Internet radio

Internet radio, also known as online radio, web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio, and IP radio, is a digital audio service that you can listen to through the Internet. Instead of using regular radio waves, internet radio sends music and other audio through the web. This kind of radio is often called webcasting because it travels over the internet rather than through the air.

Internet radio works like traditional radio, playing a continuous stream of audio that you usually can't pause or rewind. This makes it different from downloading music or podcasts. Internet radio offers many types of programming, such as news, sports, talk shows, and many music genres, just like regular radio stations. Some internet radio services are linked to traditional radio stations or networks, but many are completely independent.

The first internet radio service began in 1993. Today, some of the most popular services include TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, and Sirius XM. In the United States, internet radio does not need a special license from the FCC, unlike regular over-the-air broadcast radio.

Internet radio technology

Internet radio services can be accessed from anywhere in the world if you have an internet connection. For example, someone in Europe can listen to a station from Australia. Some big networks, like TuneIn Radio, Audacy, Pandora Radio, iHeartRadio, and Citadel Broadcasting in the United States, limit listening to people inside the country because of music rules and ads.

Internet radio is great for people with special interests. You can choose from many different stations and types of music that you might not find on regular radio.

People usually listen to internet radio on a home computer or a smartphone app. Recently, special devices that work like traditional radios have become available.

Streaming technology is used to send internet radio. It uses special formats to make the music small enough to send over the internet. The music is sent in pieces and played a little later, which causes a small delay called lag.

Popularity

In 2003, money made from online music radio was US$49 million. By 2006, this grew to US$500 million. A survey in 2007 found that 19% of people in the U.S. aged 12 and older listened to online radio, meaning about 57 million people each week. More people listened to online radio than to satellite radio, HD Radio, podcasts, or cell-phone-based radio together.

By 2012, popular services like Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and iHeart Radio made up 23% of the music listening time for people aged 13 to 35. Listening to regular radio stations decreased as more people chose online options. By 2014, almost half of all Americans aged 12 and older had listened to online radio in the last month, and the time spent listening kept growing. Younger people, especially teens and young adults, were the most likely to enjoy online radio.

Broadcasting freedoms

Some internet radio stations, like Primordial Radio, choose to use the internet instead of methods like FM or DAB. This lets them create content however they want, without needing approval from groups like Ofcom in the UK. For instance, Ofcom has strict rules about ads, but internet radio stations don’t have to follow those rules.

There was also a big discussion about how much money internet radio stations should pay to musicians. At one point, regulators wanted them to pay 100% compared to the 15% that satellite radio stations paid. This issue was paused when new laws were made in 2008 and 2009.

History

Internet radio began with Carl Malamud, who in 1993 started the first computer-radio talk show called "Internet Talk Radio." That same year, a band named Severe Tire Damage broadcast the first internet concert. By 1994, some radio stations began sharing their shows online, letting people around the world listen to radio from far away.

In November 1994, a radio station called WXYC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, became the first traditional station to broadcast on the internet. Another station, WREK in Atlanta, GA, USA, also started internet broadcasts the same day. Later, in December 1994, a station in Lawrence, Kansas, at the University of Kansas, began one of the first continuous internet radio streams. As more tools became available, many new internet radio stations started appearing.

In 1995, a person named Scott Bourne started NetRadio.com, the first internet-only radio network. In later years, more stations around the world began offering their programs online. Internet radio also gave new ways to share messages along with music. By the late 1990s, internet radio gained attention, and some companies grew very quickly.

As internet technology improved, the sound quality of internet radio also got better. Today, many people can listen to thousands of radio stations from all over the world right on their computers or phones.

Growth of web radio vs FM radio

In 2025, internet radio, also called web radio, became more popular than traditional FM radio in many places. This change happened because of new technology, people’s habits, and more phones and smart devices.

Internet radio lets people listen to stations from around the world and find special types of music not on FM. It also lets users pick their own stations and replay shows, which FM cannot do. Phones, smart speakers, cars, and smart TVs now all can play internet radio, making it easier to use than old FM radios.