Broadcast Radio from Your Computer
Broadcasting FM radio from your computer can be very simple or very costly. I am going to show you two low cost options to get your tunes out of your computer and on to your FM radio.
Steps
- Determine who your intended audience is. If you are in the USA, the FCC has explicit rules that govern how much power you can use to get your message out.
- If broadcasting to your home stereo or a backyard boombox is what you seek, purchase an MP3 FM radio transmitter.
- Plug the MP3 FM radio transmitter into a speaker or headphone jack on your computer.
- Load a playlist into Windows Media Player or another media player application and click play.
- Go enjoy your tunes.
Use a PCI card
- Purchase an FM transmitter that plugs into a PCI slot in your personal computer.
- Connect the jumper cable from the speaker out/headphone jack on your PC sound card to the audio input on the transmitter.
- Load the included software.
- Pick an empty frequency to transmit on.
- Load your favorite playlist into a media player software and click play.
- Go enjoy your tunes.
Tips
- Enable your microphone for playback by unchecking the mute check box on your PC soundcard mixer <- This will let you announce songs.
- Use Skype to conduct telephone call-ins over-the-air
- Accept song requests by email from friends and neighbors
Warnings
- In the USA, you need a license to legally use an FM transmitter that doesn't comply with part 15 rules. The two methods above are legal to use, but there are stronger transmitters for sale that are not legal in the USA without a license. Not heeding this advice can be costly.
- See https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/lpfm for details regarding pursuing a Low Power FM license.
Things You'll Need
- an MP3 FM transmitter or
- a PCI MAX 2007+ FM transmitter
- Media player software
- Skype-in account (optional)
- Microphone (optional)
