For the past few weeks I’ve been working on creating my own public radio station (it’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid). Well now it’s up and running but I don’t know what to do with it. So I thought I’d see what Lemmy thinks about the concept, before I go all in and start investing in licensing fees, better servers, and more listener capacity.

If you’re interested, we’ll need curators to add songs to the rotation when no DJ is on air. It’s simple and straightforward. Just click “Suggest” on the top right of the website and enter the Artist + Song Title on the form.

We will also need DJs and presenters to volunteer any freetime you’re willing to give up and help make this happen. Click “Join” to get started.

All styles and genres are welcome. Hop on the airwaves anytime you want. Take requests, or don’t. Mix and scratch, or just play one tune after another. Host a talk show/podcast if it suits you. Up to you. You can either use your own DJ/broadcasting software, otherwise there is a Web DJ interface for those with no software/experience.

https://radiolemmy.com | Temporary URL if the first one isn’t working

Click Join to sign up to be DJ/presenter, or Suggest to submit your own song suggestions for regular rotation (no signup required to suggest a tune).

FAQ for potential DJs
Lemmy Community: [email protected]
Discord

EDIT: Thanks for all the song submissions so far! I’ve added them to the rotation. Feel free to suggest any tunes for removal as well.

EDIT 2: Looks like I’m going to have to upgrade web servers sooner than expected. If you’re having issues connecting, try the temporary URL

EDIT 3: Gonna take awhile to go through the applications. I’ll take care of as many as I can tonight. Check your inbox (and don’t forget the @ in your username when applying. I can’t reply if I don’t know what instance you’re using.)

EDIT 4: All DJ applications have been processed so far. Check your inboxes! Gonna spend the next few hours uploading more of your song suggestions. This takes awhile because I have to manually check every tune to make sure it’s suitable for airplay! Upon approval, your tune(s) will play at regular intervals. It may take a few hours for it to play for the first time. BTW, remember to use the “Submit” button. “Request” is for one time requests when a DJ is live. I’m brainstorming ideas on streamlining this so that the tune always goes to the right place.

EDIT 5: Well this blew up bigger than I could have hoped for. Gonna call it a night, but I’ll be back tomorrow to upload more of your suggestions!

Also I’m going to dust off the turntables and do a live show tomorrow @ 7-9pm EST (00:00-02:00 GMT, check the schedule on the website). Requests accepted. Catch you on the airwaves then!

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      12·
      1 year ago

      lol go for it. Play whatever you want, so long as it isn’t annoying or supports bigotry.

        • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
          14·
          1 year ago

          Good question! At the moment I will be personally monitoring peoples’ broadcasts at random intervals. If I suspect foul play, I can pull up a recording of their show to check for the offending content.

          Everybody makes mistakes, so you will get a warning at first. If need be, I can kick a DJ off immediately. You can report any foul play either in the Discord, or by messaging me here on Lemmy. Eventually I will have moderators to handle things, but for now it’s just me.

  • thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee
    29·
    1 year ago

    This is a cool idea and I’ll be submitting some songs as soon as I’m back on my laptop.

    But in the meantime, since this thread is full of people who apparently appreciate both internet radio and the Fediverse, you should check out https://radiofreefedi.net as well! Music from actual fellow Fedizens, it’s kind of great.

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      15·
      1 year ago

      Damn, and here I thought I had an original idea. Maybe we should get together and do a collab! Their website could use some modernization.

      • thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee
        13·
        1 year ago

        You’re not wrong there! Yeah I didn’t mean to draw attention away from your thing, it sounds like a very different project so they’re not really competitors, just wanted to put it out there to support Fediverse artists :)

  • XbSuper@lemmy.worldEnglish
    26·
    1 year ago

    I have absolutely no interest in this whatsoever, but I hope you and those that do, enjoy it.

  • Takios@feddit.de
    17·
    1 year ago

    What’s the legal basis around this project? One can’t just hop on as a DJ and start broadcasting the newest Taylor Swift songs without getting DMCA’d, can they?

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      29·
      1 year ago

      There is a system implemented that tracks every song played for licensing purposes. Anyone can jump on with their own music and I get sent the bill afterword. I’m more than happy to pay for the licensing fees for the time being. I’ll probably start begging for donations eventually.

  • plistig@feddit.deEnglish
    16·
    1 year ago

    This website is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

    If I was a lawyer, I’d say that this sentence could be interpreted in a way that the audio stream is licensed as cc-by-nc-sa, too, i.e. you are sublicensing the songs to anybody. This is even more illegal than simply broadcasting music without licensing it. It’s a fun and games until RIAA comes to break your knee caps.

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      19·
      1 year ago

      Good to know. I thought the “this website is licensed” part would cover it, but maybe I should just remove the license for now…

      FWIW there is a system in place to track plays for music licensing purposes. I will be paying this out of pocket.

      • rgb3x3@beehaw.org
        2·
        1 year ago

        Definitely provide a visible way to accept donations. No reason you should have to pay for all the costs of running this completely on your own. It’s the fediverse, spreading the load is kinda the point!

        • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
          2·
          1 year ago

          Oh don’t worry, I will. I want to eventually implement a system where people can donate to their favorite DJs and the station gets a cut to help with operating fees. But I will need developers to help me with this. In the meantime I ask for nothing but your ears.

  • Shocker_Khan@lemmy.world
    16·
    1 year ago

    I submitted a song and also submitted a form to be a dj. I’m a musician and did a radio station on twitch for a while (I really should start that up again when I have time).

    Mostly I’d be spinning synthwave, industrial, electro, future pop, etc if accepted. Stuff like that.

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      7·
      1 year ago

      Sweet. I’ll process the form tonight. Keep an eye on your inbox.

      EDIT: Done. Looking forward to your reply.

  • Breezy@sopuli.xyz
    14·
    1 year ago

    I managed to get wifi on this long haul international flight and it sure made my whole 18 hour flight to hop in right as Ass-N-Titties was played. Gave me a great laugh, thanks for that person who suggested and you for allowing it 😂

  • Cyrilfiggis@lemmy.world
    13·
    1 year ago

    This is so cool!! It’s a great initiative, people need to take back control of their live and its individual initiative like that are part of the solution.

    We cannot expect any thing from big Corp or government, it will have to come from us. I really see a decentralised future. I wish it was that easy to find comparable alternatives for other areas of lives.

    Thanks OP it might just be a radio station , but it’s really inspiring.

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      8·
      1 year ago

      Exactly! You get it. Big radio will just play the same 10 songs over and over, all day long, for always and forever. My idea for the station is to escape from the corporate BS and play what people want to actually hear.

    • Psythik@lemm.eeOP
      12·
      1 year ago

      Already implemented due to legal reasons. So IDK why Take on Me keeps playing.

      Thanks for making me aware of the issue. Fixing now.

  • Hubi@feddit.de
    12·
    1 year ago

    Cheers to whoever suggested Insomnia (Monster Mix) by Faithless - great taste! I was about to suggest it myself!