How To Record Streaming Audio

Most freeware downloads aren't as good as promised and, more often than not, you'll fall victim to the old bait-and-switch--it only performs half-assed unless you upgrade to a paid version.  But recently I downloaded freeware that, surprisingly, didn't disappoint. When I have that rare moment that I get some level of satisfaction from something that normally makes me go postal, I feel the need to share!

Last month, my friend Mike V sat in for a couple of hours as an "alumni air talent guest host" on WRHU, Hofstra's student-run radio station.  To listen to the show, I'd either have to drive 600 miles to tune it in locally, or I could sit back and listen online - as pantsless as I cared to be.  Problem was, I had missed the first internet airing, and had plans that were pulling me away from listening to the rebroadcast.  This is precisely where MP3myMP3 (a free recording software) saved the day.

I was skeptical of being able to pull this off, but it worked like a champ.  MP3myMP3's program window is simple; think of it as a 21st century tape recorder.  If you've ever used one of those old, clunky tape recording dinosaurs, then it'll all come back to you like riding a bike.  It's painlessly basic and offers so much more than any program with a pricetag.  The bitrate is adjustable too, so the sound quality can be as good as you can get it.  

To capture the audio, all I did was hit "Record" when I left the house and "Stop" when I got home.  It'll record whatever you've got playing through your computer's speakers, so it's ideal for capturing streaming audio from any radio station - great for folks who have moved from city to city and want the familiarity of their local radio.  MP3myMP3 would've been good for satellite radio, but Sirius/XM missed the bus and no longer offer free streaming radio for subscribers. 

I was able to use another free program to edit the large MP3 file.  I cut the hour or so extra that I had recorded before and after Mike's show, and I segmented the broadcast song-by-song for easier navigation (I had to make it more navigable so my wife could skip through the music.  She assessed his first selection by the Dead Milkmen as a "radio trainwreck").  I was able to add everything into Itunes and didn't miss a second.  So thank you, MP3myMP3 for making freeware easy for a change, and thanks, Mikey, for a great show!