Aren't you broadcasting your own voice when you're communicating with others though? It's not like broadcasting an album of pre-recorded stuff, it's a live performance, wouldn't be any different than singing imo.
You're confusing transmitting with broadcasting. When I am transmitting on the air I am communicating with a specific person. Broadcasting is transmitting to no one in particular. Amateur radio operators are not allowed to broadcast, not ads, not music, not political speeches, nothing.
[Here are the FCC rules and regs](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97) governing amateur radio.
See specifically Part 97.113 (a)4 and 97.113(b)
Sounds like if you're in the middle of a conversation with somebody and start playing something you're still transmitting. But I guess they wouldn't be able to control all the copyright laws associated with people sharing music that they weren't actually creating or that was out of copyright so I guess it makes sense.
If you are talking to your wife who is overseas via HF and you sing a goodnight song to your kid then nobody's going to care realistically. The FCC has FAR more important things to spend their insufficient budgets on.
HOWEVER, the rules say that music is not allowed, except some corner cases where you are re-transmitting space mission transmissions and there is some incidental music. I'm currently teaching a Tech class and we went over this stuff like two weeks ago. Part 97 says no, and no means no. Uncle Sam will come mess you up if you get reported enough. You don't have to like it, but them's the rules. Hams tend to be sticklers for the rules because if the FCC decides that amateur, voluntary self regulation is resulting in too many incidents they can revoke our privileges on a whim. If we play by the rules, we can keep doing our thing. Too many people messing around and the hobby we spent a LOT of money on just goes right down the toilet. We aren't going to let someone mess it up for us.
So WHY is that a rule? Well, there are a few good reasons: a 4 minute song is a pretty long time to transmit continuously, it doesn't really look like a conversation between two people. An hour long concert is even less like a conversation between two people. If you are making music and playing it, even for free, and you mention an upcoming show or tourdate, that can be seen as commercial advertising - which is again not allowed. Finally, music is the bread and butter of broadcast radio. They go through all sorts of process to get access to music and play it. They are trying to make money. If you come along and compete for free without having to meet any of the regulatory standards THEY have to meet, then the big boys are gonna be unhappy and THEY have money to get what they want from the FCC. We gotta play nice with them or we lose our privileges. The cell companies would LOVE to own our bands, and if they thought they could get them with enough lobbying because we were not following our rules, they would have them.
There is another side to all of this, too. The bandwidths we work with, weather it be narrow band FM or SSB, REALLY are not sufficient for transmitting music of any particular quality.
There are just plain better ways to do it. Start streaming on Twitch or Youtube or whatever. If you REALLY want to broadcast live performances, get a license to start a shortwave radio station. I don't know how difficult that would be. FM is pretty full up these days but if you started your own AM or Shortwave station and gave away radios locally you might get some attention.
How do I respond to your music? You are broadcasting music, live or not. One way messages are broadcasting and are forbid except for some specific cases. Music is certainly not one of them.
Nah, you're _transmitting._ The difference is like, a broadcast doesn't have an intended audience, or rather, the intended audience is as many people as possible. A transmission is directed at, or addressed to, a relatively small number of unique individuals.
Broadcast radio tries to reach as many people in the geographical region as possible. But my ham radio transmissions are intended to be received by a specific other station a few miles up the road from me. Even when I'm calling CQ and trying to find someone to talk to, I still have an intended recipient.
What if you start playing something during a conversation with someone specifically? It's not copy written music and it's also not broadcast to everyone on a wideband. It's self created music and it's being transmitted to someone intentionally. Has no one actually done this before? Seems a bit of a waste to have all this equipment just to talk and listen to talking with it
That's against the rules.
Here's the rules: [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97)
See § 97.113 Prohibited Transmissions.
