Your Favourite Internet Radio Stations

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SachinChavan said:
Indian Radio Stations - Bollywood (Old)

This addition is prompted by @Vivek Batra and @Bhaskar Jyoti Talapatra ’s (rhyming surnames) comments above. Bollywood/Hindi film song stations are broadly classified into those playing old songs and modern/current songs. There’s no dearth of the latter type (though I am yet to find one that I am highly satisfied on both content and audio quality). But there are very few Internet radio stations dedicated to old Hindi film songs. I want to present here two of them which are in my CXN’s presets. Note that the resolution for both is just 96 Kbps, but then I don’t think the old recordings really need much more.

So what we are talking of here aren’t the melodies of the 80’s and 90’s. Not even 70’s. But largely the golden era of Hindi film music - the 50’s and the 60’s. If you love listening to it, you should definitely check out the two stations.

1. Hungama B&W Classics
The name is self-explanatory. You get to listen to old Hindi songs - many of them (though not all) from B&W era. Hungama, the promoter, is one of India’s earliest digital companies - starting from online marketing, to online gaming and eventually media (music and films). I like how this company has maintained its focus and diversified in related areas. And to survive and grow for 20 years, they must be managing pretty well - no wonder an ace investor like Rakesh Jhunjhunwala is its Chairman.
View attachment 47508But back to the music. I like the sound signature of Hungama stations - unlike some other suites (Radio City or 1.FM) Hungama stations don’t sound loud or boomy. They sound natural and easy. Despite their low resolution, these stations can be heard for a long time. Also their musical collection seems vast. You get the effect of listening to ‘Chayageet’ or ‘Binaca Geet Mala’ of yesteryears. The sound is truly sweet.

The station can be accessed through Hungama’s own app as well as through vTuner and most other radio aggregator apps like TuneIn etc. Just search with its name, sit back and relax.

2. Shripad Radio
Now, this is an oddball. I bet 90% of even those reading this thread don’t know about it. I didn’t too till I chanced upon it.
View attachment 47509

So, if Hungama B&W Classics is run by a successful business house, Shripad Radio is run by an individual - Mr Shripad Kulkarni, based in Pune, probably from his home! Let’s clap first for the great leveller that’s Internet is! Of course this is a mix of Marathi and Hindi programming - you can expect that from a Puneite.;)

Now the best part! Mr Kulkarni himself curates the programs. Like for the Ek Geet, Do Pehlu program running right now. In this he presents two versions of the same song sung by two singers. For example just now he first played ‘Chhotu si yeh duniya’ by Kishore first and then Lata. And so on! Each program is unique. It’s a delight to listen to both the songs and his presentational .

You can read about the radio on his website:https://shripadradio.myfreesites.net/ and listen to the radio at:https://janus.shoutca.st/tunein/-stream/shripadradio.pls

On CXN/vTuner/TuneIn Radio, just search ‘Shripad Radio’. The resolution is just 96 Kbps, but again the sound tonality is suited for old Hindi songs.

There are of course, some other Internet stations that play old Hindi, but I wanted to showcase these two in particular. Do give a feedback if you check them out.
Click to expand...
Hello,
Sachin ji,thanks for posting here about my radio station...shripad Radio.I have joined this forum today it self.Feeling great..!!!!
 
Guys, Shripad Kulkarni @k_shripad who runs the Shripad Radio is now a forum member. I wrote to him on FB messenger informing him about this thread and coverage of his station and to my surprise he took my number and called me up. What followed was an interesting conversation where he shared how he started the radio and how he does the programming. He is also a seasoned HAM operator.

Welcome Shripad to the forum! Hope you find some like-minded folks and useful interactions here.

Vivek Batra said:
Hi @SachinChavan

Thanks for adding this info. I am eager to try out these. Very well written as always. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Vivek.
 
Thanks Sachin Bhai for your usual nice write up. Will surely listen to Hungama as you have suggested. Now i am listening to Internet radio using My Tuner app . Today I have found a Wonderful channel on this app called Rabichyyaya which lets me listen to Rabindrasangeet sung by famous singers. If only I can find some channels streaming Indian classical.
Regards
 
Bhaskar Jyoti Talapatra said:
Today I have found a Wonderful channel on this app called Rabichyyaya which lets me listen to Rabindrasangeet sung by famous singers.
Regards
Click to expand...

Radio BongOnet Suite

Yes Bhaskar. Robichhaya is such a niche station... I chanced upon it just a week back. It’s by the BongOnet guys. They also have their own app with all their Bengali stations: FolkNama, Robichhaya, RHI, BanglaRock, Cheerantani, DiscoVani, Kobita, Go Yesteryears and Radio BongOnet. The last with lots of Indo fusion is my favourite. The same stations can be accessed from vTuner. Their programming is so nuanced and the sound quality is excellent.

29EAA8CF-5BF3-4641-952A-3B79EF32B561.jpeg


Bhaskar Jyoti Talapatra said:
If only I can find some channels streaming Indian classical.
Click to expand...

Have a look at Shanti Shanti and Sandesh Radio stations I posted about earlier in this thread. Both are good. Shanti Shanti in fact is my default radio station usually running in background.
 
