Reduces the intensity of a sound signal, much like a volume control dial.

Analogue recording equipment records the exact waveform of the original sound. It converts an electrical signal from the musical instrument and back into the air movement at the speaker.

Smart, Alexa-enabled devices, like the Amazon Echo, let broadcasters create an Alexa skill so listeners can tune in to a radio station via voice command.

Total hours of listeners tuned into your station averaged across the total relevant population. This is calculated by dividing the weekly hours by the total population for your audience.

Line-level output from a sound desk which can be used for foldback or monitoring without crossover to the main output.

The route back into a sound desk for a line-level signal sent to a piece of outboard equipment via an auxiliary send.

Software or equipment like mixers and soundboards loaded with pre-set audio to automate shows. Often these sounds are controlled by a computer to ensure accurate and repeatable audio. For example, Radio.co has tags. Tags allow you to randomise playlists without manually selecting tracks.

AGC adjusts the volume to compensate for the level. It helps reduce noise when a presenter gets too loud, for example, when they shout or go up close to the microphone.

AES/EBU is a body of digital audio transfer standards, for example, they make sure microphone XLR connectors are 3 pins.

Ad-lib or ad-libbing is when a presenter improvises. Usually, when something goes wrong, like the show is disturbed or there’s a technical fault.

A-D converter is short for Analogue to Digital Converter. It changes a constant electrical signal into a stream of binary numbers like 1's and 0's. These are commonly found in computer soundcards, minidisks, and CD recorders.

Ad is an abbreviation for an advertisement. It’s typically a recorded piece of audio to promote a business or event.

Part of a jingle that's made up of voices singing without any instrument accompaniments.

The feature that keeps your station running automatically in the cloud when you are not broadcasting live. It seamlessly handles transitions, playlists, and scheduled shows 24/7, even when your computer is turned off.

How well an audio recording accurately reflects the original or how good an audio stream sounds. It’s affected by file types like lossless or lossy formats, as well as bit-rate and sample rate.

A digital record of sound or music, stored on a digital device like a computer, USB stick or mobile phone, or on a cloud. Audio files vary in file type, such as MP3, AAC or WAV, quality, such as lossless or lossy, and file size.

In radio broadcasting, audio processing is the manipulation of sound using tools like compressors, levellers, and limiters to adjust audio imbalances and improve sound quality.

A traditional method of broadcasting radio waves by varying the amplitude of the carrier signal. It covers long distances but is highly susceptible to static and audio interference.

A bus is a single line in a mixing desk that can receive signals from multiple sources, such as a microphone and a CD player. The bus carries the line to the master audio channel to output to a destination.

Audio that's used to talk over by the DJ. Usually, it's part of a jingle or segment between tracks to keep a flow or rhythm.

Bass is the lower end of the music scale at around 60 to 250 Hz. For example, a male voice ranges from 85 to 180 Hz, whereas a female voice ranges from 165 to 255 Hz.

In terrestrial radio, bandwidth is the range for broadcasting equipment. In internet radio, bandwidth is the amount of data consumed by listeners. Work out how much bandwidth you use on your radio station with the Internet Radio Bandwidth Calculator.

Reduce interference when carrying a line by using a third conductor like a shield. Balanced lines are less prone to interference than unbalanced lines. One of the signal wires carries the audio signal, while the other carries an out-of-phase inverted duplicate. When the signal reaches the destination, the inverted duplicate is flipped and added to the original. Any noise added by interference is also inverted. When combined with the non-inverted noise, the two noise signals cancel each other out.

Back timing is the technique of calculating how much time remains before an event. For example, if a DJ's set is ending, they work out the right length of each song to ensure they don't finish too early or overrun.

Back announcing is when a presenter talks about a song that has just played.

A specific, dedicated radio station for a business or organisation. Branded radio stations can be for physical spaces like a store or hotel, a digital space like a website or both.

When audio or video content is distributed to a dispersed audience through any electronic mass communications medium, like satellite, cable or the internet. In modern radio, this includes both over-the-air radio waves and internet-based streaming. Here it’s explained in more detail.

Cuts are small segments in a radio show. For example, news stations have small reports like bulletins.

Signal to the presenter that they can start broadcasting or to stand by - for example, a red light usually means standby, a green light means go.

