Learn About Online Radio

FAQ      Audience Analysis

 Frequently Asked Questions

What is online radio?
Online radio is simply radio programming transmitted over the Internet instead of the airwaves.

Most online radio is either traditional radio stations simulcasting their signal or original stations broadcasting exclusively on the Web.

How do consumers access online radio?
Unlike traditional radio or TV, online radio does not require a special receiver to access the content. Any computer with Internet access can be used to listen to online radio. The consumer either goes to a Web site or clicks on a menu in their media player to access the programming. Examples of media players are Windows Media® Player, RealPlayer® or QuickTime®. Think of a media player as the built-in radio in a computer.

How many online radio stations are there?
In traditional radio, there are a finite number of frequencies a station can use to carry its signal. The Internet does not have these limitations, nor do the stations have to register with the FCC. Therefore, thousands of stations can be broadcasting at any time, and new stations can go online at will.

How big is the audience?
According to an Arbitron Inc./Edison Media Research study conducted in January 2004, more than 19 million Americans (8% of the U.S. population) listened to online radio in the past week.

What is the general audience profile?
According to the Arbitron/Edison study conducted in January 2004, the average weekly Internet broadcast audience is male (63 percent), adult (56 percent Adults 25-54), upscale (46 percent live in $50K+ households) and tech-savvy.

What types of advertising opportunities are available?
The same traditional :15, :30 and :60 commercials that run on broadcast radio can be used online. Most spots air during regular commercial breaks. Some commercials called "gateways," "channel starts" or "pre-rolls" run whenever the consumer tunes to the station. These spots run before the station's regular programming begins.
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 Audience Analysis

Arbitron research shows that online radio attracts mostly upper-income, tech-savvy early adopters.

  U.S. Population Online Radio
(used in past week;
equals 8% of U.S.
population)
Demographics
Men
46%
60% 
Women
54%
40% 
12-17
10%
12% 
18-24
10%
16% 
25-34
16%
22% 
35-44
19%
24% 
45-54
18%
12% 
55-64
13%
9% 
65+
14%
4% 
Employed Part/Full Time
58%
68% 
Retired
16%
5% 
Student
12%
14% 
Homemaker
8%
5% 
Unemployed
5%
6% 
$50K+ HH Income
37%
52% 
White
72%
81% 
African-American
10%
10% 
Hispanic/Latino
9%
7% 

Media Time Spent Per Day
TV
3:20
2:33 
Radio
2:39
2:37 
Newspaper
0:38
0:34 
Internet
1:03
2:22 
Total Media Time Spent
7:40
8:01 
Arbitron Inc. and Edison Media Research, 2003

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QuickTime® is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
RealPlayer® is a registered trademark of Progressive Networks, Inc.
Windows Media® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.