Communicator Help: Using Radio@AOL for AOL<sup><font size=-2>®</font></sup> Communicator

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Using Radio@AOL for AOL Communicator

Getting Started With Radio@AOL

What Do I Need to Listen to Radio@AOL?
Starting Radio@AOL
Listening Hints

What Do I Need to Listen to Radio@AOL?

If you're running AOL® Communicator, you probably already have what you need to listen to Radio@AOL with CD-quality sound:

- A computer with a sound card and speakers
- Windows® 98, Windows® 98SE, Windows® Me, Windows® 2000, or Windows® XP operating system
- A broadband connection to the Internet (such as DSL or cable).

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Starting Radio@AOL

To launch Radio@AOL, open the Window menu in any other AOL Communicator application and choose Radio@AOL.

When it first opens, Radio@AOL displays a window that lets you choose whether your Instant Messenger buddies can see what station you're listening to.

After you respond to this initial request, the Radio@AOL player opens, downloads the list of currently available stations, and displays them in the left pane:

- To play a station: Click the triangle beside the category you want in the left pane, then double-click the name of the station in that category that you want to play.

The standard Play, Stop, Mute, and Volume controls work as you expect.

- Information about the current station and selection: The right side of the window displays information about the current selection. You can also view album art, click links to get more information about the music, or buy tickets for live concerts.
- To change stations: Double-click the name of the station you want to change to.
- To save the current station for easy access: Click one of the numbered Preset buttons near the top of the window. The station name appears in the button, and you can play it again by clicking the button again.

Related topic:

Listening Hints
Managing Your Preset Radio Stations

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Listening Hints

Here are some hints to help you get the most out of Radio@AOL.

- Exploring Radio Stations: To find your favorite music stations, look in the left column of your radio player, under the words Stations by Category.

To show or hide all of the stations within a category, click the triangle to the left of the category name.

- Using the Controls: Next to the Play button in the lower-left corner of your radio player are Stop and Mute buttons, along with a sliding volume control. Click Stop to stop playing the music. Click Mute to turn the sound on or off completely.

To increase or decrease the volume, place the pointer over the volume slider, then click and hold your mouse button down while moving the slider to the right or left.

- Current Station: The box on the upper-right side of the Radio@AOL player displays the name of the station, the name of the selection that's currently playing, and the name of upcoming selections.

You can also click one or more links in this area to try stations that play similar music.

- Now Playing: The area below the Current Station box displays the artist, song, and album names for the selection currently playing (along with corresponding album art and links to AOL® Music Search, if available).

Notice the timer located near the middle of this box. This indicates how much time is left in the current song.
In many cases, the Now Playing box also lets you buy the CD you're hearing, find tickets for live concerts, and get additional information about the music.

- Rate This Song: Click Rate this Song in the Now Playing box to send your rating of that song directly to the Radio@AOL DJs. Your feedback is an important factor in station programming.
- AOL® Recommends: If you're not sure what you want to hear or just want to try something new, check out the first entry in the 'Stations by Category' list called 'AOL Recommends.' This category features three stations specially chosen by our expert DJs every week.

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Last Updated September 16, 2003