ABSTRACT
In the continual furor over downloading, ripping, and burning that seems to define digital music, streaming audio and Internet radio are sometimes overlooked. Part of the nonchalance might be attributable to the longevity of Internet audio, which predates the consumer MP3 scene by a few years. That extra time has been put to good use in two ways. First, the sound quality of streaming audio has improved sensationally. Second, the range of programming content has expanded dizzyingly, to a point of overwhelming variety and global reach.
