Just signed a contract with the NCAA to broadcast seven of their hockey tournaments via internet. You'll NEVER make money playing music - you've got to do talk or sports -




> In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like
> there are sooooo many more competitors out there that
> internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem
> worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm too
> narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've
> never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I
> practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I have
> my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...
>
> From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into
> the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not
> just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest
> money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC
> licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience with
> internet streaming, but I thought that's what
> 'simulcast-streaming' is for.
>
> I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run
> internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make
> much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit
> standpoint).
>
> If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any money,
> how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you
> rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based
> stations?
>
> Anyone care to comment?!
>
 
Re: sports is only way

> I broadcast local sports and have made a living for almost
> two years - getting better by the day. Just signed a
> contract with the NCAA to broadcast seven of their hockey
> tournaments via internet. You'll NEVER make money playing
> music - you've got to do talk or sports -
>
>

i disagree. With a solid business plan you can make money selling anything. I'm sure at one point somoene said..bottled water? that will never sell.





>
>
> > In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like
>
> > there are sooooo many more competitors out there that
> > internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem
> > worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm
> too
> > narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've
>
> > never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I
>
> > practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I
> have
> > my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...
> >
> > From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into
> > the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not
> > just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest
> > money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC
> > licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience
> with
> > internet streaming, but I thought that's what
> > 'simulcast-streaming' is for.
> >
> > I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run
> > internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make
> > much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit
> > standpoint).
> >
> > If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any
> money,
> > how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you
> > rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based
> > stations?
> >
> > Anyone care to comment?!
> >
>
 
FREE programming internet radio

Spam.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by SamBuca on 10/15/05 11:34 AM.</FONT></P>
 
I Run Phat Beats Radio my plan is hobby but to promote a hosting enough so I get free shoutcast hosting and get a dj that djs for my station and also does web design and can do updates on the stations web site from time to time. I would like to make money some day but it not important just get free hosting & free updates to the web site that is it.<P ID="signature">______________
Radio Pirates Forum http://www.phpbbforfree.com/forums/index.php?mforum=radiopirates Phat Beats Radio http://209.82.178.23:9000/listen.pls 128kbps http://209.82.178.23:9100/listen.pls 56kbps</P>
 
Re: sports is only way

I'd have to agree. We just finished our first year of carrying athletics for seven area high schools and have signed up three more for baseball season. While we have yet to make any real money we've at least not lost any. That said, my business partners and I are each invested to the 5 digit level in the company and NONE of us will be giving up our "real" jobs anytime soon.

We look at it as a labor of love, an investment in our futures and a way of giving back to the community.


> I broadcast local sports and have made a living for almost
> two years - getting better by the day. Just signed a
> contract with the NCAA to broadcast seven of their hockey
> tournaments via internet. You'll NEVER make money playing
> music - you've got to do talk or sports -
>
>
>
>
> > In comparison to 'terrestrial broadcasting', it seems like
>
> > there are sooooo many more competitors out there that
> > internet users can choose from that it just doesn't seem
> > worth the effort (from a business standpoint). Maybe I'm
> too
> > narrow-minded, but speaking from personal experience: I've
>
> > never listened to a streaming broadcast in my life...and I
>
> > practially live in front of my computer. In contrast, I
> have
> > my AM/FM radio on in the car every second I'm driving...
> >
> > From a business standpoint (i.e. If I'm going to get into
> > the radio business, I want to make some money at it...not
> > just do it for fun), doesn't it make more sense to invest
> > money in a terrestrial station, even with hefty FCC
> > licenses? Granted: you can reach a 'worldwide' audience
> with
> > internet streaming, but I thought that's what
> > 'simulcast-streaming' is for.
> >
> > I'm not trying to offend or mock the many people who run
> > internet-based radio stations, but I find it to not make
> > much sense for most of us (again...from a business/profit
> > standpoint).
> >
> > If there ARE any internet-only stations that make any
> money,
> > how do you convince advertisers to spend their $$$ on you
> > rather than the ump-teen thousand other internet-based
> > stations?
> >
> > Anyone care to comment?!
> >
>
 
> I Run Phat Beats Radio my plan is hobby but to promote a
> hosting enough so I get free shoutcast hosting and get a dj
> that djs for my station and also does web design and can do
> updates on the stations web site from time to time. I would
> like to make money some day but it not important just get
> free hosting & free updates to the web site that is it.
>
No.
www.wnar-am.com
 
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