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PRO Broadcast / FAQ 1. Why should I broadcast with Live365? Live365 has many advantages. Our site attracts 4 million plus listeners every month, and being listed in our directory provides exposure in and of itself. Also, our expanding distribution network includes TiVo, Philips Streamium, D-Link, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, iTunes, and others. On the technical side, our service is flexible in its delivery. It is an end to end solution with broadcasting software, bandwidth, tracking, reporting, licensing, customization, and support. Basically, Live365 is a one stop shop. 2. How much computer knowledge do I need to be a professional broadcaster? Broadcasters should have working knowledge of Windows or OSX. Additionaly, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of MP3 files. 3. What kind of hardware do I need to broadcast? Minimum requirements PC: 300MHZ or faster processor and a sound-card that supports your desired broadcast source (i.e. Microphone, Line-In, etc). MAC: G3 or faster processor and a sound-card that supports your desired broadcast source (i.e. Microphone, Line-In, etc). 4. What is “up to 64k,” “up to 96k,” “up to 128k” and how does it affect my broadcast? These are all bitrates available to broadcast in. The higher the bitrate the better the quality of the audio. We call 64k “FM Quality,” with 128k being “CD Quality” and 96k falling between the two. To reach dial-up listeners, you would select an “up to 64k” package and stream at 32k or lower. 5. What is TLH and SL? TLH is Total Listening Hours. This is the number of collective hours that people listen to your station. If one person tunes into your station for one hour, that's 1 TLH. If two people tune into your station for one hour each, that's 2 TLH, and so on. Keep in mind, these are listening hours, not broadcast hours. TLH is calculated to the nearest minute. SL is simply the number of simultaneous listeners tuned into your station. 6. Can I broadcast live? Yes, provided that you have a high speed internet connection (DSL, Cable, etc). We recommend that the upload speed be double your broadcast bitrate. 7. Why do I need storage space? Storage space is used for uploading MP3s for basic mode (playlist based) broadcasting. 8. Does Live365 run ads on my station? As a professional broadcaster Live365 will not run any advertising in your broadcast. If a listener launches your broadcast from the Live365 directory they will still receive any pre-roll or graphic ads. No audio ads are inserted into a professional broadcast. 9. How is this different than satellite radio? Live365 is available anywhere there is an internet connection. Satellite radio is available only with subscription, proprietary hardware, and where a signal to the satellite can be established,. 10. How can I generate revenue from my broadcast? Most broadcasters use the advertising/sponsorship model to drive revenue. We provide the back end for your business, how you generate revenue is entirely up to you. Live365 does not require any percentage of your ad revenue. Here are some ideas:
11. What ad rates or sponsorship rates should I charge? You are free to charge whatever your market will bear. 12. How do I insert ads into my broadcast and on to my player window? You can insert audio ads just as any MP3. As for the player window, if you have the HTML or Flash knowledge you can build your own that features any advertising you want. 13. How do I acquire listeners? First, Live 365 lists your station in our directory, which gives our over 4 million unique listeners access to your station. You can also be included in our distribution network which can place you on devices such as TiVo, D-Link, Windows Media Player 10, Windows Media Center, iTunes, Squeezebox, Palm, Terra.com, Planetatv.com, Philips Streamium, etc. For additional tips, you can visit your broadcast home page here: http://www.live365.com/broadcast/promote.live (must be logged in to access) 14. Does Live365 censor its stations? Live365 does not generally censor its stations. There is no FCC governance over internet radio. You can broadcast explicit content, but it is recommended you label your station as such. For complete details on broadcasting rules, you can read our Terms of Use [http://www.live365.com/info/terms.html]. 15. What is the DMCA and what legal guidelines does it lay down for internet broadcasts? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") was passed by Congress and details the rules regarding Internet broadcasts that are eligible for compulsory licenses. There is an excellent section on the wiki devoted to this: http://wiki.live365.com/pmwiki.php?n=Broadcasting.DMCA 16. Can exceptions to the DMCA be made? Yes. If you own the rights to all material contained in your broadcast, or have permission from the copyright holder(s), it may be possible to exempt you from the Live365 DMCA filter. 17. Do I have to use the Live365 Player Window? No. Our service is available for launching in iTunes, WinAmp, Real Player, Windows Media Player, and just about any MP3 player. Also, you can integrate our service directly into your website via your own custom player. 18. Can I launch the station directly from my website? YES! As a Pro Broadcaster, you do have this ability. See below for exmaples. 19. Can I customize my player window? Yes, certainly. There are a number of options. The first is our standard player window, which is available in a number of colors and can display your logo and custom text information. We do provide templates for custom HTML, Flash, and desktop players. But their implementation is entirely up to your web designer. Pop-Up Player launch: Embedded Website Player: Flash Player: 20. Can I use Flash as part of my player interface? Yes. You may use our flash template or design your own to link to your broadcast. [See above] 21. Can I launch my station from other websites as a pop up window? Yes. As a pro broadcaster you have this option. Keep in mind that if the content is copyrighted, any website launching the audio will need to have their own proper licensing in place. 22. What other digital devices pick up my station? There are a wide variety of consumer level devices that connect to Live365 stations. These devices include stand alone inernet radio boxes, home based media centers, and mobile devices. PocketTunes allows for the Palm Treo to connect, D-Link Products, Philips Streamium, Roku Soundbridge, Tivo, and other wireless enabled devices can connect at home. More are being added all the time! 23. Do I have to be listed in the Live365 directory? No, your station can be de-listed upon request. 24. Do I need to store my audio on your servers? No. If you wish to host your own audio content you can use our Live mode broadcasting to deliver the audio to your Live365 server. Only in Basic Mode do you need to store audio on our servers. 25. Can I do a live call in show with Live365 software? Yes, although Live365 does not provide all the software needed for calling in. However, programs such as SKYPE [http://www.skype.com] can allow you to use your computer as a phone that people will be able to call into. This software combined with Live365 allows you to run a talk show with the ability to call in. There are also professional hardware solutions that allow you to digitize your phone line and run the audio into your broadcast computer or mixer. Check out http://www.bswusa.com for more information. 26. How do I create a Podcast on Demand audio station? For broadcasters who own the rights to all the content they plan on broadcasting, Live365 offers on demand services, where in listeners can go to your station page or website and select audio segments managed by you to listen to. This is a great option for podcasters who want immediate streaming of their content in addition to a more traditional podcast. 27. Can I move to a different Pro package after I sign up? Yes, upgrades are available at any time. Should you desire more TLH for an expanding fan base or more storage space for a bigger playlist, we can accommodate either or both. Contact your sales rep or customer support for details. 28. Do you have discounts for purchasing more than 1 broadcast package at a time? Yes, please contact us! http://www.live365.com/pro/contact.html 29. Can licensing cover more than 1 broadcast? Yes. Our ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, which accounts for $48/month of the Royalty Included rates, licenses a URL. All stations launched off of the same URL can be covered under one license. 30. What’s the difference between Basic and Live mode? In Basic mode you upload MP3s to our server, create playlists, and schedule them to be aired. This does not require a constant connection to our servers. Live mode is where, through a constant connection to our servers, you stream audio in real time, and as such have real time control over the how. |
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Page last modified on May 29, 2009, at 11:49 AM |
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