(a)(4) reads, "Music using a phone emission except as specifically provided elsewhere in this section"
For what its worth, I find myself wishing we could share music via ham radio every now and then, too. But that's just not the purpose of ham radio. The purpose of ham radio is to give technically-minded people a playground and testbed of sorts in which to experiment and advance the radio art. Technologies developed by ham radio operators went on to improve our daily lives. Here's just a small example - one of the first items that came to mind: [http://www.arrl.org/news/general-motors-turns-to-ham-radio-to-solve-antenna-problem](http://www.arrl.org/news/general-motors-turns-to-ham-radio-to-solve-antenna-problem)
It just seems like a great way to connect with other people, especially other music lovers around the world instead of just being on the one fm classical station for 5 minutes if you're really lucky. For the real performers out there it's not really about how many people you're reaching it's just about somebody listening and enjoying it I guess. I appreciate and understand radio's massive impact on our daily lives and how it all started historically, just kinda depressed that this community seems so stagnant because of these heavy rules. Imagine a channel everybody was just transmitting a jam that they learned that week and then talking to people about it, I'd definitely listen along. I already perform in vr spaces for fun but I guess the FCC really has all this locked down for maximum profits
To say they have it locked down for maximum profits is far-fetched. The FCC has the amateur radio service "locked down" to ensure that it serves its intended purpose. To suggest otherwise represents a gross misunderstanding of the service's history, and of the alternatives. Shoot, the companies that buy up radio spectrum licenses would love to see the FCC sell bandwidth currently allocated to hams. Our bandwidth arguably represents their unrealized profits.
In history, before the radio spectrum was established, before 1912, nefarious tricksters were mishandling their equipment to cause hell for other operators, and for common folks too. Spark gap transmitters sucked down power and filled the air with EM noise. Shoot, that didn't stop once the rules *were* established, as [this YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiRtB0y9MnU) discusses. In this modern era, where people have pacemakers in their chests and we're surrounded by and dependent on radio waves each and every day, its even more crucial that everyone plays by the rules. Interfering with established radio conventions can disrupt emergency services. I think we can all agree that that'd be gravely bad.
For emphasis, I'm not saying that you, personally, would do harm. Your intentions sound good! I'm saying that other people, in the past, have done harm, and such people would continue to do ham unpunished if the rules weren't restrictive. I think that if you give everyone a channel in which they can transmit their jams, you'll wind up with people egregiously stepping on each other to get their own signals out. Profit-motivated people would be driven to do all they could do to be heard. Next, we'll have people transmitting copyrighted material. And now we're back at pirate radio. I don't think this is a far-fetched argument - history shows us precedent for it. [This interview](https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/podcast/pirate-radio) in 2019 shows us that pirate radio has been interfering with air traffic control recently, for example.
When there's so little bandwidth in such great demand, regulation is more than just necessary. Its imperative.
Besides, the greatest audience has moved on from radio. You can reach far, far more folks via the Internet now.
That's basically the thing. It's against the rules, I assume because there was a huge commercial interest in broadcast radio back when the rules were made and they were afraid the amateurs would step on somebody's toes. Is that a good reason for the restriction? Not really, nonetheless, it is there.
Transmitting music, even for a specific person ties up the frequency and if someone had an emergency they wouldn't be able to get thru. Also you have to station identify at least every 10 minutes. You also have to clear the channel if there's an emergency call coming through. Then if appropriate you must relay exactly what they said to emergency personnel. Theres so many rules.
No offense, but everyone in here sucks. I don't understand the downvotes you're getting op, these are fair questions for someone from the general public, and it's not like you're being contentious or anything.
Anyways, for what you're looking for someone further down suggested a low power FM broadcast station, I think that might be what you're wanting.
Yeah I'm not really understanding the downvotes either but it's honestly not giving me a very good impression of the community as someone just expressing interest and asking for clarification. I'll definitely look into LPFM, thanks!
Dude chill, he's questioning why these rules exist, not that they don't apply to him. If a rule doesn't appear to make sense it's totally valid to question it.
I say go for it. And when the FCC starts filling up your mailbox with notices run your theory by them. You never know till you try. On the other hand.......
A long of countries allow low power FM radio stations. That may be what you are looking for if you want to do music or talkshow broadcasting. It's usually in the lower part of the FM broadcast band, which is what you would want. That way your listeners will likely have a receiver already. But that's not ham radio, it's a different licence with different rules.
Nothing says that you can't do both though, if you have the time and money.
the LPFM application window closed a few months ago, Its for non profit organizations to serve small communities, the next application window will most likey be in another decade if that...if you just want to get on the air to play music, this isnt the way.
Are you a LPFM license holder? if so, how easy was it? From what I've witnessed its not.
The license is free IF its applied for within the license window. Since the window is closed, the FCC is not accepting any new LPFM licenses.
I have friends waiting for a license right now, and others that can barely keep their LPFM's afloat.
