4 Free Radio Players For Your Station
Whether you’re new to broadcasting or are an experienced pro, there’s one thing we all have in common, RADIO PLAYERS. No matter what kind of website you have, we all need a way for people to listen, and sometimes finding those little nuggets known as embeddable radio players can be like trying to find gold… which is why we’ve compiled 4 of our favourites to get you broadcasting to the masses in no time.
For this article, we have setup a working player for each example using ZFM (zfmglobal.com) one of our earliest Gecko clients.
#1 Muses.org
We have been recommending Muses.org for years… the main reason… it comes with a fully customisable player, easy to use integration and best of all, has a bunch of styles (both official and community driven) to suit any website. Big or small, colourful or minimal, Muses.org offers a unique range of radio players for FREE.
The links you need:
- You can view the different skins by clicking here.
- Alternatively, you can setup your own player in a matter of seconds by clicking here.
- How to find your ‘Stream URL’ to input into the radio player generator.
#2 KPlayer
KPlayer by RadioForge is a simple solution for those minimalistic radio player needs. Just like Muses.org, all you need to do is enter in a few details about your station and BOOM, you’re ready to go. They generate a HTML code which can be copied and pasted directly into your website. The only downside is there’s no customisation of the players theme, which Muses does offer. Also the code comes generated as an ‘iframe’ which isn’t the best for sites which are SSL secured. However the player is free and responsive, meaning it works across all devices.
The links you need:
#3 Button Only Player
SHOUTcast Widgets have come up with a really simple player for your website. Like the other recommended players in this article, all you need to do is visit the website below and enter your stream URL. You can then customise the look and feel of the player before generating some HTML code which can be copied and pasted directly into your website. It’s really as simple as that. The best bit as well.. this player is also responsive, meaning it will work across all of your listeners devices.
- Setup your Button Player now.
- How to find your ‘Stream URL’ to input into the radio player generator.
#4 Audio Tag
Simple but effective. This player is the standard HTML5 player across all browsers – because of this, you can guarantee it will work on everyone’s devices. The downside to this player is there is no website which generates the code for you so it does require a little bit of effort (however it’s really easy we promise).
Simply copy and paste the following code onto your website:
Now replace ‘YOUR STREAM URL HERE’ with your stations stream URL and you’ll be away laughing.
The links you need:
And that’s our top 4 recommendations. Have we missed one? Leave a comment below and let us know.
How much bandwidth do I need for my internet radio station?
Streaming is very simple in today’s world. Basically you can use the same computer with the same software to stream to 1 listener or thousands of listeners. what is important is that you know how much bandwidth you need and the bit rare you want to use to stream your music.
Bandwidth – Is the amount of data your internet connection can carry from one point to another in a given time period. Than means, small bandwidth, you will get a few listeners. A big bandwidth will allow you to have more listeners.
Bitrate simply refers to the audio quality of the stream, this is measured in computer terms in ‘kbps – kilobits per second’ or ‘k’ for short. Listening to a station in 128k stereo would sound like CD quality, whereas 24k would sound more like listening over the phone.
OK, BUT HOW MUCH DO I NEED?
Well here a brief idea:
1MB = 1024 kb so that means if you stream at 128 kbps
1MB Upload connection = 8 Listeners
5MB Upload connection = 40 Listeners
10MB Upload connection = 80 Listeners
Remember, these are the typical upload connection speeds most people have at home. Also this will vary if you are surfing at the same time you are streaming and if you have a home phone using the internet line to make a call. These means if your use the same connection to do multiple things at the same time it could make your streaming skip and your listeners will hate that.
If your plan is to have as many listeners as you can, we recommend you get the services of an Internet Radio Server (Radio Hosting) This service will give you the capacity to have multiple listeners, keeping your home internet connection with low traffic so you can surf easily and stream at the same time. This will allow you to have more listeners.
Let say your connection is only 1MB upload and you are streaming at 128 kbps, REMEMBER 1MB is 1024kb,that means you will only use 128 kb of the 1024. You will use that 128 kb to stream to an Internet Radio server or hosting company and your listeners will connect to that server instead to your computer directly. Another big advantage is with this service you will have a static IP.
Static IP – This is the number of your computer when you surf online. It usually looks like this xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (x are numbers). The reason you want a static IP is that unless you have one your IP will change every time you access the internet. That means if you are streaming from your computer you will have to provide to your listeners the right IP of your computer every time so they can listen your streaming. With Static IP the IP number never changes so you can create a link to your Online Radio Station with that IP and you never have to change it.
That is why an Internet Radio Server Services is so convenient. Not only will it give you a Static IP it also give you a fast internet connection to handle more listeners.
In a simple summary, Bitrate + Listeners = The type of Internet Connection you will need.
Visit Gecko to see our Shoutcast Hosting / Icecast Hosting plans.
We offer Shoutcast & Icecast services at affordable prices. Broadcast Live Radio effortlessly using Shoutcast or Icecast. You can quickly and easily stream your station all over the world through Gecko.