How To Start A Radio Station

To start off with we need to figure out what broadcast method we will use.

There's two main options you can use depending on our budget.
Streaming/Web -> the most accessible as it doesn’t require expensive transmittive equipment or broadcast licenses. Streamed web radio is the most accessible for listeners as they can listen using computers, mobile devices and smart speakers.
Traditional AM/FM -> Traditional ‘over the air broadcasting offers a high level of availability for office, homes and in vehicles. AM/FM radio is normally regulated and requires broadcast licenses as well as music copyright licenses.

What will we need to create the content

Microphones allow us to add live voices to our station via a mixing desk or voice tracking

There are 2 main types of microphones: condenser microphones which require the mixing desk to provide phantom power and are more sensitive. The other microphone is a dynamic microphone which aren't powered which makes them more compatible with mixing desks.

The role of the mixing desk is to provide control of multiple audio sources and combined them into a 'mixed' output that's ready for transmission.

A broadcast mixer is essential for our radio as we want to incorporate live microphones and prerecorded content.

Broadcast mixers are more expensive than but they are much better suited to radio studio environment.