Internet radio leaves the PC

BOOMBox Internet Radio Player

Internet radio and mp3 technology come together through a program that brings a world of music within the reach of a record button.

Although the advent of Internet radio is nothing new, it can be easily harnessed so listeners can get free music without having to worry about the legal issues.

BOOMBox Internet Radio Player allows users to listen to a variety of Internet radio music streams and record them into mp3 files. All of this works seamlessly within a simple interface that can be operated by anyone.

To operate the program, listeners must first download an audio program capable of playing SHOUTcast Internet radio streams. The one I recommend is Winamp, which is available at www.winamp.com for free.

Once the program for handling Internet streams is installed, BOOMBox can run. Once open, the program allows users to select from the available categories of radio streams. Although you probably won’t find any commercial radio streams, most of the stations are better than the recycling plant of songs available on conventional radio.

One of the greatest features about the program is the expansive variety of music that is represented. Among the categories are alternative, electronic, hip-hop/rap, jazz and spiritual, all of which have several subcategories within each of the entries.

After selecting the preferred musical outlet, listeners are given a choice of up to 100 available stations. Once selected, the stream automatically opens up in the music player. A word of warning: If you have a playlist for your songs, save it before you click on the stream as it will erase your list.

While the stream is playing, the best feature of the program comes into play. BOOMBox includes a simple, yet effective recorder for capturing every moment of the Internet radio goodness.

An option in the main program allows users to control the recorder’s actions with a simple on or off switch. Once the button was clicked, I was able to sit back and listen to the songs without having to worry about writing titles down to remember them later.

I was able to download over 40 songs in high digital quality without having to search all around for certain titles. The best part was techno artists who are happy to have someone listen to their music in the first place created the majority of these songs.

Another thing about the process is that BOOMBox automatically ends each track and creates a new file for each individual song. It’s then easy to go back and find particular songs without having to listen to a long stream to find your favorite track.

A bad side to this recording feature is that some of the music streams are only available in low bitrates that make the playback quality sound worse than listening through a tin can and string.

Although not all of the streams are high quality, BOOMBox contains several more that counteract the others that are lacking. All in all, the program provides an excellent tool for harnessing the power of Internet radio into a form that allows you to listen at your own convenience.

BOOMBox Internet Radio Player is available for free at the author’s Web site. It is only available for Windows operating systems.

www.jajsoft.com

Gustavo Hernandez

Rating—————-5/5