Welcome to 'Transmitting to Earth'. I'm Charssun and I'll be your host. This blog and podcast is a byproduct of VoyagerRadio.com and is intended to provide the most timely information about this Internet radio station. It is also intended to be a fun and accessible electronic journal with commentary focusing on Internet radio, podcasting and webcasting issues and technologies, music, and some of my other interests. I also offer personal perspective about being an Internet radio broadcaster (and podcaster).
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Complying with New Webcasting RegulationsEarlier this year the Copyright Office of the U.S. Library of Congress announced new rules for Internet radio broadcasters regarding reporting their playlists and making royalty payments to artists and labels. I'm interested in hearing from webcasters who have begun to implement these regulations. How is that working out for you? Do you find the new standards easy enough to comply with, or are you finding them too difficult to achieve? Click the comments link below to post your feedback. Authentic in L.A.: Joe Frank at the Hammer, TonightAre you in Los Angeles tonight and looking for something authentic, a real experience you can walk away from feeling contentedly heavy with the satisfaction of knowing Yes, this is real, this is why I'm here, this is L.A.? Are you tired of the city's ostentatious film screenings and pretentious art galleries? Need a break from that outdoor mall that's trying so desperately to appear hip, classy, and artistic all at once? Well, you're in luck. Tonight there will be a true artist performing in L.A., even if we're not always sure he's being truthful: the legendary Joe Frank, the man who has helped shaped this city via the airwaves, a pioneer and innovator of the broadcasting arts. If you believe that sounds like an oxymoron - that broadcasting and art cannot mix - you're in for a real surprise if you show up at the UCLA Armand Hammer Museum in Westwood at 7pm.
I've commented on Joe Frank on several occasions, and each time I've felt that the words I've chosen were inadequate to describe what this man really does. Referring to Joe Frank as a broadcaster seems to blatantly disregard his varying roles as storyteller, dramatist, documentarist, writer, and all-around spoken word/performance artist. The title also seems to ignore a variety of other essences in his work, as Joe Frank implements theatrical, musical, and broadcasting elements in his pieces in unpredictable and innovative ways. Yet no matter how you refer to him, there's no doubt that Joe is an artist, one who has chosen L.A. as his landscape and his voice as the medium through which it is depicted, and though it is arguable as to whether this artist is always telling the truth in his pieces, he always seems to be telling the truth - and that is true artistry. Admission is free for tonight's event so get there early because this auditorium is certain to fill to capacity. Even if you're uncertain about your appreciation for spoken word, I urge you to attend this event - Joe Frank's performances are rare and transcend the typical spoken word reading. I'm not saying that the man is mythical or anything, even if he has the power to create myths; I'm simply saying that if you haven't heard this artist's voice yet, you're seriously missing out on a truly authentic experience in L.A. Will the FCC Attempt to Extend Censorship to Internet Radio?Here's something Internet radio lovers should know and be concerned about. There's been some talk in government about extending federal censorship to unlicensed media sources, which could include Internet radio. Currently Internet radio operators enjoy the freedom of being able to webcast content the FCC doesn't normally allow terrestrial (traditional) radio operators to broadcast. Because of this, Internet radio has become a viable outlet for alternative media, providing a platform for independent and little-known talk shows and music - not to mention the variety of other entertainments Internet radio offers.
I suspect this will become a hot topic in the coming months/years, so be aware and don't let The Man take away your fun! Stay tuned... P2P Internet RadioAnyone ever try P2P Internet radio? A new service called Mercora promises to allow you to "play your digital music, and webcast this music to others on the network legally". How do you do this legally? Well, I'm glad you asked. Apparently, the developers have obtained a license which conforms to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, "pertaining to the digital performance rights of sound recordings and the associated reporting and royalty payments to SoundExchange®". So you'll be webcasting without having to worry about paying a cent to the RIAA.
I'm in favor of P2P networks, or at least the existence and concept of P2P networks, particularly in the distribution of content you simply can't buy or find anywhere else, but I'm not so sure about webcasting via these networks. As I mentioned in this blog once before, the sound quality of MP3s distributed via P2P is often iffy and the process of finding quality files is time-consuming. P2P is good for that bootleg stuff you can find anywhere else: live recordings, home recordings, album/cassette/8-track-to-MP3-conversions-when-the-CD-version-or-digital-download-doesn't-exist-yet. But Internet radio? Is that really necessary? Do we need another low-quality and unreliable way of accessing our music? Besides my apprehension over the sound quality of a P2P webcast, I get the feeling there's a screamingly large loophole being exploited here or something. I don't profess to know all that much about copyright law; you can ask Mr. Lessig about that stuff. I began delving into the matter a couple of years ago during the great Internet radio debate, but once a resolution was determined, more or less, I stopped reporting on Internet radio copyright issues. It's an exhausting field, and someone can spend a lifetime working out its intracacies. I'd prefer to spend my time reading good literature or scouring the universe for the best downtempo music, and doing so legally, as long as the means of doing so are legally available and not prohibitively expensive. In my experience, the music I wish to consume and distribute is available legally and, though not always cheap, it's within my means - and believe me, my means are not extravagant. I admit, however, that my opinion is probably biased, since I receive alot of free music from recording labels in the hopes that I will webcast their music on the best Internet radio station in the world. I'd love to hear from anyone who's actually used a P2P webcasting service. Please share your experiences by using my feedback system, currently available by clicking the comments link below. How Convenient? Buy Your Music Downloads At 7-ElevenSo now you can buy Musicmatch Music Download Cards at your local 7-Eleven. Why anyone would want to take a trip to 7-Eleven for their digital downloads is beyond me; I mean, doesn't that defeat the purpose? Although 7-Eleven is a convenience store it's downright inconvenient to purchase a little piece of plastic, walk or drive back to your home or office, and input the card's information into your computer.
