Digitally Imported
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Digitally Imported, Inc. | |
Type of Company | Corporation |
---|---|
Founded | 1999 |
Headquarters | New York |
Key people | Ari Shohat, president "Entranced", vice president |
Industry | internet radio |
Website | http://www.di.fm/ |
Digitally Imported (DI.fm) is a multi-channel Internet radio service specializing in electronic dance music genres. Filling a global niche for this type of music has made it among the most popular radio outlets on the Internet. It also offers other genres of music through its sister network, SKY.fm which features other non-electronica music genres. The Digitally Imported Radio network thus offers 32 channels in three formats: MP3 SHOUTcast, Windows Media Audio and aacPlus.
Listeners have a choice of bitrates, allowing access for users with dial-up access or broadband connections. The addition of the aacPlus format, which has a very low bitrate but still retains high quality, has allowed many users to get a better experience while on dial-up or on upcoming new wireless services.
Both DI.fm and SKY.fm are featured on the iTunes radio tuner service as well as on Windows Media Radio Guide.
Contents |
[edit] History
The station and concept was started by Ari Shohat on December 6, 1999 with just the premiere Trance channel. Since then, Digitally Imported has grown into something much larger and far more popular than anyone had conceived. [1] The team behind the station has increased to over a dozen people since then, while the number of concurrent listeners now peaks at well over 60,000. [2]
In 2003, the company behind the service became a for-profit corporation, opening up for subscriptions that give users options of higher bitrates and access to some extra services. With a subscription users get all the available channels completely commercial-free and at much higher quality of sound (192k MP3). The service is still widely offered for free with occasional commercials.
[edit] Channels
Digitally Imported has a wide variety of channels that have appealed to those with eclectic musical tastes. Not only does it provide electronic music genres, but it also caters to those who enjoy other types of music.
[edit] Digitally Imported
Listed below are 18 channels available to those who harbour interest in the electronic music genre:
- 'Trance'
- 'Techno'
- 'Vocal Trance'
- 'Chillout'
- 'House'
- 'Hard Dance'
- 'Euro Dance'
- 'Progressive'
- 'Goa/Psy Trance'
- 'Hard Core'
- 'DJ Mixes'
- 'Lounge'
- 'Ambient'
- 'Drum 'n' Bass'
- 'Classic Electronica'
- 'Breaks'
- 'Gabber'
- Replay (Replay is a channel that re-broadcasts feature shows.)
[edit] SKY.fm
Listed below are 15 channels that do not necessarily fit in the scope of electronic music and cater to those with an interest beyond that:
- 'Mostly Classical'
- 'New Age'
- 'World Music'
- 'Top Hits'
- 'Urban Jamz'
- 'Alternative Diagnosis' New
- 'Classical Guitar'
- 'Smooth Jazz'
- 'Uptempo Smooth Jazz' New
- 'Oldies'
- 'Best of the 80s'
- 'Roots Reggae'
- 'Classic Rap'
- 'Hit 70s'
- 'Country'
- 'Modern Jazz'
- 'Salsa'
- 'Classic Rap'
- 'Christmas' (Available during the holiday season)
[edit] Community
Listeners are free to sign up in order to participate in forum discussions about the radio channels and other topics. DJs also post on these forums. Digitally Imported also has an IRC channel where listeners may participate in real-time discussions.