Top Free Mixed Genre Internet Radio Stations: What’s Out There for Your Ears?

As a lover of music and one time disc jockey for an adult contemporary radio station, a lot of time was spent seeking out radio stations that broadcast over the Internet. Living in a rural community, it is often hard to find stations on the radio dial that play the music that you wish to hear, and even then, they often play the same rotations day after day, making each day swim into the next.

Seeking out a station that plays what suits the tastes of an individual listener is often not an easy task, but with a little work, it can be done. More and more, the larger terrestrial radio stations that are broadcast on the FM band have found their way to the Internet as a means of recruiting new listeners. One problem with this, even though it draws in many more listeners to the station, it still only covers one genre, one set rotation based on what the station is given for their rotation list.

I don’t know about anyone else, but there are often songs that are not rotated that stand up far better than what is released as a single for radio air play. Thusly making one wish to seek out a station that is not run by a terrestrial based station. Often times, these privately run stations do not stick to one format, they play a wide variety of music based on the choices of the individual disc jockeys. This often makes for a broader listener base as well, but it also leads to stations popping up over night and not being run by the same type of protocol as those terrestrial stations broadcasting on the internet.

With that being said, there are several free Internet based stations that I have discovered over the last few years that I have come to enjoy listening to on a regular basis, and even picked up the microphone again to become a disc jockey for. Listed below, you will find a brief description of each of the stations, along with an idea of the types of shows that can be found on the station, links to their websites and any other pertinent information that is necessary.

1. Juiced Radio (http://www.juicedradio.net)
Broadcast Rates: 128kb/s as well as 24kb/s
Genre Format: Mixed. (Metal, Country, Alternative, Rock, Jazz, Acid, Dance, Trance, etc)
Special Shows: Metal Massacre, Mosh Pit, Country Roads, TBFS, Eurol�¤rm, Trance Chill and more

Juiced Radio, while still a young station, is quickly gaining in popularity. They feature a host if disc jockeys from several different countries. Each member of their staff has a unique perspective and rarely will you hear the same song several times in one broadcast day. They feature disc jockeys from Belgium, United Kingdom, United States, Norway and Canada, and are very open to anyone who wishes to join the staff, no matter their level of experience.

Like all growing stations, they have their high times and their low times, but in the time that I’ve been listening, the highs come about more often than the lows. The vast reaches of staff brings with them a vast base of music, including German hip-hop, German Metal, Danish Metal, Industrial, Goth, Dark Metal, Heavy Metal, Alternative, Rock, Pop, Country, Jazz, Dance, Techno, Trance, along with many other things. If you’re looking for an anything goes station, then Juiced Radio may be where it’s at for you.

2. KIBC Krankit (http://www.krankit.com)
Broadcast Rates: 40kb/s
Genre Format: Mixed (Metal, Rock, Alternative, Country)
Special Shows: Midnight Cabaret, Music Mayhem, House of Metal and more

KIBC, Krankit.com has been in operation for approximately eight years. Starting out, their goal was to give listeners a fun and highly interactive radio station on the Internet. They have been accomplishing this goal for several years now, moving from their original home on PowWow to their own home on irc chat. Much like Juiced, they have given those who would never have thought it possible to be a disc jockey the opportunity to try their hand at spinning tunes for one and all. Their staff hails from several different regions, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, which in turn leads to a wide variety of genres and artists that you might not have an opportunity to hear elsewhere.

3. Hooah Radio (http://www.hooahradio.com)
Broadcast Rate: 96kb/s as well as 24kb/s
Genre Format: Mixed (Metal, Rock, Alternative, Country)
Special Shows: Ravyn’s Raucous, Magic Hour, Crazy Love and much more

Hooah Radio, Operation Rip Off The Knob, is the leading Internet Radio station for the troops in the Middle East, as well as stateside. Hooah was started by a 10 year Army vet who knows what it’s like for the soldiers to be so far away from their families. Hooah is completely Non Profit and is funded completely by donations from the listeners and corporate sponsorship.

One unique feature of Hooah Radio is that they allow for customized shoutouts to soldiers, friends and families those who are serving currently, be it overseas or stateside. This station is one of the few Internet Radio stations that I’ve found that actually has made an impact in such a large way and even if you aren’t a soldier, nor know one, they are a great station to tune in to and give support to our troops.

There are more great stations out there, but these are the top of the list of stations that I have discovered over the years. If you are seeking out a terrestrial station that broadcasts over the internet, then your best bet for locating them is by searching through the Radio Locator. (http://www.radio-locator.com/)

Hopefully you will find something out there that suits your needs as a listener.