iPod and iTunes: The Missing Manual, Third Edition

Internet Radio

Not satisfied with being a mere virtual jukebox, iTunes also serves as an international, multicultural radio without the shortwave static. You can find everything from mystical Celtic melodies to American pop to programming from Japan, Italy, Germany, and other spots around the globe.

Computers with high-speed Internet connections have a smoother streaming experience, but the vast and eclectic mix of musical offerings is well worth checking out—even if you have a dial-up modem. Just click the Radio icon in the Source list to see a list of stations, as shown in Figure 5-19.

Figure 5-19. The Radio list displays the categories and subcategories that can take you around the world in 80 stations with iTunes. Click the Refresh button to update the station list.

If you find your radio streams are constantly stuttering and stopping, try this: choose iTunes → Preferences (Mac) or Edit → Preferences (Windows). In the Preferences dialog box, click the Advanced icon or tab. From the Streaming Buffer Size pop-up menu, choose Large. Click OK.

Having the buffer set to Large may increase the waiting time before the music starts flowing through your computer from the Internet, but it allows iTunes to hoard more music at once to help make up for interruptions caused by network traffic.

Once you’ve listened to all the stations listed in iTunes, hit the Internet. You can find more radio stations ...