IV-B. Music, Radio and Video on the Web

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  1. Listening to Music

    1. There are many music sites on the web. Some simply allow you to listen while others also allow you to download your favorite songs

    2. In some cases, the music is provided as "streaming audio" in which case it is being sent from the internet as you hear it

      1. The advantage of this is that there is little delay in beginning the process
      2. The disadvantage is that sometimes the traffic on the Internet causes the music to break up or even stop
      3. A good example of this type of web site is Radio@Netscape Plus which requires that you download their proprietary software before you can listen to the music, but which provides some 70 different channels of music ranging from Show Tunes through Rap to New Age

    3. In other cases, the music must be downloaded in its entirety before you can listen to it

      1. The advantage of this is that, once you have downloaded the music in the form of a .MPG, .MID, or .WAV file, it's yours to keep (although you should pay attention to copyright limitations on this process)
      2. The disadvantage is that it can take a long time to download
      3. For examples, browse to Internet Music Links

  2. Listening to Radio

    1. Radio stations from all over the world are available on the Internet. For an exhaustive directory, searchable by call letters, location or format, see Radio Locator

    2. Thus radio on the Internet can take the place of a shortwave set or can bring in a favorite station from your old home town

    3. The process is a "no-brainer"

      1. Choose a station from the list and surf to its web site
      2. Follow the instructions in order to open a link with the audio feed
      3. Sit back and listen to the live broadcast

    4. Another type of radio broadcast available on the Internet is news, weather, sports, and business headlines produced by various networks and news bureaus

      1. A useful list can be found at RealChannels.com
      2. A personal favorite is NPR Online

    5. Additional links to Internet Radio can be found on Internet Radio Links

  3. Video on the Web - You can also access "streaming video" on the web. This can take the form of excerpts from today's TV news broadcasts or home videos (in MPEG format) on personal web sites, to libraries of old TV shows such as those found in the Like Television Archives

    1. If you access the Internet via a telephone modem, the video your downlowd is likely to be slow, small and jerky

    2. If you have broadband (cable or DSL) access, the result will be much more satisfactory

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