Online Radio

A great feature of this Internet “fad” is all the free Web 2.0 resources. They are not just great for personal use, but also for youth workers on a small budget. One extremely useful tool is an online radio. Rather than paying for cds, mp3s, or a subscription-based service, you can use one of these as an online jukebox for your events. Here are some of the best:

• Pandora. My personal favorite, Pandora is an free (ad-supported) online radio station. Simply pick an artist, and Pandora selects similar artists and songs to your radio station. Don’t like a selection? Just give the song a thumbs down, and Pandora will never play that song for you again. Want to vary your music?  Combine a few of your stations into a QuickMix. And although I do not have an iPhone, I have heard Pandora’s app is amazing.
• Last.fm. This website does a great job of mixing music with an online social network. Providing websites for each music group, Last.fm lists bios, albums, and other info along with music.
• Pure Volume. Similar to Last.fm, Pure Volume provides a social community for musicians and groupies. Although Pure Volume only has a few songs per artist, you can make a playlist of multiple artists. This website provides a great place to discover smaller and indie bands.
• Sirius Satellite Radio. Although not free (unless you have a Sirius radio and subscription), Sirius has a fair amount of radio stations available online, including the two Christian music stations.
• Other online stations. Many radio stations now provide an online feed, including some great Christian stations. You don’t get the choices like the stations above, but I enjoy listening to other stations and finding new music. Great stations I listen to include Radio U (Columbus, OH) and Star 99.1 (North Jersey). Your local station may have an online feed as well.