Listeners are the key to the success of your station.
With the vast array of websites and technology available on the web, the process of starting your own online radio station is quite intuitive. However, getting people to listen to your station is not quite as easy.
Instructions
Create an Online Radio Station That People Listen To
1. Create your online radio station at Live365.com. For as little as $5.95 a month, you can download "Studio365," a program that allows you to set a play list of music and audio recordings to keep your online radio station streaming content 24/7.
2. Incorporate long-form talk radio programming into your station by downloading "Studio365-Live" from Live365.com. While Live365 allows you to play copyrighted music as a part of your subscription, you do not stand a chance against major online radio stations like Yahoo! and AOL if all you do is play the same music those stations play. Live programming on a regularly-scheduled basis gives you the chance to differentiate yourself from some stations and interact with a larger percentage of your listening audience than other major stations.
3. Reach out to potential guests. Sure, you might not be able to get Dr. Phil on your little-known station. However, if your live programming serves a certain niche, you may be able to book a lesser-known author who is popular with your audience but not so big that he does not have time to promote his book to a small audience on an online radio station.
4. Using your Live365 account, submit your station to iTunes. While being on iTunes alone will not make your station a success, it does give your station immense distribution and the possibility to reach millions of listeners who can help spread your content virally.
5. Create a page on Facebook for your online radio station. Add as many of your friends as possible and keep the page updated with news about new play lists, interviews, guest DJs and future live programming. Consider creating accounts on Twitter and MySpace to further the social-networking capabilities of your online radio station.
6. Create a website and blog to promote your content. Even if you are just posting interview transcripts and play lists, you need to have something written about your online station. Internet searches still are primarily dependent on text, so the more text referring to your site, the more likely you are to be found. Adding a blog in which you syndicate your live shows through RSS can really help create awareness for your station.
7. Incorporate some of your live programming on BlogTalkRadio. BlogTalkRadio is unlikely to incorporate new channels from start-up users, but you still can host a single program on BlogTalkRadio's live streaming blog radio platform. By uploading some of your talk radio programming to a BlogTalkRadio show, you can promote your online radio station to an entire community of hosts and listeners who engage in online talk radio.
8. Participate on other online radio stations. The best way to grow your station is to be in front of the audience you want listening to your station. Appearances on other stations similar to yours will give you a chance to promote your speople who already consider online radio stations viable forms of content.
