Broadcast licensing music (at the broad level that you need for a radio station) is a non-intuitive thing, and hasn't really adapted to the modern broadcast model. If you purchase a "radio" license you can play anything, but only if you follow certain conditions - like making it difficult to make perfect copies, allowing minimal amounts of fast-forwarding, and not explicitly allowing the listener to pick songs (that's why Pandora does/did all that - not just for kicks).
If you want a license that allows user choice - as in allowing you to specify which song you want to hear and then have it stream directly - it costs a hell of a lot more in licensing. Having said that, this calculation is applicable for ASCAP licensing; if you were willing to get access to less (for example, only from a specific label), you could probably get a slightly better deal.
If you want a license that allows user choice - as in allowing you to specify which song you want to hear and then have it stream directly - it costs a hell of a lot more in licensing. Having said that, this calculation is applicable for ASCAP licensing; if you were willing to get access to less (for example, only from a specific label), you could probably get a slightly better deal.