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AMN now has a live MP3 Radio Station on the Web!!!
By Matthew Toledo - 4/20/1999
You can now listen to music from your favorite Ohio bands anywhere in the world via the net. Just tune into the Athens Musician Network On-line Radio Network.
Listening to the AMN radio station is not that difficult. You'll need a few basic things: a computer, a decent connection to the Internet, and the appropriate software.
If you have a PC, you can use either Nullsoft's Winamp Player (free) or Sonique (free). We recommend Winamp.
Mac users can use Mac Cast, SoundJam or the new version of winamp for the Mac called Macamp and it is free.
Lets go over all the items in detail.
1) Your Computer - Your computer should be reasonably fast. By that, I mean at least a 200 Mhz processor. If you are a Mac user, you'll need to be using one of the newer computers. You should be able to listen to the AMN radio using any of the following...Windows 95/98/00/NT/XP/ME, LINUX, or another UNIX, and MAC.
2) A Decent Connection To The Internet - You'll need at least and an ADSL line or Cable modem and a reasonable stable connection to the net in order to listen to the AMN. You'll get greate performance if you are on a company LAN, have a cable modem, ADSL, ISDN or other high speed connection. Ohio University students with ethernet in their dorm rooms should have a fast enough connection.
3) Software - In my opinion, Nullsoft's Winamp Player is the best MP3 player on the web. It's free, and highly configurable. Until recently, it was the ONLY Mp3 player capable of listening to streaming MP3's. Real, Inc. just came out with the Real Player G2 (also called Real Player 7) and It can listen to streaming MP3's as well. However, if you don't have a rock-solid connection to the Internet I wouldn't recommend using Real Player 7. It doesn't hurt to have both players installed on your computer. They both come in handy.
| Windows Users Download | |
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| Winamp (recommended) | Click Below for Sonique |
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| Real Player for PC | Musicmatch |
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| Mac Users Download | |
| Click Below for Macast | Winamp for the Mac (recommended) |
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| Click for Soundjam | Real Player for Mac |
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Which one should you use?
I highly suggest Winamp for the PC and Mac. Or SoundJam MP Free if you use the Mac. These are, as far as I know, the only mp3 players that display the song title and artist when listening to live radio stations. Plus, it has the best features. Skins, playlists, an EQ and great vizualzation plugins that can turn your monitor into the best visual trip.
The others don't tell you what song is currently playing on the AMN. So you'll never know what's playing and who sings it.
Using Winamp
- Install the latest version of Nullsoft's Winamp on your computer: It's very easy to install Winamp. Download the installation program to your desktop. Once it's done downloading, double click on it. It will begin the installation procedure. You will be asked several questions during the install. Unless you know what your doing, just accept the defaults.
- Open Winamp
for the First Time: The first time you run winamp, it may ask you for your name and e-mail address.
Filling out this form is optional. You should now see the winamp
screen. You'll notice that winamp looks like your average car
stereo.
- Connect
To The Internet: If you have a modem at home, go on-line as you normally do. If you are a student
at Ohio University sitting in your dorm, then you most likely
have a super-fast ethernet connection to the web! Cool! Using
your RIGHT MOUSE button right click on the winamp title bar.
So that you see the following menu.
- Using the LEFT
MOUSE button, select Play Location. In the new window that appears,
type 216.3.2.22:8000
Configuring Your Web Browser
If you wish, you can configure your favorite web browser (Netscape or Microsoft IE) to automatically connect to a radio station by simply clicking on a link. You'll need to download winamp first. Then visit -> This <- web site to configure your browser. It's a neat feature and only takes 5 minutes to set up.
After you've configured your browser to automatically
open Winamp, click this -> 
Other MP3 players
There are plenty of other MP3 players out there. Some of them may be capable of listening to streaming MP3 radio stations like the AMN online radio station. For a complete list of all the cool players available on the web, check out mp3.com's software listing.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: There are a lot of pauses in the music, how do I get rid of them?
A: You are getting the pauses
because your connection is too slow, or the Internet in general
is congested at the moment. The highway analogy applies. The highway
only has so many lanes (bandwidth) when a lot of the lanes are
in use, traffic doesn't flow very fast (throughput).
- A T1, Ethernet, cable, or ADSL connection is like a superhighway.
- ISDN modem is like a divided highway with no traffic or cops.
- A 56.6K modem is like a divided highway.
- A 33.6K modem is like a state route.
- A 28.8K modem is like a gravel road (if you have a 28.8 modem
don't even try connecting)
- A 14.4K modem is like a footpath (do they still even make 14.4
modems?)
TIP: I've
noticed that increasing Winamp's preload buffer helps cut out some
pauses. Also, speed of connection is very important. 28.8 users
might as well forget about it. 33.6 modem owners might get lucky
now and then, when the net isn't too busy. For most people, 56.6K
connections are more than adequate.
To Increase the preload Buffer, Open Winamp and hit Ctrl and P on your keyboard at the same time. In the Preferences window, look for Plugins -> Input -> Nullsoft MPEG audio decoder and double click on it. A new window will appear.
Click on the "Streaming" tab in this new window. In the upper left hand corner, there should be an area entitled "Streaming Data Buffer." Change this to a higher number, like 256, 512 or even 1024 (I wouldn't go higher)
Click on the OK button, quit Winamp and then reopen it. You have now increased the size of the buffer and will hopefully avoid those nasty gaps. You might notice the songs "skipping" This happens because the connection was slow for a moment, and the buffer compressed the gap in the audio that you would have heard normally. If it skips a lot, your modem connection is probably too slow or too unstable.
Q: I tried to connect and I got "ICY service unavailable"
A: Unfortunately, sometimes my radio station goes "off-line" now and then. At least a couple of times a day. It's being run on a Gateway GP6-400 MHz Windows 98 computer with a T2 connection to the Internet. This computer is also my work computer at FrogNet. From time to time, I'll have to scan images, reboot, things happen. Be patient. If it's during working hours (9 to 6) I'll be back on the air within minutes.
Q: I tried to connect and it said that the server was full!
A: FrogNet is a great internet service provider, but they only have so much outgoing bandwidth that I can use.. I can only have 30 people listening to my radio station at a given time. Otherwise my computer stands up and beats me about the head an neck with a zip disk. (In plain English, my connection to the net isn't big enough to support more than 30 listeners) To date, I've never been full.
Q: I have a super fast connection to the net, why isn't the sound quality any better.
A: I'm transmitting at a low quality so that people in the Athens area (the heart of Appalachia) who typically have slower connections can listen. I've noticed that if your computer has a decent pair of speakers, the quality ain't that bad. In fact, it's comparable an FM radio station. Any way you look at it. Streaming MP3's are way better in quality than any Real Audio file.
Q: I have a band, can I get on the air?
A: Sure, any local act can get on the air. Please keep in mind that you should have a semi decent tape or CD of your self. Boom box recordings really don't cut it. The only reasons why I wouldn't play your music would be because your song's lyrics are comprised of nothing but the F*** word or the quality of your recording is really piss poor. CD's are easy to convert to MP3. Tapes are a hassle, but I can do it. Send material to the address at the bottom of this page.
Requests:
The radio station, like this web site, gets a lot of its guidance from users. If you have a request, and make sure to be specific. Local bands, give me your CD. Drop them off at my place of business, FrogNet, any week day from 9am to 6pm.
FrogNet INC
ATTN: Matthew Toledo
68 B. North Court St.
Athens, OH 45701
