Can I send Radio Australia my music for broadcast?

Each year, Radio Australia invites emerging and unsigned musicians in the Pacific to submit their original music as part of our Pacific Break competition.

Pacific Break is dedicated to providing undiscovered artists with an opportunity to be heard across the Pacific. We want to hear from artists who do not have a commercial publishing or recording contract and are the copyright owner of the music.

If you have a publishing arrangement whereby you've simply paid a studio or publishing house to record your music, you're still eligible to enter.

Please monitor our Pacific Break page for application dates.

How do I set the Radio Australia site to my language or region?

Your site will be chosen automatically based on your location and browser settings. If you’d like to change your language or region, you can use the ‘change’ menu in the navigation bar at the top of each page, or you can select from the list of languages and regions at the bottom of each page. Your preference will be remembered by your browser.

I’ve read your FAQs and I still need help.

If you require further help, please get in touch using the Contact Us form. If you have a general query about technology, why not try the ABC’s Technology Explained page (in English)? They provide introductory information on a wide range of new technologies, many of which you’ll find on the Radio Australia website.

I’d like to broadcast your programs or publish your online content on my website – can I partner with Radio Australia?

Radio Australia welcomes contact from regional media organisations who wish to share, collaborate with us or rebroadcast our programs. Use our Contact Us form to get in touch with us and we'll follow up with you.

Are the English programs produced in and broadcast from Australia or locally?

Our content is produced by our teams based both in Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific. Radio Australia's headquarters and broadcast facilities are located in Melbourne, Australia. Our shortwave transmission sites are based in Australia and at a number of sites in Asia. We also offer local broadcasts via partner stations and through FM relays. You can find out more about our local radio broadcasts in our Radio section under Ways to listen.

What is UTC?

UTC or Coordinated Universal Time is the universally accepted time standard. Time zones around the world can be expressed as positive or negative offsets from UTC, for example, Australian Eastern Standard Time is UTC+10 and Hong Kong is UTC+8. Selecting your country from the drop-down menu on our Schedule or Ways to listen pages will automatically adjust the UTC offset for your time zone.

Why am I seeing symbols and boxes instead of text on some of your pages?

Radio Australia's Khmer and Burmese sites use Google Web Fonts and W3C font standards that are supported by a wide range of web browsers and digital devices.

To view these sites properly we recommend you get a free download of Firefox, Chrome or Opera and install as directed.

For Windows XP users, you may need to install complex script and right-to-left language files, East Asia language files and fonts to your computer.

To install complex script and right-to-left language files

To install East Asia language files

To install fonts

Download and install free Khmer Unicode fonts

Khmer OS Battambang 

Khmer OS System 

Download and install free Burmese Unicode fonts

Zawgyi-One

Myanmar3

Get more information on Khmer and Burmese Unicode fonts

Khmer Software Initiative (Khmer)

http://www.khmeros.info

Zawgyi (Burmese)

http://www.zawgyi.net

Myanmar Unicode & NLP Research Center

http://www.myanmarnlp.net.mm

Can I obtain a transcript for all Radio Australia broadcasts?

Not all broadcasts are transcribed. However, you can obtain transcripts for programs where the transcript icon is present. Visit the individual programs page via our radio page to search. 

What is Radio Australia, and who is involved?

Radio Australia is a non-commercial and independent international media organisation. As part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Australia is funded by the Australian Government. Our independence from government or any form of commercial influence is a crucial element of our charter and our editorial policies. We offer content for audiences throughout the Asia Pacific region. Radio Australia's content is produced for the platforms you use. Our content is available on the web, social media and mobile as well as on radio via shortwave, satellite, FM relay and partner stations. You can find out more about Radio Australia from the About Us section of the website.

What are RSS feeds and how do I access them?

Our RSS feeds use a technology called Really Simple Syndication to deliver our online content to your computer or mobile device as soon as it’s available.

In most cases a web browser will do as many have RSS feed readers built into them. Alternatively, you can also download freely available RSS Reader software or use an online RSS service. 

How do I subscribe to RSS feeds?

If you are using an RSS enabled web browser, simply click on the link. If you are using RSS or Feed Software, simply copy the URL of the link provided and paste or type it into the relevant place for your particular reader.

Can I create my own RSS feeds?

Yes, you can create a custom RSS feed by using our search function. You’ll be notified each time a story appears with the keywords you specify. To generate a custom RSS feed simply search for the term(s) you would like to subscribe to in our search bar. On the search results page click the ‘Subscribe to RSS’ link to see your feed.

