Audio In

by Tony Kilcollins
Winter 2001

A recent Internet search for "audio sites" revealed over 2 million matches. That's enough audio for even the most discriminating smart audiophile. You'll find Internet radio stations as well as sports programming, live concerts, old-time radio programs and a multitude of other interesting sites with sound. Most of these sites use one of the popular player plug-ins such as Microsoft's MediaPlayer or Real Networks RealPlayer. And while we can't list them all, we've gathered a sampling for you to log on and tune in to.

By the Fans, For the Fans
Category: Fan Sites
[www.musicfans.com]
This "anti-portal" site is based on the idea that unofficial fan sites created by the fans, for the fans provide better and more creative news, info and communities for today's leading artists and bands than "marketing-driven record-label sites, cookie-cutter music portals and meager official artist sites." Check out the meticulous interpretations of lyrics, the photo archives and the trivia collections of obsessed fans' sites.

House of Blues
Category: Concerts/Archives
[www.hob.com]
This site connects you to House of Blues club venues throughout North America. It features live concert WebCasts in a variety of genres: pop, rock, adult contemporary, alternative rock, dance, R&B, country, blues, rap/urban, gospel and more. The HOB Club Network promotes bands with venue listings, concert dates and online ticket sales. This site covers virtually all things musical. Membership is free and gives you access to live music online, a personalized HOB.com homepage and updates on events in your area.

B&N RADIO
Internet Radio
[music.barnesandnoble.com/radio]
B&N RADIO, part of the Barnes and Noble Web site, features 140 different stations in 18 categories such as classic rock, cool jazz, bluegrass, baroque, gospel and everything in between. Tune in to hear full-length songs and audio-book excerpts. The downloadable B&N RADIO tuner allows you to browse stations by category and get information about the artist that is playing at that time.

Sound Portraits
Category: Audio Documentaries
[www.soundportraits.org]
Established as a non-profit organization in 1994, Sound Portraits Productions is an independent production company dedicated to telling stories that bring neglected American voices to a national audience. The Web site features radio documentaries such as Witness to an Execution, The Gods of Times Square and Jefferson County Gospel Quartets. You can also sign up for a monthly e-mail update.

Music.com
Category: Music Community
[www.music.com]
Music.com strives to be an online home for music enthusiasts who enjoy, perform, compose and produce any kind of music from Abba to Zappa, from Hip-Hop to Classical. Music lovers can download and sample new music, get information on concert tours, create custom CDs and be part of a music community.

Gen Y Radio
Category: Internet Radio/Links
[http://kiisfmi.com]
KIIS-FMi calls itself "the ultimate Gen Y destination for music, movies, celebs and much more." The site uses Microsoft's MediaPlayer and Real Networks RealPlayer to give you live radio with the newest crop of cool "iJs" plus music videos, irreverent reporting, studio interviews and a whole lot more.