You can start a live internet radio station with a computer, a stable internet connection, headphones and broadcasting software. Add a microphone if you will present or interview guests. A mixer becomes useful when your programme needs several physical inputs or hands-on controls.
Start with the programme you want to make. A music-only stream, a solo presenter and a studio with several guests need different audio paths. You can also use hosted playback for uploaded programmes, which does not require a studio computer to stay on.
Understand how the audio reaches your listeners
In a live setup, your microphone and music feed a programme mix. An encoder sends that mix to your radio hosting, and listeners connect to the hosted stream.
Microphone and music → programme mix → encoder → VosCast server → listeners
Some software handles playback, mixing and encoding in one application. Other setups use a physical mixer or audio-routing software, followed by a separate encoder such as BUTT. Decide where the mix will happen before buying equipment.
Three practical starting setups
| Setup | Equipment and software | A good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Computer-based music show | Computer, headphones, internet connection, DJ or playout software and hosting | Selecting tracks and presenting a music programme from one device |
| Solo presenter | The above, plus a USB microphone or a microphone with a compatible audio interface | Spoken links, talk shows and a single presenter |
| Several inputs | Computer, headphones, microphones, an interface or mixer with sufficient inputs, encoder and hosting | Multiple presenters, instruments or external playback devices |
Use the equipment you already have to establish the first working broadcast. A short test will show whether the next useful improvement is a quieter recording space, a better input, easier mixing controls or a more reliable network connection.
A computer that suits your broadcasting software
Choose software for the operating system you intend to use, then check its current requirements. A simple encoder taking a finished mixer feed has a different job from a playout application managing a large library and processing several audio sources.
Keep the live computer powered, prevent sleep during programmes and plan software updates outside show times. Close applications that interrupt playback or route unwanted sounds into the broadcast.
Our broadcasting software comparison explains the roles of BUTT, Mixxx, Windows radio playout applications and mobile broadcasting. The KB has connection guides for each workflow.
A microphone for the way you present
A USB microphone connects directly to the computer. It can be a convenient starting point for a single presenter, provided your software can combine it with the music you want to broadcast.
A microphone with an XLR connection needs a compatible microphone input, typically on an audio interface or mixer. Check the microphone's power requirements and the input specifications together. An adapter that changes the plug does not necessarily provide a suitable microphone preamp or power. Shure's computer microphone connection guide explains the role of a USB interface.
Set up in a quiet space and make a short speech recording before your show. Keep a consistent distance from the microphone, listen for room noise and reduce the input gain if loud words distort. A stand and pop filter can help you keep the microphone in a useful position without handling it throughout the programme.
Headphones for monitoring
Use headphones while your microphone is live. Loudspeakers can send the programme back into the microphone, creating echo or feedback.
Monitor the local programme while presenting. The public listening stream has a delay, so it is better suited to occasional checks on another device than to following your own voice throughout a show. Keep that second device quiet or use headphones during the check.
Check both music and speech. Hearing the music in your headphones does not prove that the microphone is included in the encoder's feed.
When an interface or mixer helps
An audio interface connects physical audio inputs to your computer. A mixer adds controls for combining sources; some mixers also include a USB audio interface. Before choosing either, write down the inputs and outputs your programme needs:
- How many microphones will be live at the same time?
- Will external players or instruments supply audio?
- Does the computer receive the complete programme mix, or only selected channels?
- Can you listen to a cue or preview without sending it on air?
- If you have remote guests, can you keep their own return audio out of the feed sent back to them?
That last arrangement is often called mix-minus. It needs deliberate routing: a remote guest should hear the rest of the programme without receiving a delayed copy of their own voice. RØDE's mix-minus explanation illustrates the principle. Check your equipment and calling software's routing before using the setup for interviews. Our Voicemeeter Banana and BUTT walkthrough provides a Windows example using Zoom.
For a mixer-based station, BUTT can encode the programme input and send it to VosCast. The official BUTT manual explains device selection, channel mapping and levels.
Routing application audio without a physical mixer
Playing music on your computer does not automatically put that audio into your encoder. You need to select a source that actually carries the programme.
On Windows, our Voicemeeter and BUTT guide explains how to combine application audio and a microphone. The same route can carry RadioDJ playout.
On a Mac, BlackHole with BUTT provides a route from application playback into the encoder. Audio Hijack offers a block-based workflow for application audio, inputs and processing.
Send only the audio you intend listeners to hear. Check notification sounds, preview players and the delayed public stream, which can accidentally become part of a captured desktop output.
A reliable internet connection and hosting
The live encoder needs a sustained upload connection throughout the show. Leave capacity for other network activity and check a complete programme-length session where possible. Use a wired connection when practical, and test the actual network you will use at a remote location.
Your encoder sends one programme stream to VosCast; listeners connect to the hosted server. Choose the hosting plan for the bitrate and simultaneous audience you need. Keep the encoder's bitrate at or below your account's Maximum Bitrate and use the connection fields under Overview → Live broadcasting.
Our internet radio costs guide covers the ongoing services to include alongside equipment. The plans page lists the current VosCast allowances.
Hosted playback can reduce the live equipment you need
If your station mainly plays prepared recordings or music playlists, you can upload MP3 files to VosCast hosted Auto DJ. It plays from your account while your computer is off. Recording a spoken programme still needs an appropriate microphone and recording workflow, but playback does not require that recording setup to stay connected.
For a station that combines hosted and live shows, stop hosted Auto DJ before connecting a live encoder. Disconnect the encoder when the show ends, then start Auto DJ separately.
Before announcing the station, run a short show through the whole setup and listen using the account's Quick Listen Link on another device. Check a quiet passage, louder speech, a music transition and the end of the programme. Once that route works, you have a useful basis for deciding what equipment to improve next.