radioio
Listen To Great Music Over The Internet

radioio is one of my great discoveries of all time. Starting literally in a garage with a server and some streaming software, radioio has grown into a viable commercial enterprise with some 19 channels playing music of ever genre from ambient to world. This means jazz, smooth jazz, 70's, 80's, pop, and rock too.

The business concept is ingenious. Each channel ( as near as I can tell. I have not spend too much time with most of them ) is programmed by a single music director. These directors (streamhosts, in the  radioio parlance) are well schooled in their musical genre, and their programming is varied, comprehensive, and quite enjoyable. Their love of the genre is evident from the diversity of artists, styles, sub genres played. You are not subjected to the personal likings of fans, but the all-inclusive tastes of professionals.

As with any radio station, you can listen for free, and the price is occasional commercial interruption. Or you can purchase a Sound Pass, and listen to a high quality stream without any advertising. Free streams come in 32K and 64K speeds, so you can squeeze listening into DSL, and maybe even dial up if you are lucky. The Sound Pass gives you access to a 128K stream, which is CD quality, and requires DSL, with cable internet being all the better. The cost of a SoundPass is quite reasonable - $4.99/month or $50.00/year - and well worth the investment for quality uninterrupted musical enjoyment.

So if you enjoy listening to music while you work or play on your computer, and you have a solid internet connections, you should give radioio a listen. You may well find this your preferred musical experience.

Ed Charles