The rapid development of Internet radio is due to the vast possibilities of technology, which allows broadcast radio stations to not only significantly expand their audience, but also qualitatively improve the services provided to listeners. Internet radio has the following major advantages:
Global reach. The broadcasting area is not limited, as in the case of over-the-air broadcasting, to the range of the repeater. A user connected to the Internet anywhere in the world can access a broadcasting program.
High quality of sound signal. Applied software and hardware means allow to deliver a signal reliably without quality loss and fading (fading, framing – change of signal amplitude and phase due to the movement of a transmitter or receiver in the radio communication system and / or signal propagation through an inhomogeneous medium).
Multimedia accompaniment. Broadcast sound signal (eg, music) can be accompanied by the transmission of alphanumeric or graphic information.
Listener Feedback. Simple and convenient communication can be organized via the Internet in the form of voice communication or exchange of messages in the course of broadcasting.
These features allow to organize broadcasting taking into account listeners’ preferences (to form a permanent audience of interest), to enhance the perception of broadcasting audio programs by means of multimedia accompaniment, to provide the necessary quality of broadcasting, regardless of the place of signal reception.
Internet radio facilitates the provision of a wide variety of information – from detailed information about the music being broadcast to very diverse knowledge in a wide range of fields. Given that a significant number of listeners are regular Internet users, access to audio information, including music (without infringing on intellectual property rights, by the way), through Internet radio is the most convenient and natural for them.
Internet radio makes it possible not only to familiarize listeners with the broadcast program in advance, but also to flexibly change it to account for audience preferences. To that end, there are real-time interactive opportunities through voice messaging, live on-air communication, and digital exchanges in the form of e-mail or short messages.
Digital messaging can be tailored to specific focus groups and related to a particular topic being discussed in a broadcast. The ability to organize real-time voting on a given topic and objectively evaluate its results allows for flexible formation of the content of music programs and topical columns.
Thanks to the interactive interaction with the audience, as well as the presence of tools to control the number of connections made to listen to Internet radio and participate in the discussion of broadcast programs, it is possible to objectively determine the rating of the radio station and the level of interest in its individual broadcasts.