You are ready to start your own radio station and also to build your own radio studio. We will tell you everything you need to build your own studio. When you’ve got all the right types of equipment for your radio station and everything fits together, you have all the control over your own shows. You need different types of equipment in the studio, in the rack room, and at the transmitter site. 

Things you need in the studio

In the studio, you need a lot of things. A few must haves are audio consoles, a microphone, studio monitor speakers, headphones and many more.

The audio console is the heart of the studio, it’s used to control anything that the listeners hear on air. There is an input for every channel on the audio console. The slider on the audio console amplifies the incoming signal. 

The microphone in the studio is used to capture any sound in the studio. After capturing the sounds, it turns them into electrical impulses. With the microphone comes a microphone arm to keep the microphone at a good height. If you use a microphone arm you will have a lot more space on the desk. 

You also need automation software. This computer system makes it possible to play background music, commercials, and sweepers. The software is called automation software or playout. These programs are designed to continually play music on the background. The heart of these programs is the log. This is a list with all the audio files that need to be played. Most of the time these programs contain hotkeys, a music database, and a lot more. In a studio you also need level meters, which can show whether a channel is too loud or too quiet. 

Something that you definitely need in your studio are speakers. Studio monitor speakers show you how the music sounds without headphones. These speakers have really high quality so all the abnormal sounds can be detected. You can use another speaker to check your sound, so that you do not risk airing the wrong audio. Every radio station also needs headphones. These are connected to the speakers and when you turn the headphones on, the speakers mute automatically. 

If you are planning on having guests on your radio show, it is important to get a talent panel. With a talent panel, an individual can control their own headphones and mute the microphone. It is smart to put them in front of each guest’s microphone. 

To show everybody in the studio that the station is live, get yourself an On-Air light. The light is automatically turned on when you turn on your microphone. It is important to have at least one of them inside and one of them outside the studio. You will not be bothered during the show, because the lights show other people that you are on air.

Get yourself a button panel. You need this to control buttons that are not on the control panel itself. You can wire the button panel to other equipments. Most of the time, these buttons control things like phone systems, automatic systems or studio delegation. 

You also need a phone talkback system, this is important if you want to take phone calls while you are on air. This controller shows you every incoming phone call, on each channel. The controller allows you to send the caller to a specific audio channel or studio. Most of the time, the system allows you to chat between the studio and the producers. 

If you are looking for an easy way to communicate between different studios, you should get an intercom. They sometimes have a talkback or a phone system. 

Before you start your own radio station, you not only have to think about buying all the pieces of equipment, but also about a few other things. For example, you have to think about the concept of your radio station. Are you planning to work alone or with other collaborators? What kind of music do you want to play on your radio station? Take a look at other radio stations to get some inspiration for your own radio station. 

After that, you have to brand your radio station. In this process, you have to consider who your audience is going to be and the message you want to tell. 

The last step before you can get started is to check the copyright laws. It is important to check the music copyright laws of your country to avoid any trouble. If your radio station is a station with talkshows, you don’t have to worry about it. The costs depend on the country you live in, so make sure you are up-to-date with all the rules. After all these steps you are ready to start your own radio station.