So Many Stations

Each of these audio players lets you browse Internet radio stations (see FIGURE 1), though most promote broadcasters that feature the player manufacturer's technology. For example, Winamp's minibrowser lets you browse Nullsoft's Shoutcast directory--a list of stations that broadcast using the company's Shoutcast Server streaming audio software. Windows Media Player's Media Guide lets you peruse stations broadcasting in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format; QuickTime and RealOne offer similar indexes that spotlight QuickTime and Real Audio formats, respectively.

Luckily, you're not limited to one format or another--having all these players installed simultaneously is no problem. What you really need is a directory that lists every station regardless of format. Radio-Locator is a good place to start, especially if you want to search for foreign broadcasts by country. The site lists thousands of Internet stations, as well as AM and FM broadcasters, but it doesn't show which formats the stations broadcast in. BRS Web-Radio includes the digital audio format information for many stations, and it lets you search for stations by location, call letters, or programming. RadioTower.com is similar, but it also lets you rate stations on quality and posts those ratings in its listings.

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