Mac OS X Hacks

Running Your Own Web Radio Station

Create private playlists you can stream 24/7 to almost any web-enabled device, inside or outside the home.

If you’ve been paying attention to what’s happened with the deregulation of the airwaves, you may have noticed that most of the dial is owned by a few media conglomerates that control most of what you hear. Many of us turned to the Internet to find a tasteful alternative to all of the FM noise. And while the future of webcasting is currently tied up in the muck of figuring out fair music licensing fees, there is no doubt in my mind that the Internet is the last bastion for music.

If the idea of having your own radio webcast, for fun or profit, intrigues you, then you’ve come to the right place. Even if you don’t plan on sharing your musical tastes with the world, you can have a lot of fun creating private playlists you can stream 24/7 to almost any web device in your home. Or maybe you just want to be able to tune into your music anywhere, anytime, on any machine. Well, guess what? You’ve probably got most of what you’ll need sitting on your home machine. Moreover, setting up your own station is easy to do and costs nothing to get running.

What you’ll need:

• A DSL or cable connection

• Music (MP3)

• QuickTime Streaming Server (free from Apple’s web site)

• Promo music and microphone

• iMovie

• iTunes

Step 1: Calculate Bandwidth

The first thing you need to do is calculate the adequate server bandwidth for your station. If you figure to provide your stream ...