My Radio DJ Experience

(Pictures: Top: My radio station logo. Bottom: my mini studio)

Back in 2012  I had listened to other radio stations in the past and never thought that starting your own radio server on the internet would be possible or even somewhat easier with the technology we have today. I got inspired and then started my own radio station called J.U.Z.Z Radio to share my musical tastes.

At 12pm AEST every fortnight on a Tuesday (Australia time) I give up my workday just to play music to those who are interested and take requests for those who want their tunes heard.  I sit there for 7 hours lining up and playing songs from the 80s, 90s, alternative, metal, electronic genres and unsigned bands/artists and chat to people online when I could be earning another 50 odd bucks at my day job.

The reality                                             
Whilst being an internet radio DJ and an owner of a radio station was fun it was also very hard to get people to tune in especially if you had bands who didn't care about getting airplay or anyone you know of available to tune in at the time of your broadcasts. But these past few years I just did what I could.  What I do is very minuscule. I'd share all my radio links to other users in IMVU and Facebook to try and get some ratings. I don't do enough to get myself out there and simply because I don't know how. But sometimes I am OK with this because no money goes into the radio station and it's really just a hobby that gives me a bit of experience.  I just do the best I can.
 I also have had other DJ's and other radio hosts turn up to do their broadcasts and sometimes that is really hard. Not everyone is reliable enough to tell you when they can or can not Broadcast. So you can't guanatee and they can't guarantee that they will give your station consistent shows. What is hard too is that despite all your efforts you cant guarantee that the music you are playing is what people are really into. I can't figure out why bands don't seem to care very much about internet radio. As a musician I would KILL for radio airplay of any kind!
Then you got other technologies getting in the way of your radio ratings. Look at Pandora and Spotify, where all of the stations there just start on the first song in their playlists when a user connects! In a listener's eyes what have you got to loose, why would you want internet radio when there  are more and more options and listening flexibility elsewhere. No little radio station could keep up with that!

Uncertain Future
I have been doing this radio thing for nearly 4 years (roughly) and I am getting really tired. My boss at work doesn't listen to me when I can't come into work on the days I DJ and just rosters me on anyway. I don't get much emotional support from my family (Except for my mum and my stepdad) or much of my friends outside of the internet and feel like I need a reason to keep doing this. I have had my moments where I just want to quit. It's the listeners that really keep this going. But its the bands/solo artists and listeners that are the first to stop caring. I feel like there is an uncertain future here. It'd be a real plus to make something of this and earn more money. But It is also really difficult if even you yourself can't make your own shows because of life and technical difficulties. I know that can't do this forever because a radio station isn't a radio station without it's listeners.