Create your own free radio station

Apr 18th, 2001

Advantages:
No cost, simple to install and operate, comprehensive selection of music to choose from, totally interactive and uniquely personalised

Disadvantages:
Drop - outs during periods of high internet traffic, sound quality not of CD or FM Radio standard

Recommendable: Yes

Detailed rating:

Transmission quality

Range of radio shows

Quality of radio shows

How good are the presenters?

Stability of broadcast

EnglishPatient

EnglishPatient

About me: And so, EnglishPatient - as a standalone entity - is no more. This account will self-destruct within...

Member since:30.07.2000

Reviews:132

Members who trust:59

Review rated by 26 Ciao members on average: very helpful

Ever wished there was a radio station that always played music you liked? Or, better still, had a playlist only based on selections you actually chose yourself?

Hang on, aren't there already MP3 Jukeboxes for that? Well, yes. Sonicnet, though, offers something quite special. Your very own, personalized and customized internet radio station, streaming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and indeed 365 days of the year (and 366 days on a leap year).

It's completely free, easy to set up, and - once you've registered - runs happily in its own window while you're online. It will operate at various connection speeds - the optimum one can be selected during installation.

The sound quality is of AM radio standard, which will bring back fond memories for anyone over 25 of bygone days before Radio 1 was on the FM bandwave, and the fuzzy Radio Luxembourg was still thought of as listenable. Drop-outs are, sadly, inevitable at busier times of the (American) day - the density of internet traffic unfortunately affects sonicnet's performance.

The other main problem surrounds the need for exhaustive editing of the Sonicnet artist database to weed out the music you'd rather not have selected. However, unless the station is going to be used in your absence - say, for example, on a website or homepage rather than exclusively personal usage - it shouldn't be an issue, since the Sonicnet window's interface includes a "skip" button which, obviously, moves onto a new track when clicked.

Enough of the drawbacks, though. The level of detail and info displayed on the station window is impressive. Artist name and track title are given, as well as the name of the album the track currently playing is taken from. Not only that, but usually CD cover artwork is featured, with a link allowing you to buy it online. The artist name also has a link of its own which, when clicked, will take you to the main Sonicnet artist database, with extra info and trivia, as well as an "EDIT" button to the right.

The EDIT facility can be an integral part of Sonicnet's usefullness, especially when combined with a streamlined personal station playlist. Tracks are chosen at random, but the regularity with which each artist is likely to be picked depends on the "rating" assigned to it. These ratings can be changed manually at any time - but alterations won't be implemented until the next time you (or the listener) launches the station. Upon selecting the EDIT function, a separate window will appear with six boxes marked "0" to "5" (also called "Never" through to "A Lot").

How you rate each artist is entirely up to you, giving total control to the user. Sonicnet thus has a completely personal feel, as does the ability to give your station its own name and description. A unique station ID means it can be linked to from anywhere on the web - sending the URL to a friend or putting the link up on a website is straightforward and no more complicated than linking to any webiste or HTML file.

Even if a personal station is too much work, there are all the existing Sonicnet stations accessible from the window and also the site's homepage. Some of them are by special guests, including acts themselves (high-profile participants have been Moby, Jonatha Brooke and XTC's Andy Partridge). Every conceivable genre is covered individually - stations with music chosen by Dance DJs are also available.

Sonicnet provides an instant, automatically-functioning source of continual music while you're on the Web...whether you're a budding Chris Evans/Richard Branson-type who always dreamed of having your own radio station, or just a casual music fan who wants something suitable playing in the background as they surf.

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