Picture this. It’s 2 AM and you’re wandering through Second Life. Neon clubs glow on one corner. Cozy coffee houses flicker on another. Suddenly, a melody stops you in your tracks. The voice is raw. Authentic. Completely original.

It’s streaming live from IndieSpectrum Radio. In that instant, you’re connected to an artist who might be creating music from a bedroom studio in Tokyo, Nashville, or anywhere in between.

Since November 2007, this is what IndieSpectrum Radio has offered. A nonprofit, 24/7, commercial-free station. A sanctuary where independent musicians in Second Life find their voice. And a place where listeners discover Original Music that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

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Born From a Single Note of Inspiration

Every revolution begins with a spark. For IndieSpectrum Radio, that spark was a performance.

Founder Fox Reinsch remembers watching pianist and composer Kori Travanti (Kori Carothers in the physical world) play live in Second Life. Her fingers moved across virtual keys, but the music was achingly real.

“Kori wanted to share her music more widely,” Fox recalls. That simple desire lit the flame. He realized a station could amplify not only her music, but also the voices of countless indie artists across the grid.

In November 2007, IndieSpectrum Radio went live. It was grassroots and community-driven. Built on one promise: to give Second Life’s live performers a stage that never closes. To introduce residents everywhere to the magic of original music streaming from around the world.

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Though this video shows Lori in real life, she was also performing live in Second Life at the time. Those performances, raw and full of heart , sparked Fox’s vision for IndieSpectrum Radio.

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More Than Music – A Living, Breathing Community

From the very beginning, IndieSpectrum was more than a stream. Fox partnered with Moondoggirl Moomentoog, running live venues where weekly shows were simulcast on the station.

The result was electric. The intimacy of in-world performance blended with the reach of global broadcasting. Audiences gathered in virtual spaces. Listeners tuned in from every corner of the globe.

I was lucky enough to be there for quite a few of those Moondoggirl shows, often with my friend Catfish. Performers like Suzen Juel played many of them, and even Simon Linden was spotted in the crowd. These showcases felt like the highlight of live music in Second Life at the time. Avatars dancing, the chat buzzing, and the music flowing both in-world and over the air.

Musicians sent in their most personal tracks. Fans requested songs that became the soundtrack of their Second Life adventures. Venues streamed IndieSpectrum during off-hours, turning quiet moments into opportunities for discovery.

This spirit of collaboration shaped ISR’s reputation. It quickly became a cornerstone of Second Life’s cultural heartbeat.

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Pure Authenticity: Only Original Music, Zero Profit

What makes IndieSpectrum Radio unique? Every track is an original creation by a Second Life artist. Every submission comes with the artist’s permission. Authenticity and copyright integrity are built in.

And then there’s the way listeners connect. Each song in rotation links directly to the artist’s own website or store. Hear something that moves you at midnight? You can follow that thread straight to the creator.

IndieSpectrum takes no commission. Not a single linden or dollar. In a music world crowded with middlemen, ISR chose a radical path: promotion without profit. Every bit of support goes directly to the artists who make the music possible.

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Listen, Discover, Support

🎧 Listen Now → indiespectrum.com
🎶 Try the new request system → secondlife.music

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Coming Next Week

This was the beginning. But who’s keeping the dream alive today?

In Part 2 of this series, “IndieSpectrum Radio:

The Dream Team Rebuilding the Future,” we’ll meet Fox, Ninja, and Jade — the trio of co-owners ensuring IndieSpectrum continues to thrive.

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For me, IndieSpectrum has been the soundtrack of Second Life since I joined. I’m grateful for the musicians and the community that keep it alive.

~ Owl