How to start
an internet radio station.

Starting an internet radio station is cheaper and faster than getting an FCC license, but "cheap and fast" still has real steps. Here's what actually has to happen, in order, as of October 2026.

1. Decide what you're actually building

An internet station can be a 24/7 automated music stream, a live show a few hours a day with automation filling the rest, or a full-blown talk/variety station with a schedule. The answer changes almost everything downstream: how much you'll pay in music royalties, how much automation you need, and whether you need live-assist tools or just reliable unattended playout. Decide this first.

2. Clear music licensing before you stream a single song

This is the step most hobby streams skip, and the one that gets stations shut down. In the US, a non-interactive internet stream playing commercial recordings needs:

• SoundExchange — the statutory license covering the sound recording itself (the master). This is separate from, and in addition to, performance rights.
• Performance rights for the composition — typically BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, which license the underlying song (melody and lyrics) separately from the recording.

If you're running syndicated shows or buying production libraries, check whether those rights are already cleared in the deal (RadioForge's own ProductionForge and SyndiForge content is cleared for the station). If you're building a talk-only station with original content and no commercial music, this step mostly disappears.

3. Pick your automation

This is the software that actually runs your station: scheduling, rotation, live-assist, and keeping the stream up 24/7 without someone babysitting it. The two real paths:

• Desktop automation (StationPlaylist, mAirList, RadioBOSS and similar) — install on a Windows PC, usually in your own studio or on a VPS you manage yourself.
• Browser-based automation (AirForge) — runs in any browser, hosted on your own server or in the cloud, with nothing to install on individual machines. See AirForge and the AirForge vs StationPlaylist comparison for the tradeoffs.

4. Decide how DJs will record, if you have any

If nobody's live and it's 100% automated music, skip this. If you want DJ voice tracks or live shows, you need a way for talent to record remotely without being in a physical studio. See the remote voice tracking guide for the three workflows stations actually use.

5. Build the website and app

A stream with no website is invisible. At minimum you need a listen-live page; most stations also want a now-playing widget, a mobile-friendly site, and ideally an installable app so listeners don't have to re-find you every time. See WebForge for a built-and-managed option, or the WebForge vs Media Realm comparison if you're also looking at WordPress-based builders.

6. Budget it honestly

Rough, real ranges as of October 2026:

• Desktop automation software: roughly $150–$300 one-time, plus $0–$50/year support, per the vendor's own published pricing
• Streaming/CDN bandwidth: usually a monthly fee scaled to listener hours
• Music royalties (SoundExchange + PROs): ongoing, scales with audience; budget for it from day one rather than after a cease-and-desist
• Website and app: ranges from $0 (bundled with some automation platforms) to several thousand dollars for a custom build

7. Launch, then fix the schedule for real

Almost every new station's first week on air reveals gaps in the schedule — dead air at shift changes, a rotation that repeats too fast, a daypart nobody's watching. Budget time in week one to just listen to your own station end to end and fix what's broken before you promote it hard.