Excellent, passionately run, free radio. (Live365)

Member Name: prekrassnyi

Product:	Live365
Date:	18/07/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Niche (but in a very good way), free and great to see people running stations for music they love!

Disadvantages: Limited access (need broadband, etc) and the paid membership doesn't have enough perks to justify it

Live365 is a website that allows you to create your own radio station or if you're strictly into listening only, listen to a variety of radio stations (from pop to obscure radio plays - it's all here!).

I only have personal experience with listening but understand that if I wanted to make a radio station, I would have complete control over the playlist and Live365 take care of getting the right to have the songs played on my station. The website offers a variety of packages depending on what you want from your station and the prices seem fairly reasonable for a service that doesn't go down frequently and would involve a lot more effort than just uploading a playlist if I was going to do it myself, especially in the era of music companies cracking down on the 'illegal' distribution of their music.

As a listener, I really cannot fault Live365 for the music it plays - how can I? There's literally a radio station for everyone, dedicated to that genre of music/comedy/radio play/whatever you love. It's extremely easy to set up a free account and you can then stream radio through the Flash player they have or through Windows Media. The paid accounts offered by Live365 mean better quality sound (though I don't have any real complaints about the free membership sound quality), no adverts and no pop-ups. Okay, if I listen to normal everyday radio, I expect adverts (and the ones on Live365 are generally less annoying than adverts played on mainstream radio) and my browser blocks pop-ups so honestly, I don't see the allure of paid membership if you aren't intending to set your own station up. (sorry, Live365, but it's true!)

The obvious drawbacks are that you're limited to listening to where there is a suitable platform and access to broadband but I'm geniunely pleased that Live365 does exist because it means I can listen to a station with music I love made by someone who obviously loves it just as much.

Summary: Great free radio stations with something for everyone.