Cue is the beginning of a track. It's often used as a remark to prepare before starting something, for example, a presenter about to broadcast a live show.

Unwanted leakage of signal from one channel to another.

Cost of reaching out to 1,000 people in your target audience. For example, what's the cost of reaching 1,000 of your listeners with just 1 advertisement? Cost per 1,000 compares the efficiency and value of different stations.

CDs store audio recordings. Some radio stations still use these as part of their setup.

A department in a radio station that produces commercials and adverts.

Also known as a mix-minus, it's an audio signal sent from your mixer that includes everything except designated inputs.

Carts or 'tapes' are used to record jingles and ads.

Headphones are commonly referred to in the radio industry as 'cans', just like the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones.

A type of storage where files are stored by a third-party and the file owner/user accesses them via the internet.

A person creating audio and/or visual content which they share on the internet.

A highly sensitive type of microphone that captures sound using a specialised electrical component called a capacitor, and is typically used to capture ambience and vocals in studios.

Marks that define exactly where playback begins and ends within a specific audio track. In Radio.co, adjusting these points allows you to trim silences or long intros to keep your broadcast sounding sharp.

A DAT, often mistaken for cassette tapes due to their similar appearance, is a device to store audio recordings.

DIN is a European standard covering audio connectors, ports, and tape equalisation characteristics.

Demo tapes, or "airchecks" as they were once known, are pieces of audio showcasing a new track from a band or presentation techniques from a DJ.

A device used to delay a show before it broadcasts, normally used during phone calls as a way to cut offensive language before it transmits.

Day parts mean the different times of the day you can run an ad campaign. Two major day parts on the radio are for morning shows (usually 6am-9am) and evening shows (4pm-7pm).

A hard-wearing, durable microphone that captures sound using electromagnetic induction. The sturdiness of dynamic mics make them often the go-to choice for live settings like concerts.

A software programme that allows users to record, edit and mix audio sources together.

A system that gives presenters unique access to your station while controlling who can broadcast and when. It allows you to create individual logins and assign specific time slots, keeping your station secure and organised.

A person responsible for selecting and playing music on a radio show, or at an event.

Tools that convert your raw audio into a digital stream for online transmission. Radio.co has its own in-built encoder, Radio.co Live, letting you go live without any additional software or apps.

A method of radio broadcasting that varies the frequency of the carrier wave to transmit audio. It provides much higher sound fidelity and less static than AM, making it the historic standard for music stations.

Content behind a pay-wall, available to subscribers only.

A security feature that restricts access to your radio stream based on the listener’s geographic location. Within Radio.co, this is easily enabled to help you manage licensing laws and regional broadcasting rights.

A digital audio stream transmitted via the internet rather than traditional radio waves. It allows stations to reach a global audience without the geographic limitations or hardware costs of traditional towers.

A general term for any short audio clip used to identify a radio station.

A short, catchy audio clip or musical phrase used to identify a radio station, show, or commercial break. Within Radio.co, you can tag jingles to automatically separate music tracks, ensuring your automated station maintains a professional broadcast flow.

Record a radio station's entire output. Commonly used for licensing purposes to log tracks. Online stations with Radio.co log tracks and more using reports.

A feature that allows one radio stream to rebroadcast another external feed, partner show, or live event. By adding an external stream URL to your Radio.co schedule, you can easily collaborate or simulcast content.

A real-time audio stream sent directly from your microphone, mixer, or software to your listeners. Radio.co automatically switches from Auto-DJ to live mode when you connect, ensuring a seamless handover.

Data insights that track who is tuning into your station, from where, and for how long. The Radio.co dashboard provides real-time analytics on peak times and devices, which can be exported for advertisers or sponsors.

The legal permissions to broadcast terrestrially, and to play copyrighted material. A broadcast license ensures a radio station broadcasting over AM, FM or DAB is doing so legally. Music licenses ensure a radio station can legally play copyrighted music.

An audio signal that only comes from one source or channel. When played through stereo systems, the signal will be split evenly between the left and right channels.

A mixdown contains multiple tracks, often balanced (so it sounds good, not too loud or too quiet) and ready for playback.

Mic is an abbreviation for a microphone, used by the DJ to talk into.

