Gone has the wireless…Listen to Radio Online
Radio signals are used to send electromagnetic signals over long distances for delivering information. The transmitter sends the signals and the receiver picks them up. When radio signals are sent to many receivers at the same time it is known as a broadcast. Sound is sent by radio either through frequency modulation (FM) or amplitude modulation (AM). Guglielmo Marconi is said to have made the first radio and from the first broadcast the radio went on to become an important piece of equipment in homes throughout the world. The radio was the focus of family entertainment and news before television sets were widely available and today the radio has come a long way from the first crystal set that was introduced many years ago. The introduction of pop music and the charts back in 1952 sparked the need for radio stations to be set up worldwide and today with the invention of the Internet there are radio sites available, many of which are free. Listed below are some of the best sites on the Internet today for listening to music. Some of the sites specialise in certain types of music whilst others give a wide spectrum for listening pleasure. For anyone that enjoys music in all its genres the list will be invaluable, so sit back, tune in and enjoy.
1. BBC – http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
BBC Radio is the most popular radio site in the UK and is ranked at number 61 in the world on Alexa.com. There are 18 different stations to choose from for factual, sports, performances, events, news, learning, entertainment, drama, documentaries and comedy. Music is available from many genres such as rock, pop, dance, classical and world to name a few. The schedule of each station is available to view on the site and there is the option to keep track of all your favourites.
2. Last.fm – http://www.last.fm/
Last FM gives you personalised recommendations based on the music you listen to with trending artists, top tracks and popular events near you highlighted. There is a search facility to look for your favourite bands, artists and songs and types of music are rap, pop, jazz, rock, alternative music and many more besides. You can view the music charts and join the community and there are interviews and videos to listen too as well.
3. Aol.com – http://music.aol.com/#/1
AOL music is ranked at number 65 in the world on Alexa.com. There is a search facility for artists, songs and more with music videos to view, articles to read, albums to review and the most popular music news highlighted. Music available is the fresh 40, pop, top jams, 1980s, country, rock and dance with links provided leading to more radio stations. There are music pictures available of the top artists and a list is given of the most popular bands and singers.
4. Tunein.com – http://tunein.com/
Tunein.com has a list of trending radio shows and you can listen to rock, pop, the top 40, country, jazz and hip hop as well as sports and the news. Popular shows and local radio shows are advertised and there is a special section for ‘talk’ radio. You can search for a radio station by location and details of the broadcasters and the team can be found on the site.
5. Radio.com – http://radio.com/
Radio.com has articles to read and videos to watch with the most popular being advertised. There are sections for news, sports and talk and the exclusive section reveals music of the decades, alternative music, country, Christian, classical, hip-hop, Rock, R ‘n’ B, gospel, jazz, blues and Latin. A list of all the shows can be found on the site and you can search for an individual artist or group.
6. Rhapsody – http://www.rhapsody.com/start
Rhapsody gives you the option to choose whichever artist you like and your choice will be played. There are many popular stations to select with certain artists having their own station such as Bruno Mars, Ciara, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Rihanna and J. Cole. Genre music on the site can be chosen by decade, rock, pop, punk, rap, hip-hop, R ‘n’ B, soul, country, jazz, Latin, world, reggae, dance, electronic, classical, blues, folk, gospel and easy listening to name a few and there is even a section for children.
7. Rock Radio 1 – http://www.rockradio1.com/
This site is dedicated to bringing you classic hard rock and heavy metal from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. The site broadcasts 24 hours every day without any commercial interruptions. You can read about the world of rock in the news section and see what album is currently being played. There are files to download and a forum for commenting and chatting and registering to the site is encouraged.
8. Classic fm – http://www.classicfm.com/
Classic FM has lots of music news for classical enthusiasts including articles to read, classical music periods to listen to, news of events and pictures to view as well as stating the order of programmes airing for the day. A long list of artists and composers can be selected and you can discover Baroque, romantic, wedding music, film music and relaxation music to name a few. There are classical music guides and an online music shop and many albums have reviews to read.
9. Jazz FM – http://www.jazzfm.com/
Jazz FM plays the finest Jazz, blues and soul for your listening pleasure. There are illustrated articles to read and you can select music from the play-lists, the presenters, the programmes and the charts. A photo-gallery and social-feeds are given on the site and you can find album reviews and news regarding music events. There is an online shop for purchasing T-shirts and music and full information about the station can be found on the site.
10. Kiss fm – http://www.kissfmuk.com/
Kiss FM has a list of the presenters and the shows with illustrated articles to read as well as news, clubs and events. You can catch up on the latest tweets, read the posts in the blog and enter prize-winning competitions. There is a section for photographs and a special section for musical features plus you can also catch up on the gossip of your favourite singers.
