|
Lot's of people would like to know what it takes to run an internet radio station like Dainbramage. Here's some info on how things work at Dainbramage.
The Music - Where does the music come from? All of the music you currently hear on Dainbramage is stored in digital format. Typically, it is extracted from CD and encoded with a variable bit rate (VBR) up to 256K using CDex with the Lame encoder. None of the music came from Napster or any other file-swapping source.
The Servers - Currently we stream from 8 servers. They are located in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, Fremont, CA and Dallas, TX.
The Studio - The audio stream originates from the source computer. Digital music files are played through an Echo Mia audio card. The sound quality and noise rejection features of this card make it far superior to any standard sound card for broadcast purposes. The output of the card runs into a Gain Controller/Leveller (compressor) and on to a mixing console. All other broadcast sources are attached to this console as well. This includes mics (via preamps), processors, EQ, etc. The main mix output of the mixer goes back into the input of the Mia, which is configured as the actual stream source. All signal paths are balanced and operate at +4dB levels.
The Rules - The Digital Millenium Copyright Act places a large number of restrictions on the content we play and when we play it. This includes that annoying 1 hour delay before playing your requests. A decent summary of these can be found at the RIAA website under the section "Q. What are the conditions that a webcaster has to meet in order to qualify for the statutory license?" The rest of the RIAA webcasting FAQ may be of interest, but keep in mind that the information on the RIAA web site represents their own views on issues such as CARP, and not that of webcasters or Dainbramage.
What's it all cost? - See the Why Donate? page.
Why do I have to wait an hour before my request plays? - That's one of the rules (see above.) These rules were lobbied for by the RIAA and enacted into federal law in the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA.)
My request disappeared from the pending request page but hasn't been played! What happened? Why'd you delete my song?! etc... - Relax folks, nobody deleted your song. In addition to the pending requests, there's also that little "coming up" list on the main page. That list only shows the next 3 artists, but there's always more songs than that waiting to play. Your song has just been moved from "pending request" to "pending play."
Why can't I request certain songs? or Why is there no request button for certain songs? - Songs 12 minutes in length or over can no longer be requested.
What is MP3Pro and how do I use it? - MP3Pro was developed to enhance the sound quality of MP3 at low bitrates. At low bitrates, high frequencies are drastically chopped off in the standard MP3 format. MP3Pro has the ability to add these missing frequencies back into the sound. The effect is quite remarkable. MP3Pro is also backward-compatible with standard MP3 players. Standard MP3 players will simply ignore the "Pro" part of the audio. Download the plugin for Winamp here.
Why does the volume on the MP3Pro stream get quieter and quieter? - This is a bug in the MP3Pro plugin and certain versions of Winamp. The bug only shows up if the Winamp graphic equalizer (EQ) is in use. Turn off the EQ and all will be fine. Dainbramage audio shouldn't need any additional EQ anyway.
Why do I get 64k when I select the 128k link? - If all 128k slots are full you will be directed to a 64k slot instead.
Does Dainbramage censor music? - No. Music is played as the artist originally wrote it.
I leave my computer tuned in all the time, but when I come back it's always disconnected. Why? - All the servers limit an individual listening session to 24 hours. After that you get disconnected. Please do not leave your computer connected all the time in this manner. Dainbramage has to pay for that music and bandwidth whether you're there to hear it or not.
Why did you play xxxxxxxxx right after yyyyyyyyy? - Could be a lot of reasons. First, the song may have been a request. We try to play requests as soon as possible (right at the one-hour mark) and this sometimes breaks up a sequence of music. Second, the station might be running unmanned. There's no way Dainbramage can afford to be staffed 24/7 and runs on automation software much of the time. Automation software has absolutely no musical taste. Third, maybe the station is being manned and the DJ was just bored and wanted to wake you up. Sometimes there's a connection between songs that might not be obvious.
What do you think about file sharing (eg. Napster, Kazaa, etc.) - I don't use file sharing applications/networks. The recording industry is blaming these services for their declining CD sales. I don't believe it. The general state of the economy is the cause of their declining sales. Unemployment is high and climbing, and people who are employed are taking pay cuts. Meanwhile, the recording industry continues to raise CD prices. People just don't have the disposable income like they did a few years ago. If the recording industry wants to stop piracy, sueing a 15 year old who downloaded 100 songs isn't the way to do it. Start with the real pirates! The unlicensed CD manufacturing plants in Asia, South America, and Europe that are producing millions of fake CDs every year. THAT is where the real piracy losses are! The 15 year old's allowance isn't enough to buy those same 100 songs on CD anyway, so it's not "LOST" revenue, there was never any potential for that revenue in the first place.
I'm setting up my own internet radio station, can you help me? - This question comes up a lot. If you intend to run a legal, licensed, serious, 24/7 station, you can find some technical help here. Before you start asking questions, go to the Why Donate? page. If you're not prepared for that kind of investment, find something else to do with your time. If you don't want to pay for music, royalties, and licensing, then just go away. Stations like that just fuel the fires of the RIAA, raising the costs and lowering the reputations of the rest of us. Finally, like all things technical, RTFM (Read The F***ing Manual) before you start asking questions. If you don't know what an IP address or a port is, or where you get them, you've got a lot of reading to do.
I'm setting up my own internet radio station, can you give me some of your bandwidth/hosting/music/etc? - Give? Reality Check. No. Why would Dainbramage pay good money for this stuff and give it away? Why not just give you the money directly and skip the middleman? Dainbramage can sell you these services, but not give.
Dude, your station rocks! I listen every day. I'm totally addicted to it. Keep up the good work. - Thanks. This is why Dainbramage exists.
Dude, your station sucks! I'm going to go listen to zzzzzzzz station instead! - Great. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
|
