Key Takeaways
- Internet radio has unique benefits like global reach and diverse content, differentiating it from music streaming platforms.
- In contrast to algorithm-driven music streaming, internet radio offers the potential for discovering new and diverse music.
- Listening to internet radio can reduce doomscrolling and provide a background of news and events while engaging in other activities.
The only place you listen to the radio might be in a car or on public transport these days, but internet radio stations are still going strong, and they’re an interesting alternative to dominant music streaming platforms.
Did Streaming Kill the Internet Radio Star?
I was listening to internet radio when the music industry was still figuring out how to combat illegal MP3s. So really it’s music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music that came late to the party. For me, what I loved about internet radio was that I was not limited by how far a radio signal could travel when it came to my listening. I could listen to radio stations from the United States, or from Europe with just the click of a button.
It wasn’t just about music either, I loved listening to news and discussions at a time when even YouTube wasn’t really a thing. The first internet radio stations came online in the early 90s, before I even had access to the internet. Of course, it would be some time before professional public and commercial radio stations offered streaming simulcasts of their traditional broadcasts the way they do today.
I have a feeling that most of you reading this mainly stream music from the big services, and get your talk-radio needs fulfilled by podcasts, which is an industry now reaching the peak of its art. However, even in combination, even with Spotify’s cool AI DJ, the experience is still missing something you can only find while listening to live radio.
Streaming Music Is an Echo Chamber of Taste
Sticking to the music side of things for a moment, I used to discover new music on the radio or by watching MTV, when the “M” still stood for something. While there are some brilliant facilities in streaming music services to help you discover new music as well, a lot of this is rather self-reinforcing. In other words, the algorithm has figured out what sorts of musical attributes you already like, and will introduce you to new music that’s very similar in terms of those attributes.
Which means you’re unlikely to encounter something truly fresh, which might end up expanding your existing taste in music, rather than simply reinforcing it. Now, I’m one of those people who will happily change the station when a pop tune comes on that grates my ears, but at least I’ll give it a measure or two to win me over!
A lot of my job involves reading the news, scrolling through blogs, and reading sites like Reddit. As you can imagine, while reading, I can’t write, so it’s a bit of a productivity issue. By listening to internet radio streams, I can avoid the inevitable doomscrolling that happens as I search for something interesting to read, and instead have a stream of news and events in the background. While it’s mostly background noise to me, you can be sure my brain will pick up when something interesting or relevant comes up. It’s also something I put on while cooking, or doing other manual tasks.
Finding the Right Station for You Can Be Transformational
Radio stations are always changing, but when you find one that has the right vibe for you, it can feel like slipping on a well-worn glove. Some radio DJs are insufferable, and others have just the right mix of traits to pull me in and keep me listening.
I’m not sure what the future of internet radio holds, but as far as I can tell it’s still going strong, and is probably the longest continuous form of internet streaming today. With AI DJs, and all sorts of new technology on the horizon, I’d be interested to see how it will affect radio as we know it today, but if it’s been a while since you’ve checked out a site like TuneIn, it’s worth reminding yourself just how cool radio can be.