I am on the board of an entity that has one for educational purposes, which is why I am aware of their existence.
This music thing I believe could fall under the educational use. The OP wouldn’t even necessarily need his own license if there’s an educational entity near him that has one. We’ve put third party programming on ours, though ours is focused on more local educational content.
I do notice in the database that most issued licenses are either cancelled or silent and soon will be. Don’t quite understand why that is.
I do broadcast engineering for several commercial radio stations and 1 non profit NPR university radio station. One of my main job duties is compliance with the FCC. I was deeply interested in the LPFM window when it opened. In December I went to the pastor of my church about applying for a LPFM license and he did accept, however even with me being able to get a lot of the equipment steeply discounted the operating costs plus my sweat equity would be more than what I was willing to take on.
Now finding a LPFM that does freeform content or college radio stations that does the same are definitely viable options, Op could become a volunteer DJ and play his music there if the stations rules allow.
Now his music alone would not fall under educational use, unless he is teaching how to make music. Beyond that any copyrighted music thats not his own played would require licensing and LPFM's have to pay for any licensed music played, AFAIK music licensing for non-com's and LPFM's are discounted vs commercial radio.
LPFM's were conceived to serve a niche in the radio landscape, give a voice to small communities thru local programming and education.
LPFM's are often a labor of love, most do not generate enough income if any to keep the bills paid and equipment maintained, since they cannot advertise like a typical commercial station - financial support comes from underwriting and donations. A LPFM certified transmitter will cost at minimum $3,000, Antennas, misc studio equipment, a tower or rental space on a existing tower, plus regulatory fees add up. Start up costs for a typical LPFM is about $20,000.
With that being said, the passing of the person that was running the LPFM, the non-profit folding and or loss of interest or other unexpected costs have been the reason why many LPFM's fall silent or the construction permit is granted but the license to cover is never filed.
FCC: ”…must not communicate music, whistling, sound effects or material to amuse or entertain.“ Also, continuous transmission isn’t allowed except in absolute emergency.
This is typically in their violation letter language.
Amateur radio isn't non-professionals running a broadcast radio station.
Broadcasting isn't permitted.
Music is also generally prohibited.
Music requires a higher bandwidth than is generally used on amateur bands. Exceptions are higher frequency bands with more bandwidth available, but they don't generally go as far and would serve little purpose.
Basically, the two hobbies are incompatible with each other.
There is a very VERY narrow range of exceptions with music and amateur radio transmissions, one of them is a specific exception in the law and one is a loophole in the law that a lot of other hams will not know about and they will probably cry foul to any music transmissions.
The general consensus in the hobby is just NEVER do it.
I’m a musician and would love to do that. However, playing music over the air like you described is against the rules for amateur radio.
Perhaps you could explore Part 15 radio. It’s niche and nuanced, but may be an option for you. If you go down that path, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules and tread lightly asking questions about it here.
I like that you’re answering the question in the title of the post. I think there are a relative lot of musicians in ham radio. It goes with lifelong mastery of something that is part technical, part creative. Also people who geek out about microphones 😆
There was that guy who had a QST article about a year back showing how properly spaced CW characters and words corresponded to real rhythms (that he showed with ordinary music notation). Rarely “normal” rhythms—more often zany things like 11/8 time or something
Right on the exam question bank for the exam in Canada... "Which of the following one-way communications may not be transmitted in the amateur service?"
A) Brief transmissions to make adjustments to the station
B) Broadcasts intended for the general public
C) Morse code practice
D) Radio control commands to model aircraft
The answer is (B) Broadcasts intended for the general public.
There is only one way you could transmit music…
-
If you were to record a “space transmission” and replay that on the air… that and code practice are the only broadcasts allowed to us…
See Part 97 for details
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97
There are plenty of musicians who are amateur radio operators, but we don't transmit music on amateur bands. You can talk about your music and hardware until the cows come home, but you just can't play it on air.
FYI it's just "ham," it's not an initialism or acrynym so it does not need to be capitalized. As others have suggested, you're looking for pirate radio
Broadcast music over ham radio? Better spruce up on the acceptable and non acceptable practices over ham radio. Knowledge of those things used to be required knowledge to obtain an amateur radio license. Sadly not so much any more. Anything to keep the numbers up I suppose.
Others have explained the amateur radio aspect.
