Internet
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Is a Radio Webcast?

Troy Holmes
Troy Holmes

A radio webcast is radio program broadcast over the Internet. This type of format is known as radio webcasting. Webcasting is a great way to listen to music and talk shows while surfing the Internet. There are many types of radio stations available, including news webcasts and comedy shows.

Music concerts are often played over a radio webcast. This allows the concert to be heard by more listeners than can hear a traditional radio broadcast or see a show live. These webcasts are typically free for access and available to anyone who has a computer and a telephone network.

Some radio programs broadcast over the internet.
Some radio programs broadcast over the internet.

Another common radio webcast is a news broadcast. Many popular news programs have expanded the use of this format to increase their market shares and audience numbers. The webcast is becoming a standard technique for listening to broadcasts and it is particularly popular with young people.

Most popular FM radio station programs are also available as radio webcasts. This allows a person to listen to a radio station while working on his computer. The quality of the webcast is directly related to Internet speed. This technology uses streaming software that has greatly improved with the expansion of broadband.

A webcast can be a typical broadcast production repackaged for the web.
A webcast can be a typical broadcast production repackaged for the web.

Car radios are quickly evolving to use Internet radio stations. This allows people to listen to Internet radio stations through a dash-mounted car radio. This technology is commonly available through smart phones, but is quickly becoming common in car radios as well.

The primary technology behind radio webcasts is streaming audio. This software sends packets of voice data across the Internet through computer networks. The voice data can become choppy with slow network connections, which is why the quality may be inconsistent. As the computer telecommunication speed improves throughout the world, Internet radio will become the standard method of listening to radio.

Several talk shows provide a radio webcast for the listening community. This is a convenient way to hear news and talk shows at work. Webcast programs may be more risqué than those on broadcast radio because, in the United States, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) standards do not always apply to webcast programs.

The best way to find a webcast radio station or news program is to use an Internet radio directory. Several directories are available on the Internet. These can be found by searching for Internet radio directories either by name or program format.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Some radio programs broadcast over the internet.
      By: dmitrimaruta
      Some radio programs broadcast over the internet.
    • A webcast can be a typical broadcast production repackaged for the web.
      By: redav
      A webcast can be a typical broadcast production repackaged for the web.