You can subscribe to the feed in a compatible web browser or you can add the URL of the feed to your chosen RSS reader software or online RSS service.

How do I subscribe to Podcast feeds?

If you are using an RSS enabled web browser, simply click on the link. If you are using Podcast Software, simply copy the URL of the link provided and paste or type it into the relevant place for your particular player.

Can I use an iPhone/iPad App to listen to Radio Australia?

Several third-party apps include the Radio Australia audio streams. You’ll need to search the App Store or the internet for information on these applications. If your app has stopped working, it may be because we have updated our streams. Please get in touch with the app maker to have this resolved.

Be aware that data costs may be high when streaming on mobile networks.

I have opened your media player, but the player doesn’t appear.

You may need to enable javascript (see the help files for your browser on how to do this), or update your player. If you are using a device or platform that cannot install the Flash or Windows player, use our Shoutcast streams. Keep in mind that our Shoutcast streams have limited capacity so you may experience congestion.

How do I stream video on your site?

Our websites have adopted the HTML 5 web standard for video & audio. It is supported by the latest web browsers and a wide range of mobile devices including iPhone, iPad & Android. If you are having trouble playing our video or audio you may need to download the latest Adobe Flash Player here.

I have the required software, but your live streams dropout or don’t connect at all.

Connection errors may be caused by surfing the internet behind a firewall. Some workplace networks block streaming. You will need to contact your IT department to check if this applies to you

If you are having dropouts (the audio stops and starts) and you are listening via our default stream or our Windows streaming, the problem is most likely that your internet connection isn’t fast enough. This may be a result of the speed of your internet plan, or the number of other users your ISP has in your local area. You will need to contact your ISP to get help with this.

If you are listening via our Shoutcast streams, it may be the problems listed above or it may be that we have too many users trying to listen at the time. In this case either try to connect to our default Flash stream, our Windows streams or try again later.

Does it cost money to listen to live audio streaming?

Listening to live audio streaming requires bandwidth. This may use part of your bandwidth allowance or may incur additional data costs. Check with your service provider for details. We suggest you monitor your bandwidth usage regularly.

Bandwidth usage:

Flash streaming at AAC+ 64kbps (our default) uses 28.8MB/hour
Windows Streaming at 96kbps uses 43.2MB/hour
Shoutcast MP3 at 128kbps uses 57.6 MB/hour (These can only serve a limited number of people)
Shoutcast AAC+ at 48kbps uses 21.6 MB/hour (These can only serve a limited number of people)

How can I listen to Radio Australia?

Depending on where you are, there are up to six ways to listen to Radio Australia: live via internet streaming, on-demand through podcast downloads, in your area through 24-hour FM stations and local relay stations, or live via shortwave or satellite. We provide information on how you can listen to Radio Australia in your area on our Ways to listen page.

Do Radio Australia's audio streams work on my mobile phone?

Depending on the make of your phone, one of the formats we have available should work for you. Phones that can use our default Flash streaming should have the most reliable, consistent service. Other phones may need to use one of our alternative formats. Other formats are available via our media player.

Be aware that data costs may be high when streaming on mobile networks.

What is ‘Disqus’?

We use Disqus for comments on our site. When you comment with Disqus you can use your existing login for popular social media sites or comment as a guest. Your comments will appear both on our website and on your social media sites. If you login to use Disqus, it will create a publically visible profile based on your activities across other websites that use Disqus.

Please note: comments on this site are subject to the ABC’s Conditions of Use (in English) and Disqus’ Terms and Policies (in English).

What are ‘Community Guidelines’?

Community Guidelines explain how our social media services are managed and moderated. Radio Australia welcomes contributions that stimulate debate and discussion or that reflect the diverse range of perspectives, experiences and imaginations of our audiences. While encouraging vigorous debate and critique, we expect all online users to treat each other with respect and courtesy. The ABC is bound by editorial standards that also apply to our social media services. There are also issues surrounding independence, accuracy, impartiality, harm and offence and commercial references that may inform how we manage your participation. 

Can I comment on a story?

You can comment on any story on our website using the comment box at the bottom of each page. You can also join discussions using our social media services, which can be found on our Communities page. Or, you can use our sharing functions to share the story with your friends and comment on it there.

Please note: all comments on our site are moderated. You can read more about moderation in our Community Guidelines.

If you’d like to provide feedback or a complaint directly to Radio Australia, please use our Contact Us form.

Does Radio Australia keep a record of user activities?

