Streaming radio

Streaming Radio is music streamed from one location to another in close to real time with the use of smaller data packets. Instead of downloading the entire file prior to listening to the music, a streaming music file is heard while the computer is receiving the data. Hi-fi streaming radio is streamed at 128 kbit/s or above, lo-fi at 32 kbit/s on average. Streaming radio allows broadcasts of radio shows from any broadcaster with a computer, an internet connection, and some type of broadcast software similar to a Winamp plug-in called Shoutcast ( http://www.shoutcast.com ). Listeners simply click on the link to the Shoutcast radio broadcast, and the music begins to stream through a media music player similar to Winamp or Music Match Jukebox.

Other versions of streaming radio are those with a graphic interface that allows for the manipulation of the radio stream. This type of interface allows for users to interact with the streaming music.

=History=

Streaming audio first hit the web in the early 1990 s with the introduction of RealNetworks Real Player. Real Player used a buffering system to play audio before the full music file was downloaded allowing almost instant listening. This allowed for higher quality audio to be embedded into web content. Microsoft soon followed with their introduction of Windows Media Audio (WMA).

=See also=

Streaming media

=Example web-based streaming radio services=

*[http://radioaid.com RadioAid] – Streaming online radio service for unsigned musicians. *[http://systrumsistum.net Systrum Sistum] – Streaming netlabel electronica.

=Example software-based streaming radio services=

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoutcast ShoutCast] – Streaming radio using the Winamp software. *[http://www.musicmatch.com MusicMatch] – MusicMatch media player.