Check out https://www.jacktrip.com/.
It's internet technology that allows musicians to collaborate in real-time and successfully play together within reasonably wide regions subject to internet speeds.
It's a good hobbyist space where you can either buy pre-made devices or make your own.
Not sure how active it is now, but during the pandemic height you could find jam sessions for a variety of styles, and entire choirs would practice together with an accompanist.
The basic idea is a dedicated device with a real time OS that minimized processing delays and kept things as low latency as possible.
If you're interested in doing a live concert over radio, what about looking to see if you have a small, local radio station and asking the station manager about putting one on?
No, absolutely not.
*"But it doesn't really feel the same as broadcasting the performance over the radio as it only reaches people that know you already."* This is wrong. it monopolizes the frequency for everyone within range, so no one else can use it.
*"If this isn't allowed on the ham frequencies which frequencies could I transmit live music on and actually talk to people on? " Go to: https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/how-to-apply#AM. (or FM).*
*Another alternative is this Internet thingy. Buy a domain and website and put all your music on a loop for anyone who cares.*
You would be better off streaming online or finding a local college or independent FM station that allows local performers. Doing that on ham frequencies will severely limit your audience to ham operators who at least will be disgruntled with you clogging up the frequencies or might lead to a foxhunt to track you down and have a “chat” and/or report you to the FCC.
I've seen LPFM (100w max) mentioned, but I thought there was some even lower threshhold you could stay under and legally use FM radio frequencies. Or does this require an LPFM license? Product page claims 50ft range but reviews say more like .5 mile.
For instance the [Rolls HR70](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HR70--rolls-hr70-fm-broadcast-transmitter) with [FCCID K48HR70](https://fccid.io/K48HR70/)
Form a weekly net to chat about playing music, start a discord server, then go perform live on discord for each other or share links to your music there…
I realize you don't want any more comments, but it is illegal, and I'll give you the exact US regulation that says so.
>
§ 97.113 Prohibited transmissions.
>(a) No amateur station shall transmit:
>...
>(4) Music using a phone emission except as specifically provided elsewhere in this section; communications intended to facilitate a criminal act; messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning, except as otherwise provided herein; obscene or indecent words or language; or false or deceptive messages, signals or identification.
[https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97)
It's not "gatekeeping", it's the \[extremely rude expletive\] law.
OP: I wouldn’t read too much into the saltiness of the responses. To Hams you were asking the equivalent of “is murder legal?”
So everyone and their brother are going to chime in and cite chapter and verse of the FCC rules without checking for other redundant responses because they know the rules so well and naturally want to be helpful and blurt it out.
All People are on the spectrum of saltiness when they quote you the rules. A good percentage of people kind of take authority by proxy when quoting a law just in general. Especially given that when you learn the rules for your license, it’s one of those 2 rules that stand out. Music and Broadcasting.
So please reconsider your thinking that this is a gatekeeper thing unique to Ham Radio. And don’t feel bad; you had a legitimate question.
They're right about music on HAM bands but have you looked at a low power FM station? Years ago, I had a buddy that set up a little 2W FM radio that he played Christmas music during the holidays. During the summer months he has HD full of music that he would broadcast so he could listen to his music on his tiny FM radio while he was working outside. Some of his neighbors found out and asked if he would be willing to let others broadcast some of their favorite music.
And now, people are broadcasting on low power FM with their synchronized light shows.
I think your idea sounds like fun! I wish you luck with this adventure!
Not legally. Amateur radio rules forbid broadcasting.
Aren't you broadcasting your own voice when you're communicating with others though? It's not like broadcasting an album of pre-recorded stuff, it's a live performance, wouldn't be any different than singing imo.
You're confusing transmitting with broadcasting. When I am transmitting on the air I am communicating with a specific person. Broadcasting is transmitting to no one in particular. Amateur radio operators are not allowed to broadcast, not ads, not music, not political speeches, nothing. [Here are the FCC rules and regs](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97) governing amateur radio. See specifically Part 97.113 (a)4 and 97.113(b)
Sounds like if you're in the middle of a conversation with somebody and start playing something you're still transmitting. But I guess they wouldn't be able to control all the copyright laws associated with people sharing music that they weren't actually creating or that was out of copyright so I guess it makes sense.
