Live 365.

Live 365 is the world's largest internet radio company. They host more than 10, 000 stations, most of them run by independent DJs. You can set up a channel for yourself with Live 365 for a fee starting at $9.95 a month, with the capacity for 25 simultaneous listeners. For more listener capacity there is a scale of rates. Live 365 hosts the channels, providing the DJs with all the tools needed for broadcasting. They also have a music library that is accessible to DJs for "sideloading"- that is, the tracks can be slotted straight into a broadcast without the DJ having to upload anything. More on this later...They also handle all the necessary licensing, keeping you legal. Unfortunately, this is only true for the US. If you are outside the US and want to use Live 365s services, the situation is complex and basically a grey area. Live 365 won't stop you from broadcasting, but there is the potential to get in trouble with your national Performing Rights organisation. However, I believe that the situation is simpler than it seems, and that no-one should be afraid of setting up a Live 365 channel.. Look here for an explanation of my understanding of the situation. Please note that this is not the result of any legal expertise....

For would-be DJs, Live 365 offers a vastly simpler option than trying to set up your own servers and handle licensing and so forth yourself. For listeners, Live 365 is brilliant. They have search tools that allow you to find just the kind of music you are looking for. Listening to Live 365 is an addictive experience, because listening to specialized shows with a huge playlist and very little advertising means you'll hear one track after another that you'll like and may never have heard before. It's a case of "just one more..."

The only disadvantage of Live 365 for listeners is that the streams are at a fairly low bit rate, low enough for there to be significant artefacting (ie. wierdness). As server speed and connection speeds rise, this problem will fall by the wayside... For independent musicians, Live 365 is a treasure trove of specialized stations broadcasting to a specialized and internet savvy audience. You can contact DJs to interest them in your music, or you can go for paid promotional options. The more specialized your music, the more essential working Live 365 is likely to be, because there will almost certainly be shows dedicated to broadcasting your particular style worldwide 24/7/365. Live 365 has links for all tracks it broadcasts giving purchase options for listeners, and they're quite happy to link to CDBaby. Live 365 have a relationship with GarageBand. Overall, they seem very aware of and supportive of independent musicians.

Live 365 have a paid option for bands to put tracks in Live 365s music library, where they are more immediately accessible to DJs. With a track in Live 365s library, you can get airplay in lots of channels without sending out dozens of CDs. Live 365 charges $200 a track for this service. Realistically this is a money spinner for them, because their costs can't be even remotely this high. However, even at this price you might still save yourself money on CDs and mailing.