Are you a DJ, musician, or just someone who loves sharing music? Starting your own online radio station is easier and more affordable than ever before.

With the power of free, open-source software like Azuracast, you can self-host an internet radio station and stream music 24/7 without any expensive equipment or subscriptions.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to start an online radio station for free using Azuracast. By the end, you’ll have your very own internet radio station up and running from the comfort of your home.

Prerequisites for Starting a Free Online Radio Station

Before we dive in, you’ll need a few things:

1. A server (VPS) running a Linux distribution like Ubuntu to install Azuracast on. For this demo, I’m using an Ubuntu 20.04 server. Get a cheap virtual private server (VPS) using below link.
2. A domain name that will point to your server’s IP address. This isn’t strictly required but it makes your radio station easier to access.
3. Audio files in the format of MP3 that you want to broadcast.
4. Make sure you have the proper licenses or rights to stream this content.

Once you have those ready, let’s set up your free internet radio station!

Step 1: Install Azuracast on Your Server

We’ll start by connecting to our Ubuntu server via an SSH client. First, open a terminal and run this command to get root access.

sudo su -

Next, we need to add swap memory to this server to ensure the smooth running of Azuracast. Enter this command for that. This will add 4GB of swap memory. You can customize this by changing the number of MB.

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt/swap.0 bs=4024 count=1048576 && sudo mkswap /mnt/swap.0 && echo "/mnt/swap.0 swap swap defaults 0 0" >> /etc/fstab && swapon /mnt/swap.0 && sudo swapon -s

Optional: After that, enter this command to change the IP table settings. This may not be needed for most of the VPS. So you can skip this command when you use the recommended VPS on our site.

iptables -P INPUT ACCEPT && iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT && iptables -P FORWARD ACCEPT && iptables -F && sudo netfilter-persistent save

Next, we’ll install Azuracast itself along with nginx as the web server and other dependencies. We should create a new directory for the installation.

mkdir -p /var/azuracast

Go to the newly created directory using this command.

cd /var/azuracast

Ok, now enter this auto-installation script. Azuracast runs as a Docker container, so you need to install Docker. This script will ask you to install it; type “Y” to proceed.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AzuraCast/AzuraCast/main/docker.sh > docker.sh
chmod a+x docker.sh
./docker.sh install

The installation script will prompt you to choose stable release or rolling release. It is better to go with the stable release. So I enter “Y” here. Ok, it will ask again, “Do you want to go Rolling release?”.

Here, type “N” and proceed with the installation. It takes a few minutes to complete the installation, so wait for it.

After that’s done, Azuracast will be installed at the /var/azuracast directory. Let’s test if it’s running by visiting the server’s IP address in a web browser.

You should see the Azuracast landing page, indicating a successful installation.

Step 2: Configure Azuracast and Create Your Station

When first visiting Azuracast, you’ll be prompted to create a super admin account. Enter your email and desired password.

Next, set up your first internet radio station by configuring details like the station name, description, timezone, etc.

Next, you have to configure Azuracast settings. If you have a domain and it is pointed to the server IP address, you can enter it here. If not just enter your public IP address as the “Site based URL.”

This is the main interface dashboard where you can manage everything related to your radio station.

You can further customize the station’s appearance, automated media settings, support details and more from the side menu options.

Step 3: Upload Music to Radio Station

With your station configured, it’s time to upload some music! Head to the Media > Media Files section and drag/drop folders of audio files or upload them individually.

Azuracast supports common formats like MP3 and AAC. I’ve got a few MP3 files uploaded as an example here. You can edit metadata like album art, titles and genres for your uploaded radio content.

Once your music library is loaded, create a playlist by selecting your uploaded tracks under the “Playlists” menu. Customize playback order, enable track shuffling, set intro/outro clips and more.

Step 4: Start Broadcasting Your Internet Radio Station!

To begin internet radio broadcasting, simply click the “Start Station” button at the top left, then “Reload Configuration“. Your free radio station is now live!

Click the “Preview Stream” link to listen, or share the streaming URLs so others can tune in via their media player or the web player.

And that’s it! You’ve learned how to start an online radio station for free using the powerful, self-hosted Azuracast platform.

While we’ve just scratched the surface, Azuracast is packed with advanced capabilities for optimizing and monetizing your online radio stations. Be sure to check out their official documentation.

Start Your Own Free Internet Radio Today

With free radio streaming software like Azuracast, it’s incredibly easy and cost-effective to start an online radio station from home. All you need is a basic VPS, some MP3s, and to follow the simple setup steps above.

So what are you waiting for? Share your DJ mixes, promote your music, or just obsessively curate playlists by launching your very own free internet radio station today!

And if you’re looking to take your streaming setup further, check out how to start a 24/7 live radio station on YouTube using Azuracast.

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