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SachinChavan said:
Sandesh Radio - The Hindustani Explorer

Having shared my impressions on ‘Shanti Shanti’ above, let me introduce you to another radio station dedicated to Hindustani Classical that is at the opposite end of the spectrum - Sandesh Radio.

View attachment 45928

While Shanti Shanti focuses on the creme de la crime of Hindustani classical artists, Sandesh Radio does the opposite - it showcases lesser known greats (Abdul Karim Khan or Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan for example) or younger talent (eg Mohankumar Darekar) making it a great way to discover performers unknown to you.

View attachment 45929
The station is also run by a classical instrumentalist Sanjay Deshpande (pic above) from Belgaum, Karnataka. So one can assume he knows good music from the average when he curates it. Streamed at 128 Kbps, the stream has clean and natural sound. In fact, it is more easy sounding than Shanti Shanti. What’s more, each track is announced before it is played - although digitally in an anglicised accent.

Radio Garden Link to Sandesh Radio:
radio.garden

Listen to Sandesh Radio from Belgaum live on Radio Garden

Explore live radio by rotating the globe.
radio.garden radio.garden

Android APK:

Sandesh Radio.apk

drive.google.com drive.google.com

If you are an Indian classical musician, you can send your recording to Sandesh Radio to be played on the stream:
Click to expand...
Hello,Sandesh Radio owner Mr Deshpande is my very good friend,if fact He started his station with my co operation.He is die hard fan of my radio station,ie..'Shripad Radio'
 
k_shripad said:
Hello,Sandesh Radio owner Mr Deshpande is my very good friend,if fact He started his station with my co operation.He is die hard fan of my radio station,ie..'Shripad Radio'
Click to expand...

@k_shripad, that’s great! Sandesh Radio is another Indian radio station that I keenly listen to. I introduced it in this thread earlier and hope some FMs have found it to their liking.

After the encouraging response from you, just today morning I wrote to Sanjay Deshpande about the forum and this thread.
 
Radio 88 - Rare 320 Kbps Hindi Station

I covered two quality old Hindi stations earlier in the thread. But was still looking for one that broadcasted above 128 Kbps (we never stop expecting, do we?).

And then I found Radio 88 - a Hindi station run from Los Angeles, USA. Don’t expect any curated programs here. It’s just a running stream of old Hindi songs one after the other - at 320 kbps! All those gems from 50s and 60s to fill your listening room with melody. Not sure if it also plays new songs - haven’t heard it during the day.

A1B4D041-DE2E-4F9D-9C28-48B9F54CE208.jpeg

The audio quality is not bad and the resolution puts a smile on your face.

Search for the station in the common radio (mobile) apps and tuners integrated into streamers. Otherwise listen directly here:

Radio 88 Hindi radio channel Online

radiosindia.com radiosindia.com
 
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After having read some threads here my interest in internet radio begins. I have already started listening to Bong O net, Robichchaya , Retro Bollywood, Bollywood hits , Bibidhbharti, etc. All those are nice with well selected playlists and a fine SQ though some others are harsh to my ears. Yesterday at night I found another station named Radio city Mumbai which caters to Ghazals sung by my favs. The contents of all the stations mentioned are good . At first I didn't take those seriously but after having a listening session I begin to love them. I am a traditionalist and an ardent lover of physical media yet I like internet radio for the fine SQ. From this apart this way of listening reminds me of my childhood in 70's when we had only radio (I had a Philips made valve set) and turntable for hours of pleasant listening session with other family members. Till date can remember the programmes like radio dramas by Birenda Krishna Bhadra, Shambu Mitra, Jagannath Bose , sangeet shiksar asaar by Pankaj Kumar Mullick, Golpodadur asaar, and of course Mahisasuramardini and Debdulal Bandopadhyay ( his baritone voice). Internet radio and streaming services are our future so would be glad if FMs continue writing here about more stations(preferably Indian).
Regards
 
Paattu Petti (Malayalam) - A Regional Gem

Ours is a diverse nation and regional languages and cultures enrich it like no other country. Also it is said that music knows no boundaries. And that’s true. For example, I can listen to Paattu Petti station for song after song without understanding a word of it!

Firstly, I believe Malayalam film industry is one of the best in India and their music is extremely melodious. The male voices with extreme bass and female high pitched voices make a nice contrast too. I especially like the oldies from 80s and 90s. And that’s what this station specialises in - though they also play newer songs


ACDEB410-8E68-4B49-B846-849DAC1EF700.jpeg

An interesting fact about Paattu Petti - which literally means ‘Song box’ in Malayalam - is that it’s started and run by three lady RJs based in Melbourne, Australia - Anu, Aparna and Varna. They curate the songs passionately. Also the sound quality is excellent (perhaps the best by any radio station playing Indian music) and resolution at a respectable 192 kbps.

Paattu Petti has its own slick app and can also be accessed with many streaming radio aggregators and tuners.

