Decide on the web radio hosting service you would like to use for your station. There are several to choose from (see Resources), but they each come with various options. Some services are free and limit the number of listeners you can have at once, while others are moderately expensive but allow you to play copyrighted music as a part of your subscription. Choose the service that best fits what you intend to do with your radio station.
Download the required software to host your station. If you were to choose Live365's hosting service, you would need to download "Studio365" to use the service. These software programs act as interfaces to start and stop music, host talk shows and upload your own audio files.
Install your hosting service's required software and configure your hosting account and radio station by following the setup wizard. Each hosting service will require different information, but the name, genre and custom URL are common to all hosting services.
Upload songs to your hosting service. If you are using a service like Live365, you can upload the songs using their software program. If you are using a service like Shoutcast, you have the option to upload the songs to your own server or use their software program, as well. Most likely, your audio files will have to be in MP3 format. You can use online services like Total Audio Convertor or ManiacTools to convert your audio files.
Create a playlist using the songs you uploaded. Make sure your playlist lasts long enough to give you enough time to log back on and create a new one; otherwise, you will end up with dead air on your radio station. Also, there are copyright rules regarding the number of songs from a particular artist or album you can play within an hour (see Resources). For example, you cannot play more than three songs from the same album within any three-hour period.
Start your playlist, and your online radio station will be broadcasted for anyone on the web to listen to.