How You Can Have Your Own Online Talk Show Or Radio Station
You may have dreamed of a career in radio broadcasting but either never had the time to go to college to get a diploma or perhaps you thought the career was just out of your reach. Your dream may still become a reality, however, and it's possible to start your own online talk show or radio station using modern technology that you can access right from your own home.
How can you have your own online talk show or radio station? Here are some of the first steps in beginning your new career.
You Need Equipment
Your first step in starting your online talk radio show or radio station is to get the equipment you will need. When you are first starting out, it's a good idea to keep it as simple as possible, and then you can build up as your station as it grows and you become more comfortable.
You will need a good microphone that will connect to your computer and has a good sound quality. You can make a homemade filter to place in front of it to clear up any speaking noises. You will need a computer that is capable of a good broadband speed and powerful enough to edit your shows should you rather record them than broadcast them live.
You will then need some apps to either play your music, record your talk show, and to broadcast your shows once you have finished them.
You Need a Server
Before you can open your radio station, you need to know how big of an audience do you think you will have. You can start off slowly and grow your station or talk show over time, so it's a good idea to find a server that can accommodate growth in your audience. That way you won't be having to move your station and audience to a different server at a later date.
It's usually a good idea to have a separate server to stream your music or talk radio station rather than from your actual computer. Home PC bandwidth tends to be slower and finding a dedicated server is usually the best idea for higher quality streaming.
Promote Your Station
Once you have your equipment and server set up, it's time to start to stream and to promote your station. You can set up a social media presence on Facebook, Instagram or some other larger network. You can also write blogs or make teasers on Youtube for your station or upcoming guests to your talk show to get a buzz going.
Don't forget, that if you are going to play a contracted artist's work, you will need to obtain permission from them and their record label to do so. You will also need to gain a guest's permission to air any recorded or live talks with them beforehand as well. For more information on starting your own radio shows online, contact your local radio station.