That said, I'm not that dim. I do see some usefulness here, such as when you don't have a credit or ATM card with one of those omnipresent VISA symbols. I mean hell, some of us barely have bank accounts. I just don't think there's enough of us without bank accounts who've somehow managed to keep an expensive PC lying around, and for those of us with a computer at work, do we really want to purchase music we can only listen to at the office? May as well stick with Internet radio if you're not going to be able to take the tunes home... Okay, so there's the kids. The kids don't have credit cards yet, but their parents bought them a shiny new PC for their homework, which the kids will quickly turn into a digital jukebox instead. So the kids stop by 7-Eleven on their way home from school to get that new Ashlee Simpson song. The only problem is, do you really want your kids hanging around your local 7-Eleven to get their music fix, while the local heroine addict hangs outside the store - waiting for his fix? Wasn't it better the old way, leaving your kids off at the mall, the real mall, where they could browse the selection at the Wherehouse? New Internet Radio Player From Live365A perfect companion for the FM transmitter I discussed yesterday would be the perfect Internet radio application. Unfortunately, none exist - but we're getting close. Live365 is working on their first stand-alone player, Radio365. I've been testing the beta version for a few days now, and I can tell you that this app is going to be great - as in great-sound, a great interface, and a great-selection of 'net radio stations. And I'm grateful for its arrival; I can finally offer my Internet radio station's listeners an mp3PRO player that works, since none of the other players out there that have mp3PRO decoding are able to play Live365 stations' mp3PRO CD-quality sound.
You can download Radio365 here. A Mac version is also available (and has been for a few months; it works great, by the way). The benefit of using a stand-alone player is that you don't have to deal with the pop-up ads and lags of an Internet browser. You simply turn on your PC or Mac, fire up Radio365, and with the click of a preset you're enjoying the sounds of the best Internet radio station in the world. (Did I hear someone say, the universe?) Does it get any easier than this? Plus - and here's the main thing - Radio365 is the only way to hear the CD-quality mp3PRO sound of VoyagerRadio (and other Live365 stations) without having to pay a monthly Preferred Membership fee. Does it get any better than this? Try Radio365 today and let me know what you think. (Comment below.) Transmit With Apple, Or Transmit For LessYesterday I mentioned Apple's AirTunes, which allows you to transmit your iTunes playlist to your stereo or powered speaker system. Though this application is interesting, it's expensive, requiring the use of one of Apple's AirPort Base Stations, currently retailing for $129 to $199 - not counting the $79 to $99 AirPort Card you'll need if you don't already have one installed. And if you need an AirPort Card Adapter you're looking at an additional $20. You can spend a pretty petty setting up this wireless transmitter from scratch.
I've got a less expensive setup that will allow you to transmit anything from your computer, not just your iTunes playlist. In fact, it will let you transmit from any device that has a headphone output, such as your Walkman or iPod. It's called an FM transmitter, and you can buy one from just about any local Radio Shack or electronics parts suppliers. They come in all kind of shapes, sizes, and transmitting strengths - basically, the more you pay the farther you'll be able to transmit. Check out FM Transmitters.net to browse a few of your choices. I purchased a TuneCast for $30 for those long roadtrips (because you can transmit from your portable CD player to your car stereo, of course), and now I use it to transmit downtempo Internet radio from my PC to my stereo. The TuneCast doesn't transmit more than a few feet, but some FM transmitters can actually take over a frequency in the range of your entire neighborhood. You have to be careful not to attract the attention of the FCC, though, so keep your transmissions within reasonable limits (less than 100 feet, I believe - maybe even less). Wireless Internet Radio From AppleApple just released a new toy. It's called AirTunes and it's a technology that works with your AirPort Extreme or your new AirPort Express Wi-Fi station to deliver your iTunes music to you wirelessly. Of course, that also probably means you can use it to have your favorite Internet radio station delivered to you wirelessly as well. The setup requires iTunes (version 4.6) and works with both Macs and PCs.
Welcome, New VoyagerRadio ListenersWelcome to all of VoyagerRadio's new listeners! The station's website VoyagerRadio.com has received a tremendous amount of traffic since Live365 posted the results of the 2004 Best of Live365 Awards on its website and in its newsletters, and as a result the station has been blessed with a number of new listeners. I want to invite all listeners to subscribe to my station's free newsletter to receive the latest important information about VoyagerRadio, including tips, playlists, and information you won't find anywhere else - not even on the website.
Speaking of the website, I've finally released a new version, less dark and more streamlined. The old version was just, well, old and had too many outdated pages. So I removed some of the pages and reorganized the layout. There are now fewer links in the navigation menu; only the most-visited areas of the site are accessible from this menu. Less-visited areas are accessible via the Site Map. The site is still under construction, but I felt it was ready enough to be released and besides, who know when I'll be in the mood to work on it again? Let me know what you think - either comment here or contact me via the site's Contact page. Besides this blog, a narrative blog called something that happened, and various other projects, I also moderate a discussion forum: Please consider subscribing to engage in a dialogue about all things having to do with Internet radio! |
Send Us Your Music
Artists! Want to be heard on this station? Email your MP3 audio, one file at a time, to our Program Director or mail your CD promo(s) to the following address:
Harold J. JohnsonVoyagerRadio
547 Gayley Avenue #1
Los Angeles, CA 90024 Make certain to let use know whether we may use the audio in our podcast, too!
Download the Podcast
We are officially podcasters now that we have revitalized and reintroduced our downtempo show Tempo of the Down, this time around as a podcast. Now showcasing independent downtempo we've been granted permission to offer for download, Tempo of the Down is our entry into the future of Internet radio.
Head over to our new Podcast area to download the latest session!