Market share means the percentage of all radio listening hours within your broadcasting area, typically in terrestrial radio like AM, FM, or DAB.

Designated connection paths on your streaming server that allow listeners to access your audio feed. Radio.co supports multiple mount points, enabling you to stream in different formats or bitrates simultaneously.

A device with audio inputs, outputs and controls that allow DJs to blend multiple tracks together from their DJ decks.

An audio device, like the RodeCaster Pro 2, with audio inputs, audio outputs and controls like mute buttons and channel faders, that lets a broadcaster control their audio sources.

The text information attached to audio that displays the track title, artist, and album to your audience. This data updates automatically across Radio.co players, widgets, and directories to support royalty reporting.

When a track or DJ exceeds the expected finish time.

A radio show broadcast outside, like at a musical festival or sporting event.

OTH represents how many times a listener is most likely to hear your ad.

Audio content, such as podcasts or recorded shows, that listeners can stream or download whenever they choose. Unlike linear broadcasting, it gives the audience complete control over when and where they listen.

A processor (like Radio.co's EDGE) takes a raw audio signal, manipulates it to optimise the sound quality or adapt it to the listening environment, and sends the refined signal to the amplifiers or speakers.

Short for promotion, a promo is a form of advertisement.

Similar to a programme controller, they manage radio shows in order for stations to run smoothly.

The person in charge of the content broadcast on a radio show.

Recording an audio stream before officially broadcasting to listeners.

Control the sound through a mixing desk to listen to an audio stream without actually broadcasting the signal. Can be used to check the audio quality and find faults.

An output from a desk that's independent of the channel fader.

The number of people who live within the TSA (area within which a station's audience is measured) of your station.

Soundwaves move in repetitive cycles. When two soundwaves of the same frequency synchronise with one another, they'll double the amplitude- this is known as being 'in phase'. If synchronised when the soundwaves are shifted 180 degrees out of phase with each other, the sound waves will cancel each other out and produce no sound.

Most condenser microphones require a strong power supply of 48v to work. Phantom power sends voltage through the same cable as the audio signal. Most mixers will be equipped with 48v phantom power to accommodate condenser microphones.

PPM is used on audio equipment to show the loudness of sound levels.

The practice of creating and distributing episodic audio files via RSS feeds for users to download or stream on-demand. Many online radio stations use podcasting to repurpose their live broadcasts for extra reach.

Curated groups of tracks played in a sequence or shuffled order based on a theme, genre, or show type. In Radio.co, these can be blended with jingles and station IDs, then assigned directly to your broadcast schedule.

A technique to manually control the fader to optimise the volume level, like minimising feedback and background noise.

Stream other stations on your own using a relay - ideal for affiliated shows or networks.

Reach index is the weekly reach percentage of a station against a target market, indexed against the all-adult weekly reach percentage of your station. Basically, it indicates whether a target market is more or less likely to listen to your station.

An audio level increasing. Used when a presenter has finished talking, segueing into a track.

RAJAR stands for Radio Joint Audience Research. A single audience measurement system for the UK radio industry, RAJAR serves the BBC and commercial radio stations.

A signal on which an AM/FM radio station is broadcast, like 109.5FM.

Storage for all the radio station's equipment.

The tracking of played songs to ensure accurate music logging for licensing bodies like PRS, PPL, or SoundExchange. Radio.co automatically records your playback history and generates ready-to-submit reports to keep you compliant.

A back-up system that ensures your radio station stays online even if a primary server fails. Because Radio.co is cloud-based, your stream automatically switches to back-up servers to maintain reliable broadcasting without on-site equipment.

The umbrella term for a radio station’s sonic identifiers like jingles, sweepers and idents.

To join or edit audio together. Splicing used to involve physically bonding tape together. Now it means to join different audio files into one.

Noises played during shows to add a layer of creativity, like car horns, lightning, and footsteps.

The ratio of the average signal to the background noise.

Sounds like S, SH, or CH are emphasised. For example, saying the following may distort the audio during a show: "silly sausages shaking chorizo slices".

Share index is the market share percentage of your station against the target market, indexed against the all-adult weekly reach percentage of your station. It indicates whether a target market is more or less likely to listen to your station. Much like the reach index.

A term used to describe the transition from one track to another. Often, presenters will introduce the next track or talk about what's to come during the show, which is a method of segueing.