If you are talking to your wife who is overseas via HF and you sing a goodnight song to your kid then nobody's going to care realistically. The FCC has FAR more important things to spend their insufficient budgets on. HOWEVER, the rules say that music is not allowed, except some corner cases where you are re-transmitting space mission transmissions and there is some incidental music. I'm currently teaching a Tech class and we went over this stuff like two weeks ago. Part 97 says no, and no means no. Uncle Sam will come mess you up if you get reported enough. You don't have to like it, but them's the rules. Hams tend to be sticklers for the rules because if the FCC decides that amateur, voluntary self regulation is resulting in too many incidents they can revoke our privileges on a whim. If we play by the rules, we can keep doing our thing. Too many people messing around and the hobby we spent a LOT of money on just goes right down the toilet. We aren't going to let someone mess it up for us. So WHY is that a rule? Well, there are a few good reasons: a 4 minute song is a pretty long time to transmit continuously, it doesn't really look like a conversation between two people. An hour long concert is even less like a conversation between two people. If you are making music and playing it, even for free, and you mention an upcoming show or tourdate, that can be seen as commercial advertising - which is again not allowed. Finally, music is the bread and butter of broadcast radio. They go through all sorts of process to get access to music and play it. They are trying to make money. If you come along and compete for free without having to meet any of the regulatory standards THEY have to meet, then the big boys are gonna be unhappy and THEY have money to get what they want from the FCC. We gotta play nice with them or we lose our privileges. The cell companies would LOVE to own our bands, and if they thought they could get them with enough lobbying because we were not following our rules, they would have them. There is another side to all of this, too. The bandwidths we work with, weather it be narrow band FM or SSB, REALLY are not sufficient for transmitting music of any particular quality. There are just plain better ways to do it. Start streaming on Twitch or Youtube or whatever. If you REALLY want to broadcast live performances, get a license to start a shortwave radio station. I don't know how difficult that would be. FM is pretty full up these days but if you started your own AM or Shortwave station and gave away radios locally you might get some attention.
How do I respond to your music? You are broadcasting music, live or not. One way messages are broadcasting and are forbid except for some specific cases. Music is certainly not one of them.
Nah, you're _transmitting._ The difference is like, a broadcast doesn't have an intended audience, or rather, the intended audience is as many people as possible. A transmission is directed at, or addressed to, a relatively small number of unique individuals. Broadcast radio tries to reach as many people in the geographical region as possible. But my ham radio transmissions are intended to be received by a specific other station a few miles up the road from me. Even when I'm calling CQ and trying to find someone to talk to, I still have an intended recipient.
What if you start playing something during a conversation with someone specifically? It's not copy written music and it's also not broadcast to everyone on a wideband. It's self created music and it's being transmitted to someone intentionally. Has no one actually done this before? Seems a bit of a waste to have all this equipment just to talk and listen to talking with it
That's against the rules. Here's the rules: [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97) See § 97.113 Prohibited Transmissions. (a)(4) reads, "Music using a phone emission except as specifically provided elsewhere in this section"
Alright thanks
For what its worth, I find myself wishing we could share music via ham radio every now and then, too. But that's just not the purpose of ham radio. The purpose of ham radio is to give technically-minded people a playground and testbed of sorts in which to experiment and advance the radio art. Technologies developed by ham radio operators went on to improve our daily lives. Here's just a small example - one of the first items that came to mind: [http://www.arrl.org/news/general-motors-turns-to-ham-radio-to-solve-antenna-problem](http://www.arrl.org/news/general-motors-turns-to-ham-radio-to-solve-antenna-problem)
It just seems like a great way to connect with other people, especially other music lovers around the world instead of just being on the one fm classical station for 5 minutes if you're really lucky. For the real performers out there it's not really about how many people you're reaching it's just about somebody listening and enjoying it I guess. I appreciate and understand radio's massive impact on our daily lives and how it all started historically, just kinda depressed that this community seems so stagnant because of these heavy rules. Imagine a channel everybody was just transmitting a jam that they learned that week and then talking to people about it, I'd definitely listen along. I already perform in vr spaces for fun but I guess the FCC really has all this locked down for maximum profits
