onlineradiobox.com
Radio is no longer a popular way to enjoy music.
At this point, the trend of content being personal is definitely moving in a positive direction. People are looking for things that are specifically made for them, and services like Spotify and Pandora use complex algorithms to bring us new music that we're likely to enjoy. Other sites, like Pandora and iHeart Radio, focus on personalizing our radio stations by taking into account our past listening habits.
Instead of blasting some radio station that is loosely based on genres and billboard charts, you can now customize your station by entering your favorite artist or song. This way, you are guaranteed to get stations with similar styles, as well as other artist's songs that fit your mood or taste. It is no secret that personalized radio is much more convenient and customizable than traditional radio could ever hope to be. This is a given, given the fact that public radio stations are meant to appeal to a wide audience.
However, that does not mean that traditional radio does not still have its charms and advantages. For one thing, without the burden of having to select yourself what you are going to listen to, you can discover songs that you otherwise never would have thought to look for yourself.
Public radio can unexpectedly take you by surprise with songs from the past that evoke emotions in you that you may not have realized you needed. Sometimes, a song will take you back to a simpler time and remind you of things that you forgot about. The unpredictability of public radio is one of its greatest strengths, allowing for new experiences that we may not have otherwise had access to.
Public radio will never die because people grow tired of always being in control of what they consume. From time to time, at least, we like letting go of the reins and seeing what happens. That's where radio flourished - the audio wild card that we'll never fully move past.
Despite the fact that radios are not always readily available, there are online sources that can turn your computer or mobile device into a radio. These sources allow you to pick up on your favorite local stations live today. Thanks to sites like Online Radio Box, radio will continue to survive in the digital age.
History
The internet radio was invented by Carl Malamud and it was the first computer-radio talk show. The show broadcasted the first live concert over the internet on June 24th, 1993. The technology that enabled this quickly took off all over the world.
On November 7th, 1994, WXYC became the first traditional radio station to broadcast over the internet. They accomplished this by utilizing an FM radio connected to a computer system called SunSite (later rebranded as Ibiblio), running software created by Cornell, CU-SeeMe. Shortly thereafter, another station, WREK out of Atlanta, Georgia announced publicly that they also aired online for the first time on that same day. From there, the tech spread and an increasing number of radio stations began broadcasting over the internet.
Today, I am thrilled to say that just about every radio station can be accessed online. Simply go to a site like Online Radio Box. select your station of choice, and enjoy.
Design
Online Radio Box has a simple, functional design. It's not trying to be anything more than it needs to be, and I like this about it. I usually prefer more experiential site designs, but form follows function, as far as I'm concerned. And Online Radio Box doesn't need to be anything more than a page on which you can search for a station, city, genre, language, or country. From there, pick your station and open your ears.
Additionally, Online Radio Box provides a few browsing options. Browsing by state, country, city, etc. is also available. Browse by genre tag, global and national charts, now-playing lists, and top songs in specific genres are also available. Online Radio Box could have stopped at just providing stations for you to stream. But they didn't. They went above and beyond to offer as many ways to browse the wide world of radio as possible. And that's all I really ever ask in a site - to go the extra mile.
Content
I have already covered most of what Online Radio Box has to offer in my previous paragraphs. But, I will briefly recap what it has to offer here:
I have already written about the features and benefits of Online Radio Box in detail. However, I want to repeat them so that you can easily remember them:
-This app allows users to live stream any FM or AM radio station from anywhere in the world.
, or zip code
-You can also search by a specific song, artist, or album.
-You can also search by a specific date.
Browse stations by genre, language, country, state, city, or zip code. You can also search by a specific song, artist, or album. You can also search by a specific date.
-Click the + button next to ?Stations? in the ?Favorites? list
-Select stations from the ?Stations? list that you want to add to your favorites list.
for your favorite radio stations
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Desktop and Mobile Experience
But this simplicity is what I love the most. It's unpretentious, down to earth, and real.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Online Radio Box app offers an app. For whatever reason, I was not expecting this. But this, of course, only further enthuses my love for this site. The app is pretty spartan. Function over form. There is nothing flashy or very lavishly designed about it whatsoever. Just a list of stations, genres, favorites, and a basic audio player. No frills, just radio. But this simplicity is what I love the most. It's unpretentious, down to earth, and real.
Pricing and Plans
Both the site and app are free to use, as a registered user or guest. There are ads, but they aren't that invasive or frequent. And they do not interrupt the stream (these ads are separate, of course, from the commercials that radio stations are wont to play between broadcasts). They are strictly visual.
That being said, you can upgrade the app to a Pro subscription in order to get rid of the ads. This can be done for a one-time price of $4.99. Not a bad deal if you ask me, especially given everything that Online Radio Box does for radio lovers.
Suggestions that I have for Online Radio Box
: I would like to see Online Radio Box further adapt its features in order to make it easier for listeners to monitor and keep track of the songs they are listening to.
I think it's annoying that you can't usually see the song or artist data on most of the stations on Online Radio Box. This is really difficult if the station isn't using Online Radio Box specifically, because we don't always know what stations are out there! But I still want Online Radio Box to do more to make it easy for people to follow what they're listening to.
All in all, my experience with Online Radio Box has been excellent! Whether I'm at home listening to my favorite radio stations or out and about on the go, Online Radio Box has made it easy to tune in. The only thing I'd love to see added are song and artist information, but other than that this service is top notch!