10 Essential Pieces of Equipment for Online Radio Newbies Looking to Become Broadcasting Pros

Equipment for online radio station

Putting together an online radio studio is relatively simple and inexpensive. After you’ve signed up for Airtime Pro, or any other internet radio broadcasting software, have a look at our step-by-step guide to starting your own radio station. You are now ready to start acquiring the necessary equipment for online radio and make your dream of being an online DJ a reality. 

Computer and microphone

The first two essential items (we’ll assume you already have an internet connection) to get your first station on air: a computer and a microphone. Any computer you already have should work just fine as long as it has USB ports and a headphone jack. 

If you plan to keep it simple and just play music tracks, then you don’t even need a microphone. But if you want to live broadcast and do things like introduce songs and discuss news and current events, you’ll definitely need one. Most computers have internal microphones, but you’ll quickly discover that the sound output is less than desirable. If you don’t happen to have a mic lying around, you should invest in one right away. Any low-cost option such as a Blue Yeti USB microphone, will be a vast improvement on the sound quality of internal mics.

Headphones

You’ll also want a good set of headphones so you can hear yourself and your shows, and to help you monitor to assure transitions are seamless and audio levels are properly adjusted. Common earphones would do the trick, but much better is a product like Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 PRO headphones, which produce high and low frequencies and everything in-between with incredible precision.

As you begin to feel more confident about broadcasting and the future of your station (See: The 4 Steps to Successful Public Relations for Internet Radio), think about utilizing a dedicated space where equipment can be added easily. You may not have a spare room, but a sturdy table that can comfortably house an expanding setup for your home studio is a must and, of course, be sure to place it in an optimal spot with low noise levels and the least amount of disturbance.