Website: http://paattupetti.com/
App: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/paattu-petti/id1515739020
 
Really FM Sachin chavan has shown us the Pandora's box out of which we are getting so mesmerizing channels. Today I have found a gem called Go Yesteryears on Bong O Net which caters to old Bangla songs . I like it a lot for the old songs which once were broadcast by the AIR. Go Yesteryears makes me nostalgic. However, Sripad Radio is another good station.
Regards
 
SachinChavan said:
@sandeepss, please listen to Paattu Petti and give your feedback on their programming. I want a Mallu‘s views on it.
Click to expand...

Sachin, thanks for sharing. I've been listening to it after reading your post :)

My limited listening impressions:
Curation: The songs are well chosen, though I prefer those from the 80s-90s. They are shuffled such that in 4-5 songs, we get to hear from across 4+ decades of film music. The newer songs (2005 +) were new to me too, while the older ones had some interesting picks (some of which I had forgotten about and never heard in a long while. Now, I need to add them to Spotify for listening later on :)). The non-film songs are missing (I didn't hear any in my short session).

Music & Recording quality: I've noticed that the Malayalam film music released in mid 1980s-onward, are very well recorded with natural-sounding albums. Over the years (2000+), recording quality has improved further. The compositions, as you've mentioned are melodious, owing to the Classical and folk roots, and many of the major composers/poets from the 1980s (Raveendran, Johnson, Kaithapram, Ouseppachan, ONV Kurup....) continued to work well into the 2000-10 period. The digital transfers for many of these albums have also been done in a good manner.
The pre-cassette period might've better sounding records on Vinyl (I'm not sure), but the digital transfers are not well done. This channel, however seems to have applied some filters to reduce the harshness in those songs, to make listening to them, more pleasurable.

Audio Quality: For a 192kbps stream, this sounds really good. Streams without any pauses.
 
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sandeepss said:
Sachin, thanks for sharing. I've been listening to it after reading your post :)

My limited listening impressions:
Curation: The songs are well chosen, though I prefer those from the 80s-90s. They are shuffled such that in 4-5 songs, we get to hear from across 4+ decades of film music. The newer songs (2005 +) were new to me too, while the older ones had some interesting picks (some of which I had forgotten about and never heard in a long while. Now, I need to add them to Spotify for listening later on :)). The non-film songs are missing (I didn't hear any in my short session).

Music & Recording quality: I've noticed that the Malayalam film music released in mid 1980s-onward, are very well recorded with natural-sounding albums. Over the years (2000+), recording quality has improved further. The compositions, as you've mentioned are melodious, owing to the Classical and folk roots, and many of the major composers/poets from the 1980s (Raveendran, Johnson, Kaithapram, Ouseppachan, ONV Kurup....) continued to work well into the 2000-10 period. The digital transfers for many of these albums have also been done in a good manner.
The pre-cassette period might've better sounding records on Vinyl (I'm not sure), but the digital transfers are not well done. This channel, however seems to have applied some filters to reduce the harshness in those songs, to make listening to them, more pleasurable.

Audio Quality: For a 192kbps stream, this sounds really good. Streams without any pauses.
Click to expand...

@sandeepss , Thanks for the short master class on Malayalam music thrown in with your views on the radio station. Even I get the feeling when I listen to Malayalam songs from the 80s (and say compare with MarathI and even many Hindi songs) that they were well recorded.

Try writing to the station curators on adding non-film songs especially from the past era. Looks like they are customer-oriented (respond to reviews on their FB page).
 
Radio TeenTaal: France’s Gift to India

A03516F5-D896-421C-8436-8C8417C15FC2.jpeg

Here’s a radio station that doesn’t just challenge, but demolishes the ‘hi-res is better sound’ myth that abounds among audiophiles. The cutely named ‘Radio TeenTaal’ station is broadcast at a mere 64 kbps (reduced these days reduced from the usual 128 kbps possibly due to the lockdown). But I struggle to find a Hindi radio station that sounds sweeter, cleaner or more natural than this, notwithstanding the compression.

TeenTaal, the station dedicated to old Hindi songs is run from Paris, just like my other favourite - ‘Shanti Shanti’ which is my go to station for Indian Classical music. I wonder if the same parent body runs both (I couldn’t find any information on the net, please share their owner credentials if you know). But Radio TeenTaal seems to benefit just as much from excellent source material - I won’t be surprised if someone tells me they are running vinyl rips from old pressings. Listen yourself (for an extended session, at least 3-4 songs at a stretch) and validate for yourself.

The music played is top notch as well. it rivals the wonderfully curated Shripad Radio (covered in an earlier post) in terms of the selection of songs, a tinge better I’d say, but sans the latter’s personal touch in terms of announcements by the curator (our own FM, @k_shripad). What you’d find on TeenTaal is a continuous stream of lovely songs mostly from the 50s to the 70s, but also some choicest, most musical new Hindi songs without any ads or other breaks. And also without the annoying branding announcement between songs by the otherwise nice Hungama B&W (also covered in an earlier post).

The only (seeming) downside is the low gain on this station. You’d need to dial up your amp’s volume - do that without worry as there’s very little distortion if any at all.

Radio TeenTaal is listed in Cambridge CXN inbuilt streams and I believe in every other streamer that runs on VTuner. Just search for it. If you instead play directly, find the stream at the site below among others:
 
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