Do you feel touched, and inside your heart you have a desire to create your own religious radio station, to transmit the teachings of your beliefs and messages of peace? Then follow this article! We will teach you how to do this, allied to excellent music.
It has become common, and in some ways even expected, for churches to use this media to spread their beliefs and teachings. In recent years, gospel radio stations have become even more popular. But this is not a recent phenomenon! So, let’s explore history.
The beginning of radio broadcasting with a religious content
The pioneer of religious radio broadcasting was Pastor H.M.S. Richards, in 1929, when he broadcasted a series of biblical themes on KNX in California, USA.
Years later, the religious program was presented on a network of stations and transmitted in several USA states. It was called the “Voice of Prophecy.” The program has grown ever since and has become even more popular. Currently, it broadcasts in dozens of countries and over 700 radio stations.
Creating an online radio station
Despite radio transmission not being recent, there have always been barriers that made life difficult for those who wished to transmit their message using audio. With the popularization of the Internet, this has changed dramatically!
With an online radio station, you can broadcast the content you desire, religious or not, very accessible and democratically.
Therefore today, we will teach you, step by step, how to create an internet radio focused on religious content. We will cover everything, from the content creation process to the more technical aspects.
Content and programming grid
Despite technical aspects (like good streaming service, for example) being extremely important, internet radios should prioritize content creation. It is the crucial factor that will set your online radio apart from the rest! So, let’s start addressing this.
The first step is to define what topics your internet radio will cover. There are different options, among which we can mention a few:
- Broadcasting gospel music and artists
- Streaming of worship services and preaching
- Interaction with listeners
- Dissemination of religion-related news
There is no rule! To make it easier, you can take other religious radio stations as an example. However, remember it is only to give you a basis. Don’t copy! Create your exclusive style. The tip is to diversify your program grid!
Create different grids for morning, afternoon, and evening.
Your listeners’ profiles tend to change throughout the day. Therefore, you should create your programming based on each profile’s interests!
Just as an example, the morning can be devoted to messages of peace and wisdom. Around lunchtime, you can alternate between music and cooking tips. You dedicate time to Bible stories and open space for audience interaction in the afternoon. Then in the evening, you can end the day broadcasting a worship service or preaching, for example.
Of course, this is only a suggestion so you can understand the different possibilities! As we mentioned before, the content of your online radio is of fundamental importance, so try to be unique. Have your distinctive style!
Naturally, you may not have the time to take care of your internet radio programming 24 hours a day. Therefore, the use of automation tools is of great help. For example, the Auto DJ system allows you to create your online radio schedule for an entire week without depending on a computer connected to the Internet. But we will get to that later!
Interaction with the audience
Almost as important as having quality content is making your audience aware of it! That is why the use of social networks, websites, radio aggregators, and applications is fundamental.
Always keep your online presence constant and up-to-date. Your listeners must know the broadcast schedule for each program that airs on your online radio station.
During the live broadcasts of your internet radio, encourage your listeners to contact you. They can submit E-mails, WhatsApp audios, or text messages on social networks. One tip is to read your listeners’ letters or insert the sent audios into your programming. It encourages listeners to listen to your web radio even more, especially if you can embed a reflection message based on a listener’s submission.
There are many tools available on the Internet. Use them well.
You may not have time to take care of your radio’s program schedule 24/7. But this is no longer a problem!
We recommend using Auto DJ. It is an automation tool for on-demand broadcasting. What does this mean? It means you can create your online radio program for an entire week through a web panel. And ensure that your broadcast is always online, ready to receive your listeners.
With Auto DJ, you upload all your audio files (songs, vignettes, advertisements, etc …) to the Internet, create playlists, and choose the best time to play them! Another important aspect is that Auto DJ allows you to go live using your computer with Internet access. Therefore, with Auto DJ, you can leave your radio online by default. Then, when you have time, or at the scheduled moment, you can start your live broadcast with the speaker and listener interaction.
Another exciting use of Auto DJ is the retransmission of recorded content. Have you streamed a live worship service but would also like to rebroadcast it at another time? No problem! Just record the audio during the live transmission, send the recording to Auto DJ, and choose the best time for the rebroadcast. It works with everything! Services, sermons, preaching, lectures, interviews. It’s your imagination that rules!
Besides the transmission resources, having a responsive website for your internet radio that is search engine friendly is extremely important. Research shows that the number of hits drops dramatically if the site takes more than two seconds to load.
An Android App for the internet radio station is also an essential resource. According to Kantar IBOPE, 23% of all conventional radio streams in Brazil are already through smartphones! For online broadcasters, this number is even more significant.
What is required?
Now you know how to create your religious online radio content and make your presence felt. Next, you must consider whether you already have everything you need to launch it!
Step 1 – Equipment and software
- Computer or laptop
- Internet connection
- Microphone (for your narrations)
- Headphone (Optional, for audio return)
- Soundboard (Optional, it can be replaced by a free program!)
- Transmission software (Free!)
- Automation software (Free!)
There are excellent free options for transmission and automation software, featuring all the necessary functions for a complete web radio transmission, such as Oddcast (Transmission) and ZaraRadio (Automation).
Step 2 – Hire a high-quality streaming plan
Those who think they can hire any plan from any streaming provider are mistaken. It is crucial to obtain the service from a serious, respectable, and leading company in the market. At such times you get what you pay for.
Below you will find tips for choosing the best streaming provider:
- Check how many years the company has been in business
- Does the company provide a list of customers or examples of radios created with the service offered?
- Does it provide good quality technical support?
- Does the company offer a trial period for you to check the stability and quality of services?
- Do you receive additional features like a user-friendly website, e-mails, programs, and applications? (Further down, you will learn why these features are so important).
Choosing the best plan
Once you have defined the streaming provider, it is time to choose the plan. The main thing is to determine the broadcasting quality, with a unit of measurement called “bitrate” in kbps (kilobits/kilo packets per second). Usually, transmissions are at either 64kbps or 128kbps. However, the 192kbps bit rate has recently become popular because of its incredible audio quality.
Besides quality, you must set the storage space for Auto DJ. The more your online radio relies on on-demand streaming, with Auto DJ, the more storage space you need. However, even entry-level plans currently offer at least 20GB of disk space. It is enough for more than 5000 MP3 music.
Also, check if the plan provides additional features like website, application, short programs, and podcast support.
That’s it! Whew! Now you have all the necessary information.
Our last tip is to do a test, and that’s it! BRLOGIC offers a 7-day free trial with no obligation. You can create your online radio, edit your manageable website, start your broadcasts. Only then, if you wish, choose a plan to keep the project running.
Getting started is easy! Visit our website, enter your e-mail address, and activate your account. That’s it! If you have any questions, chat with our technical support team!
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