RBI Music

Listening to Radio Free – A Growing Pastime

The number of internet radio users increases exponentially by the day, and this can be supported by the fact that almost eight out of ten Americans are online at one point of time or the other. And what really helps in this situation is the fact that there are a slew of free radio stations that are available to listen to whether at work or if you are just relaxing.

And no matter what music you enjoy listening to – jazz, rock or pop – you’ll find it all over the internet and at no cost.

But it isn’t listening to free online music that makes internet radio a popular pastime, but the fact that this is aimed at a global audience that might have not been able to listen to this type of music in the past or even find information about their bands or artists at a time when the internet was just getting started.

And if that’s not enough, even if you are located in the towns of America and did not have access to radio stations in the big city, the internet has made this possible as well. One of the best examples of this is AOL Radio, and in being able to listen to a lot of the music that is offered for free, some people even end up buying albums of artists and bands that they like.

Of course, there are some internet radio stations that charge a monthly fee to listen to premium content, as opposed to the popular practice of offering radio free while focusing on advertising. But the reason for this is that the quality of sound is superior while the music for the particular genre is chosen very carefully too.

Why Internet Radio Reaches Out to a Larger Audience

 Almost all of us have listened to the radio at some point of time or the other. In the good old days, it was the local station that provided us with the entertainment that we enjoyed while driving or while accomplishing certain tasks.

This was the case until television came along, which took away a lot of listeners from the radio, but only for a while. This medium that engages our aural faculties experienced a resurgence only recently in its new avatar otherwise known as internet radio.

While in its earlier form, you needed to have a music player with radio to listen at the various stations, nowadays, all you need is a broadband connection and a personal computer no matter where you are in the world.

Yes, the internet has brought us closer to each other in ways that you might have not imagined.  And perhaps the radio station online version is a shining example of this. As you all know that listening to radio stations did not cost you a dime, and it still does not, thanks to the advertisers who want to get their products announced and discussed on the radio.

No matter who and what your preferences are, you will find that the internet has something that will please your ears.  And the beauty of it all is that it does not come with a price tag unlike so many things today.

FBI Finally Release Files on ‘Biggie Smalls’ Murder

‘Notorious B.I.G’ along with  Tupac Shakur meant a lot to hip-hop music to say the least, and with latest developments revealing that the former was involved in the murder of the latter, a new twist claims that an armor-piercing bullet which ended the life of Biggie Smalls (Christopher Wallace) in 1997 is actually due to a corrupt cop.

Of course, the ongoing feud between Biggie Smalls and Tupac was well-known at the time, and for that matter between top East and West Coast rappers. There have been several conspiracy theories and with the FBI now involved, there is no doubt that whether or not there has been a cover-up, all will be revealed sooner rather than later.

Since the FBI files have identified the bullets that ended the rapper’s life as of the Gecko 9mm variety, the name of David Mack is back in the news again (for all the wrong reasons, if you will) not long after he has served a 14-year sentence for an armed bank robbery in Los Angeles in 1997.

And while the murder of Biggie Smalls has long been considered to be in retaliation for the unsolved crime of killing Tupac Shakur just six months earlier, the police have evidence that suggests that this cop might be the one who might have done the dirty.

And even though the FBI stopped the investigation in 2005 due to the fact that they did not have any incriminating evidence, the LAPD continues to look for evidence that might reveal what happened that night when Biggie Smalls was shot dead.

Interested in Free Online Radio?

The beauty of radio, while it focuses purely on the aural senses, is that for the most part, it is free. Perhaps television is too; but with the monthly subscriptions and the pay-per-view cost for special events hitting the roof, this is where listening to radio free can work in your favor.

With the advent of the Internet literally invading every aspect of our lives these days, television has indeed taken a backseat with all the free video content that you can see at specific sites over the Web. When it comes to radio, its metamorphosis into its current streaming radio format has endeared its content to users around the world.

Yes, since this form of radio is freely available over the Internet, users from all over the world can now gain access to several radio stations that could only be accessed previously if they were at specific locations. This happened because radio stations are now realizing how catering to a global audience in the form of free online radio is vital to their survival in the entertainment business today.

All you need, as an avid listener, is a decent PC along with a broadband connection to access these stations that are compiled and located at specific sites over the Internet. All in all, internet radio is here to stay.

Google Will Launch New Music Service With Streaming And Downloads Shortly

 In latest developments, Google’s much-talked about music service will not only offer both digital album and track downloads but a digital locker streaming service as well. And since this has been a long time in coming, reports from industry insiders have been spilling the beans on this proposal that Google has been circulating amongst record labels concerning this new music service and its offerings.

With this service which is very similar to what’s offered by iTunes, Google will similarly offer downloads either on a per-track or album basis, and if that’s not enough, they will also offer users with a digital locker service that costs about $ 25 a year.

This additional service will also allow them to access their music online either through their mobile devices and desktops since it will either add the music from their computer or the music bought from Google, and which some experts say is very similar to the new streaming service as offered by Rdio.

At another level altogether, this new offering from Google has been discussing the option of being able to allow for longer previews when it comes to listening to songs before buying them, and while they are insistent on a license that will let the listener hear the entire song, and then enjoy 30-second previews the next time around, the record labels are reluctant to comply as they have denied longer previews for the Apple iTunes Store as well.

However, no deals have been reached yet, as there is no doubt that there will be some limitations placed on the services that Google wishes to provide, and which will lead to further changes in negotiations.