Live365 is an Internet radio network where members can create their own online radio station or listen to other Live365 broadcasters' online stations. As of October 2006, there were about 6,500 active stations, some of which play niche genres seldom heard on AM/FM radio. Most Live365 broadcasters are hobbyists and music aficionados, but several established small AM and FM stations also utilize Live365 to stream their audio over the Internet.
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Users can tune in to Live365 stations with various software media players, as well as with hardware devices that can connect to the Live365 stations. Station lists within these players are typically grouped by genre. Users may also register with a valid e-mail address and download the Live365 Player software that provides additional features. Finally, Live365 offers a paid membership, called a "VIP Membership", that allows listening to broadcasts commercial-free.
TiVo subscribers with a TiVo Series2 DVR connected to their home network have access to Live365 as part of their home media center. A limited number of stations are provided for free but membership provides access to the full range of stations.
Slim Devices' Squeezebox network audio player can browse and play Live365 radio streams through the SqueezeNetwork.
Users can create their own radio stations by purchasing a "DJ" membership. Broadcast service membership packages vary in features and capability, allowing potential customers to select a package to better suit their needs. At the most basic level, Personal Broadcast services allow the broadcaster to create a playlist of MP3 files that are streamed to listeners.
Live365 provides software to upload MP3 files and schedule playlists to run at certain times.
Advanced broadcasters can also download software to broadcast "live" using a home computer, stable bandwidth connection, and a microphone or mixing board. Professional broadcaster memberships include royalty and licensing packages for ASCAP, BMI and SESAC fees. Advanced users can also relay streams from external sources.
Live365 also advertises on their site that they pay all royalties (SoundExchange, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC) for Personal Broadcast packages as well.
Nanocosm Inc. was a technology startup founded by two roommates from the Princeton class of 1981, Alex Sanford and Steve Follmer, whose initial product was NanoHome, a 3D "Virtual Home" website featuring 3D homepages on the World Wide Web. The first release of Live365 was built by a small skunkworks team of workers at Nanocosm; it had its beginnings in a hosted community radio project developed by Nanocosm employee Andy Volk in his free time using Shoutcast technology, modified by employee Brian Lomeland. Andy shared the idea with Nanocosm CTO Peter Rothman, and they developed the concept for a new large-scale hosted community radio service dubbed Live365, taking advantage of the new DMCA. Live365's explosive initial growth after launch in July 1999 quickly eclipsed NanoHome, which the company soon closed to focus on Live365.
At launch, broadcasting and listening on Live365 was free of charge (premium pro services were added to later releases). Stations had a maximum listener cap of 365 simultaneous listeners and 365 megabytes of storage for music and audio. In September 2001, Live365 began charging for use of its service. More expensive plans allowed stations to have more simultaneous listeners and a greater amount of music file storage space. Members who joined before September 2001 could continue broadcasting with their original package for free — however all the stations that were paying members would be listed higher in the station directory, theoretically causing lower listener numbers. This model would later be replaced with one in which all members pay, but those who joined before September 2001 receive a discount.
In 2002, there were concerns regarding the future of Internet radio due to skyrocketing royalty rates imposed onto Internet radio stations from record companies. Live365 and its members fought strongly against this by airing a series of public service announcements on its stations outlining the objectives to the listeners. At that time, it was agreed that Internet-only broadcasters and terrestrial radio stations streaming on the Internet would have to pay 70 cents per song, per 1,000 listeners.[1]
In 2007, it was feared royalty rate increases would price smaller broadcasters out of Live365 due to pending action at the House Commerce Committee's telecommunications subcommittee.[2] These fears have not yet materialized. In 2008, Live365 upgraded most of its broadcasters' packages free of charge.
In 2010, Live365 introduced a new re-design and features to the homepage. Among the highlights were an embedded audio player accessible from every page of the website featuring album artwork, recommendations, and sharing features; new Quick Genres, Presets, and Search for hassle-free navigation; updated station directory featuring multiple station views and easy station sort; and station pages with the ability to distribute or share content via Facebook, Twitter, Email, and widgets.[3]