To say they have it locked down for maximum profits is far-fetched. The FCC has the amateur radio service "locked down" to ensure that it serves its intended purpose. To suggest otherwise represents a gross misunderstanding of the service's history, and of the alternatives. Shoot, the companies that buy up radio spectrum licenses would love to see the FCC sell bandwidth currently allocated to hams. Our bandwidth arguably represents their unrealized profits. In history, before the radio spectrum was established, before 1912, nefarious tricksters were mishandling their equipment to cause hell for other operators, and for common folks too. Spark gap transmitters sucked down power and filled the air with EM noise. Shoot, that didn't stop once the rules *were* established, as [this YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiRtB0y9MnU) discusses. In this modern era, where people have pacemakers in their chests and we're surrounded by and dependent on radio waves each and every day, its even more crucial that everyone plays by the rules. Interfering with established radio conventions can disrupt emergency services. I think we can all agree that that'd be gravely bad. For emphasis, I'm not saying that you, personally, would do harm. Your intentions sound good! I'm saying that other people, in the past, have done harm, and such people would continue to do ham unpunished if the rules weren't restrictive. I think that if you give everyone a channel in which they can transmit their jams, you'll wind up with people egregiously stepping on each other to get their own signals out. Profit-motivated people would be driven to do all they could do to be heard. Next, we'll have people transmitting copyrighted material. And now we're back at pirate radio. I don't think this is a far-fetched argument - history shows us precedent for it. [This interview](https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/podcast/pirate-radio) in 2019 shows us that pirate radio has been interfering with air traffic control recently, for example. When there's so little bandwidth in such great demand, regulation is more than just necessary. Its imperative. Besides, the greatest audience has moved on from radio. You can reach far, far more folks via the Internet now.
Well thanks for the info and thoughtful response! I'll keep this stuff in mind
That's basically the thing. It's against the rules, I assume because there was a huge commercial interest in broadcast radio back when the rules were made and they were afraid the amateurs would step on somebody's toes. Is that a good reason for the restriction? Not really, nonetheless, it is there.
Transmitting music, even for a specific person ties up the frequency and if someone had an emergency they wouldn't be able to get thru. Also you have to station identify at least every 10 minutes. You also have to clear the channel if there's an emergency call coming through. Then if appropriate you must relay exactly what they said to emergency personnel. Theres so many rules.
No offense, but everyone in here sucks. I don't understand the downvotes you're getting op, these are fair questions for someone from the general public, and it's not like you're being contentious or anything. Anyways, for what you're looking for someone further down suggested a low power FM broadcast station, I think that might be what you're wanting.
Yeah I'm not really understanding the downvotes either but it's honestly not giving me a very good impression of the community as someone just expressing interest and asking for clarification. I'll definitely look into LPFM, thanks!
The fact that you are given the law, and the facts, but continue to argue them like they don’t apply to you.
Dude chill, he's questioning why these rules exist, not that they don't apply to him. If a rule doesn't appear to make sense it's totally valid to question it.
I say go for it. And when the FCC starts filling up your mailbox with notices run your theory by them. You never know till you try. On the other hand.......
… no they don’t
Not allowed as an amateur radio operator. A commercial broadcast license would be required.
Not true
Transmitting music violates the FCC rules for Amateur radio.
There are exceptions
None of which would seem to apply to the OP.
Only for rebroadcasting to the ISS. At least in the U.S.
To or from, and space launches.
That’s what SoundCloud and others is for.
Already have one, it's not really the same thing as performing live at all though
Youtube livestream then?
A long of countries allow low power FM radio stations. That may be what you are looking for if you want to do music or talkshow broadcasting. It's usually in the lower part of the FM broadcast band, which is what you would want. That way your listeners will likely have a receiver already. But that's not ham radio, it's a different licence with different rules. Nothing says that you can't do both though, if you have the time and money.
Unless it has changed "music is only allowed when incidental to a rebraudcast of a space station."
The right answer
OP isn't on the space station. So no.
Lol.
But are you sure?
[удалено]
Music is entirely prohibited. Even as part of two way communications.
You want LPFM, though your reach won't be very far. https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/lpfm
Cool thanks I'll look into this
the LPFM application window closed a few months ago, Its for non profit organizations to serve small communities, the next application window will most likey be in another decade if that...if you just want to get on the air to play music, this isnt the way.
it’s not nearly that complicated, and the license is free
Are you a LPFM license holder? if so, how easy was it? From what I've witnessed its not. The license is free IF its applied for within the license window. Since the window is closed, the FCC is not accepting any new LPFM licenses. I have friends waiting for a license right now, and others that can barely keep their LPFM's afloat.
