Also unique is Live365’s role as incubator of the “radio revolution.” Live365 provides tools for individuals and businesses to create Internet radio stations, which are then hosted on Live365 servers. For as little as $10 per month, Live365 will host a station that will support up to 25 simultaneous listeners. This has brought programming within reach of huge new pool of broadcasters, and made it feasible for stations to focus on specialized programming that would not have been economically feasible in the past. The result: Live365 offers a variety of programming that cannot be matched by any of the major corporate Internet radio services. With thousands of broadcasters and millions of listeners, Live365 is a major force in Internet radio.

Tying this community of broadcasters together is a common directory and music database which allows listeners to find stations of interest. With Live365, you can browse stations in approximately 60 genre categories or search for stations using the following criteria:

The resulting station listings provide further information about each station. This includes total listener hours, which tells you how much a station has been listened to in the last 30 days; station ratings, which tells you how listeners have rated the station; and speed, which tells you the bit rate (sound quality) that a station is streaming at. You will also see if a station is broadcast as an MP3PRO (higher quality) stream or simply as an MP3 stream. If you still can’t decide, you can click on the play random link and a station from the listing will be picked at random and played.

The resulting station listings provide further information about each station. This includes TOTAL LISTENER HOURS, which tell you how much a station has been listened to in the last 30 days; STATION RATINGS, which tells you how high listeners have rated the station; and SPEED, which tells you the bit rate (sound quality) that a station is streaming at. You will also see if a station is broadcast as an MP3PRO (higher quality) stream or simply as an MP3 stream. If you still can’t decide, you can click on the PLAY RANDOM link and a station from the listing will be picked at random and played.

Think of Live365 as a giant library of on-demand musical styles and programming mixes. Or a portal into the record collections of music aficionados the world over. The sheer scope and range of offerings promote serendipity—the accidental discoveries of new music you would never have thought to seek out. Alternately, Live365’s targeted search capabilities allow you to quickly find stations that meet well-defined search criteria. If your mood changes, it is easy to switch to another channel—particularly if you have used the presets function to develop a collection of favorite stations.

If a great song catches your notice, a quick glance at the online playlist will tell you the song, artist, and album/CD name. To bookmark a song for future reference, all you have to do is click on the icon located to the right of the displayed song name. This will add the song to your WISHLIST for future reference. From the track information window you will have the option to order the CD (if available) or buy the download. Windows users have the option of buying downloads from either the iTunes Music Store or the MSN Music store, while Macintosh users can buy from the iTunes Music Store.

Live365 will also recommend new stations based on the station you have added to your presets lists. Each listener’s my live365 page has a recommendations tab where these are displayed.

The main strength of Live365—its huge body of grass roots, Internet enthusiast broadcasters—is also the source of its main weakness: the uneven quality of programming. Detractors have likened it to an Internet version of public access television, lacking in the polish and professionalism of commercial broadcasts. Most stations are broadcasting looping playlists created by the broadcaster. Listen long enough and you’ll start hearing the same songs. The better stations have really long playlists and change them frequently. If you want truly “Live” broadcasts, then select stations designated as “Live.” Live365 has addressed this issue by allowing listeners to rate stations. Stations with lots of high ratings tend to be safer bets.

Live365 can be accessed for free, but registration is required. Periodic advertisements are served up via Web-based “pop-up” ads and audio ads. Once you have registered, you can customize your radio settings and maintain a personal list of radio presets.

Live365 also offers a “VIP Preferred Member” option that provides ad-free listening, and access to more stations and better quality (MP3PRO encoded) music streams. VIP members can also use Live365’s premium player software, Radio365. A no-commitment, one month VIP membership costs $5.95. A three-month subscription costs $4.95 per month, and increasing discounts are offered for increasing commitment levels: six months at $4.45 per month; twelve months at $3.95 per month; and twenty-four months at $3.65 per month. Free trials are available for the VIP Preferred Member subscriptions. Gift certificates can also be purchased. Payment can be made using credit cards, Paypal, a money order, or a certified check.

You will need to register with Live365 (http://www.live365.com) and configure a media player capable of playing MP3 streams using the instructions provided. Windows PC and Macintosh users are recommended to use the Radio365 player, which provides the best user experience. See Chapter 27, Live365 Discovery Plan, for a detailed seven-day plan showing you how to get up-to-speed with Live365, and get the most out of its features.

• Internet Radio: Leaving Your Home Town 
• A Look at Classical Music on Live365
• Live365 Update: New version of Radio365 player is available
• A Station for Every Situation: Touring the Wilds of Live365
• Get Your Playlist On! (music mix resources)

LAUNCHcast Rhapsody iTunes

eMusic Musicmatch