A written piece for the presenter to read during the show, usually followed from a script template.

The practice of licensing radio programs, segments, or jingles to multiple different stations for broadcast. It allows smaller stations to feature high-quality, popular content without producing it in-house.

A short audio clip used to segue between songs and identify the radio station.

The continuous transmission of audio and/or visual data over the internet in real time, allowing listeners to hear/watch the content without downloading it first. Radio.co uses streaming to deliver your live or automated audio instantly to global devices.

The direct web address of your broadcast feed used by external apps, smart speakers, and online directories. Found under your Radio.co “Listen” tab, this link allows you to submit your station to platforms like TuneIn.

The amount of audio data transmitted per second, measured in kilobits per second (kbps). Higher bitrates offer premium sound quality but require more bandwidth, which is why Radio.co lets you adjust settings to fit your audience’s needs.

The process of automatically recording your live broadcasts so they can be saved for later use. Radio.co allows you to store and download these recordings directly, making it easy to repurpose content into podcasts.

A radio station that integrates one or more brands into its content, in exchange for being financially supported by that brand.

The practice of broadcasting the exact same audio stream across two different mediums or frequencies simultaneously. For example, a station might simulcast its live FM broadcast over an internet stream.

A calendar-based planning tool that lets you drag and drop playlists, shows, or relays into specific time slots. Combined with Auto-DJ, scheduling ensures your station layout is structured and active without manual intervention.

TX is another name for transmission, which is how audio is broadcast to the listener.

Twig is another name for an aerial, something used to accept incoming or outgoing broadcasting transmissions.

Weekly reach is the number of listeners who tune into your station within at least 1 quarter-hour period during a week.

Total weekly hours are the total number of hours that your station has been listened to over the course of a week. This is the sum of all quarter-hours for all listeners.

Track your station's performance by seeing how long your listeners have been tuned in for on a specific day.

The TSA is the area within which your station's audience is measured. This is commonly known as the station's total survey area or transmission area, often relating to terrestrial broadcasting like FM/AM transmissions.

Somebody who works in a radio station, managing the technical side of the operation. T/O also stands for Talk Over, when a presenter will talk over faded-down music.

A way to talk to the studio whilst on location without the show being broadcast. It's also a way for two studios to communicate without having to go back and forth.

A host engages in unscripted conversation with guests, experts, or a studio audience. Topics range from celebrity interviews and entertainment to politics, social issues, and personal advice, driven by the host's unique personality.

Techniques used to control how one track ends and the next begins. Radio.co manages this automatically by blending the tracks to eliminate dead air, resulting in a polished and professional sound.

The process of categorizing your audio library with labels like “music”, “ad”, or “jingle” to guide automation rules. Radio.co uses these tags to maintain a balanced, engaging mix of content without requiring constant manual oversight.

Traditional radio broadcasting that relies on land-based transmission towers to send AM or FM signals to physical receivers. Unlike internet radio, terrestrial radio requires a broadcasting license to be legal.

A radio signal used to transmit audio from one location to another.

A USB microphone is an all-in-one recording device that connects directly to your computer or mobile device via a USB port. It has an internal preamplifier and an analog-to-digital converter built right into the body, allowing you to simply plug it in and start recording high-quality audio.

Used on audio equipment to show a track's loudness.

Record audio snippets to sandwich between automated shows. Voice tracking lets you record and add on the fly, like covering breaking news, ad hoc promos, or quick announcements.

Radio.co’s in-built, mini Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that lets users record their own voice, generate AI voices, add sound effects and mix audio sources together. Voice Studio is used to produce whole radio shows, segments and radio imaging.

When an AI tool is used to generate human-like, realistic speech from text.

When AI is used to analyze a person’s voice and produce speech that sounds just like them.

A computer-based programme for mixing together digital audio sources.

Software allowing the audio stream from one application to be sent to another, without any loss in quality.

The weekly reach expressed as a percentage of the population within the TSA.

The distance from one point on a vibrating wave to the same point on the next wave.

Customisable components and code snippets used to add your radio player, schedule, or “Now Playing” info directly to a website. This allows visitors to listen to your station instantly without leaving your webpage.

A type of microphone that uses a 3-pin circular connector (XLR) to transmit analog audio signals.