internet-radio.com
The decline of physical music sales doesn't mean that music isn't appreciated anymore. Thanks to the rise of streaming services, people can access any track or album from anywhere - at home, at work, or in college - all they need is an internet connection.
The rise of streaming services has introduced services such as Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music to us. It has also brought about a transformation in the internet radio industry. Today, you'll find dozens of quality websites broadcasting radio stations from across the world. These multichannel radio station networks aggregate and boast anywhere between 5,000 to 500,000 radio stations on their network.
What is Internet-Radio?
Internet-Radio as a website is different from the term 'internet radio'. Former is a platform where you can find nearly 30,000 radio stations whereas the latter is a term used to describe radio services over the internet (includes everything radio streaming related).
Why should you stream Internet Radio?
We've seen most of these massive radio directories boasting anywhere between 10,000 and 50,000 radio stations. Internet-Radio sits pretty at 28,453 radio stations which are expected to cross 35,000 by the end of 2020. I love the diverse stations on this network - primarily from across the globe.
Popular Genres
There is a great variety of genres on this website, some of which I enjoy listening to such as Smooth Jazz, Classical, Classic Rock, Country, Rock, Ambient, Dance, Oldies, Trance, Chillout, House and Reggae. There are many other genres such as Hip Hop, Techno, Hindi-language music, Pop music Psytrance Soul Progressive Drum and Bass Disco and Punk.
Start your own station
I like Internet-Radio networks that offer indie creators the opportunity to start their own stations. These networks allow you to be exposed to millions of monthly users and make your station heard with original content. What's amazing is that if you have Shoutcast or Icecast servers, you can get started for free.
Active Forum
If you have any questions about Radio Service Forums or our FAQs, be sure to check out the guide and forum under "Support" for help. If there are still unanswered questions, post them in an active forum where our users can provide helpful answers. This shows that the service provider is interested in its users and is not using the website for passive income.
Community
Internet radio has a very active community. From the developers who provide great support to people engaging on the network, Internet radio allows you to be more than a passive listener. You can find a match using the community section. If you're looking for a DJ or vice versa, you can find one using the community section.
How to access Internet Radio?
You can access the Internet-Radio website by typing the keyword "internet-radio" or by using the following link: Internet Radio. If you already know about the website and would like to share it with your friends and family, you can use the social icons on the homepage for quick sharing.
Design
I wasn't really expecting much from a free radio streaming website, so I wasn't that disappointed. Not every service provider can be on TuneIn Radio or Radio.net's level, and the only disheartening aspect is that the service has nearly 30,000 stations. I don't understand why the developers are working on making the website more intuitive and user-friendly? Not only is the layout vague but the intrusive display banners just leave a sour taste in your mouth.
Header
Upon visiting the website, you would see the header with a white/grey gradient. There are four main elements - Listen, Broadcast, Discuss on the left and a search bar on the right. Each category on the left has detailed options, so let's check them out.
Listen
When you click on listen, you'll have a variety of genres to choose from to get started. There are many popular options, such as the 70s, 80s, Ambient, Blues, Chillout, Classical, Drum and Bass, Easy Listening, Heavy metal, Hip hop, Jazz, Metal, Oldies, Psytrance, Reggae and Rock.
Broadcast
The website's broadcast tab has three sections: First, there is the ?Start your own station? section which features instructions on how to start your own radio station, and ?Prices? which lists the prices for broadcasting services. The second section contains ?Guides? and ?FAQs? which provide more in-depth information about broadcasting, and the third section is the Control Panel Login page.
Discuss
Under the discussion tab, you'll find four sections - the first section has Forum Home and Contact Us, the second has Support, FAQs, Guides and Pre-Sales Questions, the third has Volunteering, Shows, and Music, and the fourth has Chat, News, and Feedback.
Hero Section
The Hero Section on the Internet-Radio website is definitely one of the most off-putting aspects. I don't understand why as a developer you would include so many genres on the website. You could have a colorful banner or classic black/grey banner to match your website's style, but no, there's this cluttered list of genres with ads right underneath the main section.
Body
I like the body section on the website. The Featured Radio Stations column has two columns - one with the name of the station, what's playing now, a link to the source, and genres detail; and one with Add Station if you're a shoutcast or icecast member. If you scroll further, you'll get two options - Free trial for 7 days & Add Station if you're a Shoutcast or Icecast member.
There are four forum threads in the membership option - News, Volunteering, Radio Show, and Music. You can access each of these threads if you want to interact with the users on this platform.
Inner pages
On the homepage, there are inner pages that replicate the body section. I like how they flow evenly and how each inner page has a different radio station - like Drum and Bass has Dance UK Radio, Sound Fusion Radio, Party Vibe Radio, Underground FM, and ZOMP Radio. Each of these radio stations has stats like Listeners, Quality, and classification (Featured or Popular).
Content
If your music collection is something you've grown tired of, turning back to the radio is always a good option. Especially with internet radios available across the web, it's easier to listen to any channel you want from around the world on a website. Just choose the genre you want to listen to and you'll get a list of dozens of radio stations that play the genre of music you love.
Internet Radio lets you access nearly 30,000 radio stations and listen to podcasts. Tune into thousands of internet radio stations live and access over two dozen genres.
Desktop/Mobile experience
I accessed the internet radio on my Pixel 3a and had a decent experience. Though I have to admit that most of the channels are low quality and only a few of them offer 320kbps bitrate. For example, when I browse through the Drum and Bass category, Party Vibe Radio offered HQ streaming, while the rest of the stations where under 128kbps or less. In my opinion, 128kbps is still acceptable but 64kbps simply isnât enough.
Plans & Pricing
Internet-Radio is free to stream, but there are intrusive banner ads that you'll need to deal with from time to time.
Suggestions I have for Internet Radio
I think Internet Radio should focus on their graphic and design to make the new users feel at home. Make an appealing homepage and then place the ads well, not focusing on maximum CPC but rather an amazing user experience.
Conclusion
Internet Radio is a great radio streaming service that you should definitely check out. There are some great channels on the network, and you can enjoy them without any trouble. The detailed descriptions of each station make it easy for you to learn about them before clicking on them, so you can be sure that you're getting good quality audio.