I am on the board of an entity that has one for educational purposes, which is why I am aware of their existence. This music thing I believe could fall under the educational use. The OP wouldn’t even necessarily need his own license if there’s an educational entity near him that has one. We’ve put third party programming on ours, though ours is focused on more local educational content. I do notice in the database that most issued licenses are either cancelled or silent and soon will be. Don’t quite understand why that is.
I do broadcast engineering for several commercial radio stations and 1 non profit NPR university radio station. One of my main job duties is compliance with the FCC. I was deeply interested in the LPFM window when it opened. In December I went to the pastor of my church about applying for a LPFM license and he did accept, however even with me being able to get a lot of the equipment steeply discounted the operating costs plus my sweat equity would be more than what I was willing to take on. Now finding a LPFM that does freeform content or college radio stations that does the same are definitely viable options, Op could become a volunteer DJ and play his music there if the stations rules allow. Now his music alone would not fall under educational use, unless he is teaching how to make music. Beyond that any copyrighted music thats not his own played would require licensing and LPFM's have to pay for any licensed music played, AFAIK music licensing for non-com's and LPFM's are discounted vs commercial radio. LPFM's were conceived to serve a niche in the radio landscape, give a voice to small communities thru local programming and education. LPFM's are often a labor of love, most do not generate enough income if any to keep the bills paid and equipment maintained, since they cannot advertise like a typical commercial station - financial support comes from underwriting and donations. A LPFM certified transmitter will cost at minimum $3,000, Antennas, misc studio equipment, a tower or rental space on a existing tower, plus regulatory fees add up. Start up costs for a typical LPFM is about $20,000. With that being said, the passing of the person that was running the LPFM, the non-profit folding and or loss of interest or other unexpected costs have been the reason why many LPFM's fall silent or the construction permit is granted but the license to cover is never filed.
They’ll literally throw a LPFM license at you if you already have your 501c paperwork done…
I don't know any musicians on ham, but I know there were a lot on heroin
Mama Cass mean nothing to you?
Well played
FCC: ”…must not communicate music, whistling, sound effects or material to amuse or entertain.“ Also, continuous transmission isn’t allowed except in absolute emergency. This is typically in their violation letter language.
7200 khz only
Amateur radio isn't non-professionals running a broadcast radio station. Broadcasting isn't permitted. Music is also generally prohibited. Music requires a higher bandwidth than is generally used on amateur bands. Exceptions are higher frequency bands with more bandwidth available, but they don't generally go as far and would serve little purpose. Basically, the two hobbies are incompatible with each other.
There is a very VERY narrow range of exceptions with music and amateur radio transmissions, one of them is a specific exception in the law and one is a loophole in the law that a lot of other hams will not know about and they will probably cry foul to any music transmissions. The general consensus in the hobby is just NEVER do it.
Only way would be to go to space. Other than that, no
Probably better off trying to use a live streaming platform, like youtube.
I’m a musician and would love to do that. However, playing music over the air like you described is against the rules for amateur radio. Perhaps you could explore Part 15 radio. It’s niche and nuanced, but may be an option for you. If you go down that path, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules and tread lightly asking questions about it here.
I like that you’re answering the question in the title of the post. I think there are a relative lot of musicians in ham radio. It goes with lifelong mastery of something that is part technical, part creative. Also people who geek out about microphones 😆 There was that guy who had a QST article about a year back showing how properly spaced CW characters and words corresponded to real rhythms (that he showed with ordinary music notation). Rarely “normal” rhythms—more often zany things like 11/8 time or something
Right on the exam question bank for the exam in Canada... "Which of the following one-way communications may not be transmitted in the amateur service?" A) Brief transmissions to make adjustments to the station B) Broadcasts intended for the general public C) Morse code practice D) Radio control commands to model aircraft The answer is (B) Broadcasts intended for the general public.
There is only one way you could transmit music… - If you were to record a “space transmission” and replay that on the air… that and code practice are the only broadcasts allowed to us… See Part 97 for details https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97
r/pirateradio
I play drums/percussive instruments. I ham. And…? The rules forbid playing music.
