Many people choose to listen to the radio through their computer-particularly those who are not allowed to have radios at work. For a lot of people, music gets them through their day faster and helps ease the stress from the boss, deadlines, etc...

According to Arbitron, the national ratings service that measures the listening habits of those who subscribe to traditional radio, more people are listening to radio and music on line-about 19 percent of those surveyed. Even those who are allowed to have a radio at work are listening online for several reasons:

• The station they want to listen to does not have a strong signal and it cannot be heard in their office.

• No radio station in their area provides the type of music or information they prefer.

• They are tired of commercials and endless talk by disc jockeys.

Online radio services have been sprouting like tulips in the spring. The latest entry, pandora, has received a lot of buzz for being user-friendly. It even goes so far as using a mathematical algorithm to try and find music you will like. But the two-year old site has limitations. If you prefer talk radio, you will be out of luck.

Another site receiving a lot of attention recently is rhapsody. For $14.99, users can download unlimited songs to their computers. Unfortunately users can only transfer the songs to a CD or MP3 player if they actually purchase the songs for an additional $0.89. The songs cannot be downloaded to the Apple IPod, the most popular listening device on the market. Instead, Rhapsody has introduced the "Sansa," that allows users to listen to the songs they have downloaded.

The market leader for anyone wanting to hear radio online is Sirius. For $12.99 a month, the company offers 65 music channels and 20 news/talk/information channels that can be heard through a PC. Recently, Sirius has attracted some of radio and television's top talents including Howard Stern and Martha Stewart. This service is also free to people who have subscriptions for their car or home receivers.

Radio over the internet is definitely growing in popularity. With so many different offerings, people will no doubt find the solution that fits their lifestyle the best. Fast on the heels of internet radio is internet TV. Technology is a wonderful thing.

Bob Maines is a Satellite Radio Advisor with SiriusSpecials.com, the premiere source for the best SIRIUS Satellite Radio deals for the home, car and on-the-go.

Source: www.isnare.com