We’ve noticed that there’s often a lot of miscomprehension around starting an online radio station. People tend to over-complicate the idea of it, so today we’re going to give it to you straight! Here are the most common misconceptions we hear, and the actual explanation behind them.
1/ It’s going to cost me a fortune
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to starting an online radio station is that it costs a fortune. You’ll be happy to hear that this isn’t necessarily true! You could spend thousands of dollars on the latest equipment, but you can also launch a radio on a budget:
ESSENTIALS:
- Computer/laptop: you’ll need a computer that you can use on a daily basis and that can handle running up-to-date software.
- Good Internet connection: your Internet connection will allow you to upload tracks or broadcast live in high quality.
- Radio host: in order to create your online station, you’ll need a radio host like RadioKing. Our prices range from $19/ month (or $190/year) to $119/ month (or $1190/year). Plus, we offer a free 14-day demo!
OPTIONAL:
- Microphone: you can use the built-in microphone on your laptop, however, if you’d like a more professional sound quality there are two options:
👉 XLR Microphone: plugs into a mixing desk or audio interface to connect to your computer.
👉 USB Microphone: plugs directly into your computer.
View our selection of best budget microphones here. - Mixer: if you use an XLR microphone, you will need a mixer in order to connect it to your computer.
Check out our selection of best budget mixers here. - Headphones: if you have a headset or an old pair of earphones/headphones lying around, they’ll do the job. However, if you want a better sound quality we invite you to check out our article on best budget headphones.
2/ I need lots of technical knowledge
This may come as a surprise to you, but you don’t need specific technical knowledge to start an online radio! A lot of people imagine a room full of complicated equipment and servers, but nowadays you can launch a radio from the comfort of your own home.
Here at RadioKing we’ve designed a user-friendly platform that simplifies everything for you. Upload your content, then drag-and-drop it onto your planning tool in order to manage your broadcast. Plus, we’ve got all the articles, tutorials and videos you need in order to get the hang of it.
3/ Online Radio is super time consuming
This popular misconception tends to discourage a lot of people from starting an online radio. It’s true that you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time preparing the concept of your radio station (name, theme, content…) However, when it comes to actually running and maintaining your radio it doesn’t take up more time than any other hobby you may have!
You can schedule your content up to 6 months in advance with our Radio Manager. This allows you to create your own rythme, for example you may choose to do your planning every month, every 2 months, every 3 months etc…. Plus, if you didn’t have time to schedule anything to broadcast on your radio, don’t panic! The Radio Manager will automatically broadcast random tracks from your music library to make sure that something is always playing.
As long as you have a computer and an Internet connection, you can access your Radio Manager anywhere. This allows you to log-in and work on your radio station from pretty much anywhere. For example, if you have a train journey you can use your commute time to work on your radio.
Find out how to save time when starting a radio station.
4/ I need my own website
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a website in order to start an online radio. When you create a radio station with RadioKing, we provide you with your own Radio Page on our listening platform. Your audience can listen to your radio station directly via this page, and see any messages that you may have posted. There are many different ways to share your radio station such as online directories, the RadioKing listening app…
Discover all of the different ways to share your radio station!
Creating a website can be a great idea to help boost the SEO of your online radio and make it easier to discover. If you’re interested in creating a website for your radio, RadioKing offers 3 customisable website templates for all of your online radio needs. Test our free 7 day demo!
5/ I need a professional radio studio
You may think that in order to run a station and broadcast live, you need a professional radio studio with soundproofing and high-end equipment. Guess what? You don’t! As we saw earlier, you can launch your online radio from the comfort of your home with the essentials: an Internet connection, a computer and a microphone.
If you’re thinking about creating a dedicated space for your radio project, check out how we created our own radio studio!
6/ You can’t make money from online radio
Of course you can! There are many ways that you can monetise your online radio station. You may not become rich overnight, however you’ll find that there are simple things you can put in place in order to help fund your project in the long-run.
Discover all of the different ways to make money from your radio station!
7/ I need to broadcast 24/7
With online radio stations, your stream is available 24/7 however this doesn’t mean that you need to be sitting in front of your computer all that time. Once you have scheduled your content to broadcast via the Planning Tab, we take care of the rest! This means that once you’ve finished scheduling, you can turn off your computer and relax. Your radio station will continue to broadcast.
You can, of course, broadcast live whenever you like. When your live broadcast is over, your scheduled content will automatically take over again.
8/ I need to have experience in the radio world
You don’t have to be a professional DJ, or have any experience in radio in order to start your own station. There’s no need for a PhD in engineering when it comes to selecting music or creating playlists. Essentially, it’s YOUR radio station, so you can do whatever works best for you.
You may need some practice when it comes to live broadcasting, but if you choose a topic that you’re passionate about and prepare a script, you’ll be just fine. (We believe in you!)
Discover our top tips on how to master your radio voice!
We hope that this article has clarified some misconceptions of online radio for you, and that you’re now ready to take the leap!