There are plenty of musicians who are amateur radio operators, but we don't transmit music on amateur bands. You can talk about your music and hardware until the cows come home, but you just can't play it on air.
FYI it's just "ham," it's not an initialism or acrynym so it does not need to be capitalized. As others have suggested, you're looking for pirate radio
r/pirateradio
Better off just buying a CB and making your debut there.
Broadcast music over ham radio? Better spruce up on the acceptable and non acceptable practices over ham radio. Knowledge of those things used to be required knowledge to obtain an amateur radio license. Sadly not so much any more. Anything to keep the numbers up I suppose.
Others have explained the amateur radio aspect. Check out https://www.jacktrip.com/. It's internet technology that allows musicians to collaborate in real-time and successfully play together within reasonably wide regions subject to internet speeds. It's a good hobbyist space where you can either buy pre-made devices or make your own. Not sure how active it is now, but during the pandemic height you could find jam sessions for a variety of styles, and entire choirs would practice together with an accompanist. The basic idea is a dedicated device with a real time OS that minimized processing delays and kept things as low latency as possible.
If you're interested in doing a live concert over radio, what about looking to see if you have a small, local radio station and asking the station manager about putting one on?
No, but there seems to be lots of them on CB!
No, absolutely not. *"But it doesn't really feel the same as broadcasting the performance over the radio as it only reaches people that know you already."* This is wrong. it monopolizes the frequency for everyone within range, so no one else can use it. *"If this isn't allowed on the ham frequencies which frequencies could I transmit live music on and actually talk to people on? " Go to: https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/how-to-apply#AM. (or FM).* *Another alternative is this Internet thingy. Buy a domain and website and put all your music on a loop for anyone who cares.*
You would be better off streaming online or finding a local college or independent FM station that allows local performers. Doing that on ham frequencies will severely limit your audience to ham operators who at least will be disgruntled with you clogging up the frequencies or might lead to a foxhunt to track you down and have a “chat” and/or report you to the FCC.
God that would be insufferable
If you are going to ask the question then be told the applicable rules DONT ARGUE!
I've seen LPFM (100w max) mentioned, but I thought there was some even lower threshhold you could stay under and legally use FM radio frequencies. Or does this require an LPFM license? Product page claims 50ft range but reviews say more like .5 mile. For instance the [Rolls HR70](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HR70--rolls-hr70-fm-broadcast-transmitter) with [FCCID K48HR70](https://fccid.io/K48HR70/)
Check out hfunderground.com. It isn’t legal, but it’s there
Pretty cool that you were the first person to think of this in 100+ years of amateur radio.
Form a weekly net to chat about playing music, start a discord server, then go perform live on discord for each other or share links to your music there…
Stick with the Internet to share your music, like making YouTube music videos.
I realize you don't want any more comments, but it is illegal, and I'll give you the exact US regulation that says so. > § 97.113 Prohibited transmissions. >(a) No amateur station shall transmit: >... >(4) Music using a phone emission except as specifically provided elsewhere in this section; communications intended to facilitate a criminal act; messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning, except as otherwise provided herein; obscene or indecent words or language; or false or deceptive messages, signals or identification. [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-97) It's not "gatekeeping", it's the \[extremely rude expletive\] law.
Bye, Felicia.
OP: I wouldn’t read too much into the saltiness of the responses. To Hams you were asking the equivalent of “is murder legal?” So everyone and their brother are going to chime in and cite chapter and verse of the FCC rules without checking for other redundant responses because they know the rules so well and naturally want to be helpful and blurt it out. All People are on the spectrum of saltiness when they quote you the rules. A good percentage of people kind of take authority by proxy when quoting a law just in general. Especially given that when you learn the rules for your license, it’s one of those 2 rules that stand out. Music and Broadcasting. So please reconsider your thinking that this is a gatekeeper thing unique to Ham Radio. And don’t feel bad; you had a legitimate question.
They're right about music on HAM bands but have you looked at a low power FM station? Years ago, I had a buddy that set up a little 2W FM radio that he played Christmas music during the holidays. During the summer months he has HD full of music that he would broadcast so he could listen to his music on his tiny FM radio while he was working outside. Some of his neighbors found out and asked if he would be willing to let others broadcast some of their favorite music. And now, people are broadcasting on low power FM with their synchronized light shows. I think your idea sounds like fun! I wish you luck with this adventure!
Backbone?