History of Online Music Radio - Pt. 1:
Internet radio stations first appeared in the 90s when the Internet was just a hodgepodge of corporate websites, message boards, and D.I.Y. anglefire home pages. It was largely overlooked since it wasn't nearly as exciting as the Internet itself. However, online radio caught the attention of major record labels, which set in motion a series of laws and debates between copyright offices, record labels, and the radio stations. In 1998, President Clinton signed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, forbidding internet operators to offer downloads of any copyrighted song without the permission of the copyright owner.
History of Online Music Radio - Pt. 2:
Royalties were also debated and finally settled upon, leading many online radio stations to airing music of unsigned bands and independent artists to avoid paying such fees. However, despite the legal set backs and large operating costs, thousands of online radio stations exist online. These stations feature music of all kinds, including classical music. Unless you are paying a membership fee, you will never get away from commercial breaks. Most free radios stations make their money through paid advertisements and ads on their websites.
How To Listen to Classical Music Online:
There are many ways to enjoy classical music online. Most of the stations listed below offer free streaming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Almost any computer, whether Mac or PC, supports classical music streaming. A majority of the classical stations stream directly to your iTunes account making access to these stations extremely simple. And for those of you at the office without iTunes or Media Player, you can stream classical music in a new window via Flash.
Online Classical Music Radio Index:
(A Comprehensive Listing of Online Classical Music Radio Stations)
- 91.5 WBJC
- AccuRadio
- All Classical
- Capital Public Radio
- Classical Music America
- Classical WETA
- Classical WUOL 90.5
- Colorado Public Radio
- Iceberg Radio
- KBAQ 89.5 FM
- KDFC - San Francisco
- KOSU
- KWAX-FM
- Live 365
- Magnatune Classical
- Mostly Classical on Sky FM
- Pandora
- Vermont Public Radio
- WBACH Radio
- WCLV Classical FM
- WCNY
- WDAV - Classical Public Radio
- WFCR Classical Music
- WFMT Chicago
- WGBH 99.5 All Classical
- WGUC - Cincinnati's Classical Public Radio
- WHQR Public Radio
- WHRB Harvard Radio Broadcasting
- WKAR Radio Online - Classical
- WKSU - Kent State University
- WHRM - Fine Arts Radio
- WNYC
- WQXR
- WRTI Classical and Jazz Station
