Internet radio is essentially the same as regularly broadcast radio, with a few distinguishing characteristics. Whereas there is a minimal lag time with regular radio because it broadcasts through the air, Internet radio has a lag time of 2.5 to 10 seconds or so, depending on the server. Internet radio is streamed, and so does not involve downloading. You simply log on to the particular site and in it comes.

Receiving the stream is much like listening to your MP3 player, as the format is the same. Several formats are on offer, but the MP3 and ACC formats are currently the most frequently used. As the medium continues to find its footing, there will likely be modifications, which are difficult to predict today.

Who is Doing it?

Anybody with the content, software, and hardware can run a internet radio station. Because of this, most Internet radio stations are existing radio stations that are simply simulcasting their regular programming. The fact that it is separate, however, allows for a certain amount of variation if the station would like to change things a bit during the course of the day.

One of the more positive aspects of Internet radio is that it is international in flavor. Anybody around the world can get international access to Internet radio. Expatriates can keep up on news from home and revolutionaries can get their word out. The recent events in Burma are an example in this regard.

Royalties and Fees

Unfortunately, there is one limiting factor in the United States, particularly with regard to music programming and generally getting started. As the digital age was really getting going, the United States government started imposing copyright fees and license fees on Internet broadcasters. A minimum fee of $500 was imposed, and a royalty fee structure in excess of the budgets of many Internet radio stations' business models was added.

Needless to say, this did not sit well with many Internet radio operators in the United States. It also did not sit well with many recording artists who had their own business models relying on play time to build a following. They felt the new structure would drive stations away, and it appears that this may be true. Several Internet radio concerns are now moving to international locations where fee structures are more favorable or nonexistent.

International Regulation

One of the features that brings many listeners to Internet radio is the fact that they can hear such a varied mix of formats from around the world. If you would like to hear the surf report in Australia from London, you can. The fact that the Voice of America was one of the very first broadcasters to adopt Internet radio speaks to its international appeal. Unfortunately, many countries are beginning to impose limitations on Internet radio. They would like to keep streams within their borders or keep streams out. Fortunately, hackers enjoy these types of challenges, so the future is a question mark in this regard.