Once a comment is submitted and approved, you may not have the ability to edit or remove it. Furthermore, comments and activities made using third-party services are governed by the terms and conditions imposed by that service. Please be sure to read the ABC’s Conditions of Use (in English) and the conditions of use of the relevant third-party services to make an informed decision about your contribution to our site.

What is social bookmarking?

Social bookmarking allows users to tag interesting web pages on a third-party site to share with other web users. Once the article is bookmarked on these sites, others can also read, rate, post a comment or share the link.

If you are registered with a social bookmarking service, you can participate by using the share functions at the top or bottom of each story.

I have subscribed to an Email Update, but have not received any.

If you are currently subscribed to and not receiving Email Updates, please check your Spam folder as sometimes Spam filters can prevent these messages from arriving in your inbox.

To prevent this, please add the email address from which the update is sent to your address book. If you have done this and still unable to receive Email Alerts, please contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for further assistance.

Does Radio Australia respond to user comments, feedback and complaints?

Comments, feedback and complaints requiring Radio Australia’s response should be submitted via the Contact Us form. Although our people may occasionally participate in online conversations via our comments section or third-party social media services, these services should not be considered as an alternative to the contact options provided in the Contact Us section of this site.

Radio Australia is committed to accountability and takes audience complaints seriously. Our complaints policy is here (in English). We'll always endeavour to get back to you within a few days. 

On your website and on-air you refer to using a “hashtag” in Twitter. I have a Twitter account, but how do I use “hashtags”?

Hashtags are a convenient way to alert your friends and others to content that you are interested in. They also create a feed of content related to a subject.

Hashtags are in effect subject headings for a tweet. They do not need to be at the start of the tweet. They simply need to be part of what you are saying. For example:  “Interesting interview on Radio Australia right now. #raonair” The search results of which can be seen here.

Tweets published by Radio Australia twitter feeds are managed in accordance with ABC Editorial Policies which can be found here (in English). However, Radio Australia has no control over audience generated responses and the use of Radio Australia related hashtags and cannot take responsibility for the content posted by its audiences.

Please note: discussions using Radio Austalia’s suggested hashtags are primarily in English.

Do I get a formal qualification from your courses?

Our lessons are produced in partnership with English teaching organisations, and as such are structured for learners to develop specific English language skills. However, our courses are not designed to provide testing and we do not issue a formal qualification. You can use the courses to complement other study you are doing, for example if you are preparing for an IELTS, ELICOS or English Placement test.

How much do your English courses cost?

All our materials for learning English are provided free of charge. You are welcome to download the audio and text materials, including MP3 and PDF versions of the lesson and dialogue, as well as study notes that include exercises for you to extend your vocabulary and practice your pronunciation and grammar. 

Can I publish your English materials on my website or social network?

You may promote and link to our site on your website and social media services, but you may not republish the content (including downloads) as it is copyright protected. If you would like to enter a content publishing arrangement with us, please contact us. If you find these materials useful and would like to promote or link to them, we’d love to hear from you, as your feedback is valuable.

I am a teacher of English can I use your materials in my classes?

You are welcome to use our materials free of charge. You may download the audio and text materials, including MP3 and PDF versions of the lesson and dialogue, as well as study notes that include exercises to help students extend their vocabulary and practice their pronunciation and grammar. Please also use our English language website, Facebook, Twitter and audio to help teach your students. We'd love to hear from you and from them, why not set your students some interactive tasks, such as adding comments to our lessons and stories, or writing on our Facebook wall? Your students could also send a text to our radio presenters to add their comments to the conversation.

I've completed all the lessons, will there be new lessons in the future?

We may produce more courses in the future. What topics would you be most interested in? What grammar and pronunciation challenges would you like help to overcome? Please contact us to let us know. You can use the link at the base of every lesson and feature to submit your requests. You can also use the comment field, send a request via Facebook or Twitter or contact us privately using our contact us form.

Can I submit a lesson or Word of the Day request?

Yes, please do! You can use the link at the base of every lesson and feature to submit feedback and requests. You can also use the comment field, send a request via Facebook or Twitter or contact us privately using our contact us form.

I'm only a beginner. How do I use your website to learn English?

Many of our English learning materials are produced for intermediate learners, but our lessons include a lot of information in languages other than English, which should help you with your learning. You can download audio and transcripts of the lessons, and some of our courses also have study notes. Please, use these free materials to review the lessons multiple times. Our English from Australia course caters for a broad range of learning levels, so you may find that a good one to start with.