tilderadio.org

You can contribute to tilderadio in three main ways: make a station ID, submit a jingle, or plan a one-off broadcast. The station describes itself as "internet radio streamed by / for users of the tildeverse," so contributions are aimed at people in that community rather than a general audience. If you want to help shape what listeners hear, these are the paths the site itself lists.

What You Can Contribute

The tilderadio site names three specific contribution types:

• A station ID — a short audio identifier for the station.
• A jingle — a brief musical or audio clip used between content.
• A one-off broadcast — a single planned show you host yourself.

These are the only contribution options the site mentions, so treat them as the starting menu rather than an exhaustive list of everything the community might accept.

Where the Community Talks

tilderadio points contributors to two channels:

• IRC: the #tilderadio channel.
• Mastodon: the station's Mastodon presence.

The site does not spell out server details, invite links, or posting rules in the material available, so the practical first step is to find the community in one of those two places and ask how current contributors submit work. That also tells you the format and length expectations, which the site does not specify.

Using the Stream and API

If your contribution involves integrating with or promoting the stream, the site publishes direct URLs you can use:

There is also a /now API endpoint, which the site lists alongside the direct stream URLs. The available material does not document the response format, so check it directly if you plan to build something around it.

A Practical Order of Steps

1. Decide which contribution fits you: a station ID, a jingle, or a one-off broadcast.
2. Join #tilderadio or reach the station on Mastodon and ask about current submission expectations.
3. Prepare your audio in a format the community confirms it accepts.
4. Submit through whatever channel the community directs you to.

The site gives the "what" (three contribution types, two community channels, stream URLs, and a /now API) but not the "how" in step-by-step detail. Confirming details with the community is the reliable route, since formats, deadlines, and submission methods are not published in the material available.

You can listen to tilderadio directly in your browser at tilderadio.org, or by opening one of its direct stream URLs in any player that supports network streams. The site offers four stream formats — Ogg and MP3, each at 192k and 320k — so you can pick based on your player's codec support and your bandwidth.

Listening in the browser

The homepage includes a built-in player. According to the site, the player controls are:

• ▶ play — starts the stream
• 🔈 mute — toggles sound on and off
• vol — adjusts volume

The page also shows what's currently on air (for example, an AutoDJ track), the number of current listeners, and the track title. Below that, a recently played list shows the last several tracks with timestamps in UTC.

Using a direct stream URL

If you'd rather use your own player (VLC, mpv, or any app that accepts a network stream), point it at one of these URLs:

There is also a general entry point at https://tilderadio.org/listen, which the site lists alongside the format-specific URLs.

How to use one: copy the URL for the format you want, open your player's "Open network stream" (or equivalent) dialog, paste it, and start playback. Expected result: the stream begins playing the current broadcast. If nothing plays, try a different format — some players handle Ogg but not MP3 streams well, or vice versa.

Checking what's playing and what's next

The homepage surfaces three useful pieces of schedule information:

• Now playing — the current track or DJ set
• Recently played — a timestamped history of recent tracks
• Up next — upcoming shows with UTC times, plus a link to the full schedule

Because times are listed in UTC, convert to your local time zone if you want to catch a specific DJ.

Other ways to follow along

The site also lists:

• #tilderadio on Mastodon, for community posts
• A curl /now API, if you want to query the current track programmatically
• Ways to contribute: make a station ID, submit a jingle, or plan a one-off broadcast

tilderadio describes itself as "internet radio streamed by / for users of the tildeverse," so the programming comes from that community rather than a conventional broadcast schedule.

Quick troubleshooting

• Stream won't start in the browser: try a direct URL in a desktop player instead.
• Audio cuts out at 320k: drop to the 192k version of the same format.
• Player rejects the stream: switch between Ogg and MP3 — codec support varies by app.
• Unsure what you're hearing: check the "now playing" title on the homepage or the recently played list.

On tilderadio, AutoDJ means no human DJ is broadcasting at that moment — the station is running an automated playlist. The UP NEXT list and full schedule show which DJs are booked next and at what UTC time, while the recently played list shows what just aired. All times are in UTC, so you need to convert them to your local time to know when a live show starts.

The three parts of the page

The tilderadio homepage packs several distinct signals into one view. Reading them separately avoids confusion.

When AutoDJ is active, you'll see it labeled next to the current track, along with a listener count (the page evidence shows "3 listening" as an example). That count reflects how many people are tuned in at that moment.

What AutoDJ actually is

AutoDJ is the fallback state. When no scheduled DJ is on air, tilderadio keeps the stream alive by playing from an automated rotation. The "now playing" line during AutoDJ can show anything from music tracks to station promos — for example, the page evidence lists items like a promo jingle and a library track in the recently played feed.

Practical implication: if you tune in and see AutoDJ, you're hearing music, but there's no live host to interact with. If you specifically want a live DJ set, check the schedule instead of just hitting play.

