Have You Discovered Internet Radio Yet?

In the last year or two I've become a big fan of Internet radio. I even bought a separate Internet radio receiver, so I that can listen to my favourite stations from around the world anywhere in the house via our wireless broadband network.

So I very much enjoyed reading the article by Miranda Sawyer about Internet radio in last Sunday's Observer newspaper. You can view the article by clicking on this link, but you may need to register (which is free) before you can read all the content.

In her article Miranda explains that she has been listening to Internet radio virtually non-stop for the previous week, and she begins entertainingly by listing some of the weirder offerings she discovered...

Over the past seven days, I've checked out Sahaja Yoga Radio (ooble-booble happy hippie sounds); Mouseworld Radio ('The Disney Vacation Station', a housework fave); A Fistful of Soundtracks (tunes from films and TV, surprisingly listenable); Sirens of Song (only plays music made by women, for gender-sensitive ears) and Radio DavidByrne.com (sample track: Jimmy Durante singing 'It's My Nose's birthday').

Sorry I've not hyperlinked these, but you should be able to find the stations easily enough via search engines if you're interested. Miranda recommends Live365.com as a great resource for discovering Internet radio stations that appeal to you, though she warns that there is a lot of advertising to wade through on the site.

The article also lists some of Miranda's favourite Internet radio stations, and one of these I was pleased to see is a favourite of mine as well. Radio Paradise broadcasts from Paradise, California, and describes its style as eclectic rock radio. You'll hear current and older tracks from both well known and obscure artists here. The emphasis is on soft rock, but every so often the station throws in a bit of jazz or even classical. I've discovered a number of bands and artists I like through listening to Radio Paradise - Porcupine Tree, Mostly Autumn, Hooverphonic and Riverside, to name a few - and it has jump-started me into buying modern music again.

And, of course, there is WritersFM, WCCL's Internet radio station for writers. There's a growing range of in-depth interviews with writers on the station, including top copywriter Joe Vitale, former British politician turned broadcaster Edwina Currie, US writing guru Randy Ingermanson, and many others (including myself, of course!). Do tune in if you haven't already. You can also download the interviews separately as podcasts if you like.

You don't need expensive software to listen to Internet radio. Windows Media Player (bundled free with most versions of Microsoft Windows) or the free RealPlayer will do just fine, though you will need a broadband Internet connection in most cases. So why not read Miranda Sawyer's article, check out a few Internet radio stations, and join the growing band of Internet radio aficionados!