There are two audio systems that are widely used by classical music stations
broadcasting on the Internet. They are Real
Networks' Real Player
and Windows
Media Player.
In addition, a more and more stations are adding MP3
and Ogg Vorbis streams. The most commonly and widely
used player for these two formats is Winamp
version 5.09 (or later). Other stations are using the Quicktime
format, and the player most widely used for this format
is Apple's Quicktime
Player.
We
have received a number of queries from visitors who have had difficulty playing
MP3 streams on either Real
Player or Windows Media Player. In our experience,
MP3 streams WILL NOT play properly (or in some cases
at all) with these players. Download and use WINAMP
Version 5.09 (or later) to play MP3 streams.
Real
Player has a tendency to "hijack" file associations from other
programs. If after downloading WINAMP, an MP3
stream still tries to play in Real Player, simply
copy the stream's URL from the error message that Real Player
generates, paste it into the "Location" box in WINAMP
and click on the "Play" button in WINAMP.
To download Real
Player (we now recommend
Version 10)
software, go here. To download Windows
Media Player (Version
10) software, go here.
To download Quicktime
Player software, go
here. And to download Winamp
(Version 5.09 or the latest version)
software, go here.
In all four cases, the procedure after the file is downloaded is the same.
Run the downloaded file, follow the onscreen instructions, and the program will
install itself.
Once
the program you desire is installed, go to a web site which offers live streaming
in your chosen audio software and click on the streaming link. Within one
to three minutes, depending on the speed of your internet connection, you should
be hearing the audio for the station whose site carries that link.
For a more detailed discussion of these various audio applications visit our Techies
page.
A
note about buying a new computer that will work well with audio streaming. A good
rule of thumb is to double the amount of RAM memory that the computer makers are
currently advertising. For example, nowadays most middle of the road computers
come with 1GB of RAM, so assume that you should upgrade to 2GB of RAM memory.
It's one of the least expensive and most effective ways to make your new computer
more efficient.
CNET.com
has just published (April, 2008) a handy Guide to Understanding
Online Music Stores, where you will find help figuring out where and how to
download music for your portable music player.
Good
luck, and enjoy!
