Traditional radios receive broadcast waves.
In recent years, radio streamed over the Internet has risen to challenge the popularity of terrestrial AM and FM broadcasts as a means of receiving news and entertainment. Like its venerable standard bearer, streaming radio presents its own advantages and drawbacks, but both its emerging digital technology and earthbound bandwidth possess their own inherent qualities.
Technology
AM and FM radio work by transmitting electromagnetic waves of differing lengths to receivers that interpret their modulations. Radio streamed over the Internet is delivered like other online content--in the form of packets of digital data decoded by a program, web browser or digital media player application
History
The technology used to broadcast and receive terrestrial radio dates back to the late 19th century and the desire to build a wireless telegraph. FM, or frequency modulation, radio was patented by Edwin H. Armstrong in 1933. Streaming radio stations and services have been utilizing the Internet for distribution since the mid-'90s.
Availability
Before the advent of streaming radio, listeners of terrestrial radio were limited to the genre-specific stations whose broadcast ranges included their location. Many terrestrial radio stations have since utilized the Internet, however, to extend their reach beyond broadcast range and join the nearly unlimited options offered to anyone with Internet service for their computer, phone or media player.
Cost
Terrestrial radio is traditionally supported by advertising and is free to anyone with a receiver, whether it's a car stereo, home component system or portable device. Many streaming radio offerings are also distributed without charge, but some require a subscription fee and all are only available to those with an Internet service provider, cell phone data plan or access to a wireless network.
Fun Fact
While a November 1994 concert by the Rolling Stones was touted as the first live digital music broadcast, a little-known band called Severe Tire Damage had actually been streaming concerts since June 1993.
Tags: streaming radio, anyone with, Internet service, media player, over Internet