Reading UP NEXT and the schedule

The UP NEXT section lists upcoming broadcasts in order, each with a DJ name and a UTC timestamp. The page evidence shows entries like:

• G_Love — Mon Sep 28 02:00 UTC
• dokuja — Mon Sep 28 06:00 UTC
• ten_forward — Mon Sep 28 13:00 UTC

Each line pairs a DJ handle with a start time in UTC. The "full schedule" link expands this into the complete timetable.

Converting UTC to your local time

UTC does not shift with daylight saving, so the offset depends on your region and the season. To find your local start time:

1. Note the UTC time from the schedule (e.g., 02:00 UTC).
2. Find your current offset from UTC (e.g., UTC−5, UTC+2).
3. Add or subtract that offset.

For example, 02:00 UTC is 21:00 the previous day in UTC−5, or 04:00 the same day in UTC+2. Because offsets change with daylight saving in many regions, recheck the conversion when clocks shift.

Recently played: what it's for

The recently played list is a rolling log of the last few items that aired, each with a UTC timestamp. It mixes:

• Music tracks (artist and title)
• Station IDs and promos (labeled as station content)
• Library entries (tracks pulled from the station's collection)

This list is useful for identifying a song you just heard, or for confirming whether a live DJ set has ended and AutoDJ has resumed.

How to use this when you tune in

• Want background music now? AutoDJ or a live DJ both work — just press play.
• Want a specific DJ? Check UP NEXT and the full schedule, convert the UTC time, and return then.
• Heard something you liked? Check recently played to find the track.
• Unsure if it's live? If the page shows AutoDJ, no human is hosting; if a DJ is scheduled and the time matches, you're likely hearing them live.

Listening options

The station offers several direct stream URLs, so you can pick a format and bitrate that suits your connection:

• https://tilderadio.org/listen — main listen page
• https://tilderadio.org/listen/ogg/192k — Ogg 192k
• https://tilderadio.org/listen/ogg/320k — Ogg 320k
• https://tilderadio.org/listen/mp3/192k — MP3 192k
• https://tilderadio.org/listen/mp3/320k — MP3 320k

Higher bitrates (320k) use more bandwidth; 192k is lighter. Ogg and MP3 differ in codec support — MP3 plays in nearly everything, while Ogg needs a compatible player.

Contributing and getting involved

tilderadio describes itself as internet radio streamed by and for users of the tildeverse. If you want to take part, the site points to three options: make a station ID, submit a jingle, or plan a one-off broadcast. The community gathers around the #tilderadio channel and a Mastodon presence, and there's a curl /now API for pulling the current status programmatically.

tilderadio is an internet radio station streamed by and for users of the tildeverse, a community of shared Unix systems. It plays continuous music through an AutoDJ when no live DJ is on air, and it also carries scheduled shows hosted by community members. You can listen in a browser at https://tilderadio.org/listen or point any media player at one of its direct stream URLs. It is a good fit if you want a small, community-run station rather than an algorithmically programmed commercial service.

How it works

The station runs a continuous stream. When no human DJ is broadcasting, an AutoDJ fills the time — the page shows the current track and a live listener count (for example, "AUTODJ 3 listening"). Scheduled shows appear in an "UP NEXT" list with UTC times, so you can plan around a specific DJ.

The site also keeps a "recently played" log with timestamps, which is useful if you heard something and want to identify it later.

How to listen

Two routes, depending on what you want:

• Web player — open https://tilderadio.org/listen and use the on-page controls (play, mute, volume).
• Direct stream URLs — paste one into VLC, mpv, or another player:

Pick Ogg if your player supports it and you want the more efficient codec; pick MP3 for the widest compatibility. The 320k options are the higher-quality streams.

There is also a curl /now API endpoint, which returns what is currently playing — handy for scripts or status displays.

What makes it different from a typical internet station

• Community-run. It is streamed by and for tildeverse users, not a commercial broadcaster.
• You can contribute. The site invites listeners to make a station ID, submit a jingle, or plan a one-off broadcast.
• Small and social. There is a #tilderadio IRC channel and a Mastodon presence for the DJs and community.
• Scheduled human shows alongside automation. The lineup mixes AutoDJ with named DJ slots (the schedule lists hosts with UTC start times).

Practical notes

• Times are UTC. The schedule and the recently-played log both use UTC, so convert to your local time before planning to catch a show.
• Listener counts are visible. The page shows how many people are tuned in, which tells you how busy a slot is.
• No pricing information is given on the page. Nothing in the available material states whether listening or contributing costs anything, so treat cost as unconfirmed rather than assuming it is free.

If you want a low-key, community-driven stream with real DJs and an open invitation to participate, tilderadio is worth adding to your player. Start with the web player to sample it, then switch to a direct stream URL once you know which format your setup handles best.