onlineradiobox.com
Radio is not dead. Hundreds of other ways to enjoy music exist in the digital age, but many people still enjoy listening to familiar radio stations and zoning out to popular tunes or thought-provoking talk shows.
Overall, content is moving more and more into the realm of the personal. People want things that are created, curated, and aimed solely at them as individuals. This is, without a doubt, the future. And, in many ways, the present. Spotify, for example, and other streaming services like it use complex algorithms to introduce us to new music that we are likely to enjoy based on our listening habits. Other sites like Pandora and iHeart Radio have taken the idea of radio stations and completely customized them to our tastes.
Now you can enter your favorite artist or song and get a whole radio station of that artist/song, as well as other artists and songs that are stylistically similar. This is much more convenient than traditional radio which only offers a limited number of options based on genre and billboard charts. There is no arguing with the fact that this is a much more personalized way to cater to your specific taste and/or a given mood than traditional radio could ever hope to provide.
However, the fact that radio stations are not forced to cater only to specific genres or age ranges means that one can discover new and interesting music that they would never have heard otherwise.
The unpredictability, the inability to control it, is one of the greatest strengths of public radio.
Public radio will never die because people grow tired, from time to time, of always being in control of what they consume. Every once in a while, at least, we like letting go of the reigns and seeing what happens. That is where radio flourished-the audio wild card that we will never fully move past.
However, we do not always have radios available to us. Outside of the car, when was the last time you encountered a radio that could pick up on public wavelengths? Well, for radiophiles out there, there are online sources that can turn your computer or mobile device into a radio any time of day or night. Pick up on your favorite local stations live today via streaming technology. Thanks to sites like Online Radio Box, radio will survive well into the digital age.
History
The internet radio was invented by American technologist and public domain advocate, Carl Malamud. In 1993 he launched what was called ?Internet Talk Radio,? described as a computer-radio talk show, each week interviewing a computer expert. On June 24th, 1993, this show broadcasted the first live concert over the internet, featuring the band Severe Tire Damage. The technology that enabled this quickly took off all over the world, heading to Ireland in 1994 and back to the States after that.
On November 7th, 1994, WXYC became the first radio station to broadcast over the internet using an FM radio connected to a computer system called SunSite (later rebranded as Ibiblio), running software created by Cornell, CU-SeeMe. Shortly thereafter, another station, WREK out of Atlanta, Georgia announced publicly that they also aired online for the first time on that same day. From there, the tech spread, and an increasing number of radio stations took to the web.
Today, I am happy to report that nearly every radio station can be accessed online. Simply go to a website like Online Radio Box and select your station of choice. Sit back and enjoy!
Design
Online Radio Box has a simple design that is functional. It is not going out of its way to be something that it isn't. I like this about it. I usually prefer a more experiential site design, but form follows function, as far as I am concerned. And Online Radio Box does not need to be anything more than a page on which you can search for a station, city, genre, language, or country. From there, pick your station and open up your ears.
Online Radio Box also offers a few browsing options. These include browsing by state, country, city, etc.; by genre tag, global and national charts; now-playing lists; and top songs in specific genres. Additionally, Online Radio Box provides stations for you to stream. However, Online Radio Box goes beyond this by offering many ways to browse the wide world of radio. This is all I really ever ask in a site - to go the extra mile.
Content
I have already described everything that Online Radio Box has to offer, so allow me to reiterate it in a list. It has many features, including:
This app allows you to live stream any FM or AM radio station, anywhere in the world.
, or zip code
-Select a station to play
Select a station to play by genre, language, country, state, city, or zip code.
-Click "Add Station" button to add new station to favorites list.
for a local radio station
Write and read reviews for a local radio station.
Desktop and Mobile Experience
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the app offered by Online Radio Box is user-friendly. For whatever reason, I had not expected this, and it only further enthuses my love of this site. The app is very spartan- there is nothing flashy or lavishly designed about it whatsoever. Just a list of stations, genres, favorites, and a basic audio player. No frills, just radio.
Pricing and Plans
The website and app are both free to use, registered or guest. There are ads, but they are not that invasive or frequent. They do not interrupt the stream (these ads are separate, of course, from the commercials that radio stations are wont to play between broadcasts). They are strictly visual.
While that being said, you can upgrade the app to a Pro subscription in order to get rid of the ads. This can be done for a one-time price of $4.99. Although this may not be a bad deal if you ask me, especially given everything that Online Radio Box does for radio lovers, I would recommend waiting until the price goes down.
Suggestions that I have for Online Radio Box
: I would like to see Online Radio Box add the ability to see song and artist data on most of its stations.
My biggest complaint with online radio box is that you cannot see song or artist data on most stations. This is annoying, I think, for obvious reasons. And I could see how this would be difficult (perhaps impossible, I don't know) if the radio station in question isn't specifically broadcasting through online radio box. But it would be cool, still, if online radio box allowed listeners to live update this kind of information at the very least. Conclusion: I want to see online radio box add the ability to see song and artist data on most of its stations.
All in all, Online Radio Box is a splendid way to listen to the radio online. Whether you want to stream your favorite radio stations from home or tune into a radio station in Guam, Online Radio Box makes it possible. No matter where you are - at your computer or on your phone at the gym - Online Radio Box makes it easier than ever to tune in. Other than the fact that song and artist information would be a nice touch, Online Radio Box pretty much ticks every other box when it comes to online streaming of live radio.