i got a question gang, What Componet Or Software Do You Use For Streaming Your Station On the Internet? i would like to know because honestly…… I HAVE NO FLIPPIN IDEA!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! any thoughts or suggestions… i would greatly appreciate it!
Reader Interactions
Comments
mighty1650says
My Unique setup For me since I use Zara Radio I have to do a few special things.
For automation my station uses a Toshiba Notebook.
To stream I have a cord running from the REC part of my audio board into my Desktops Line-In
The audio then goes into Winamp via a line-in plugin.
Then the audio goes through the Energize II plugin for processing, then into the SAM Encoder plugin for streaming.
To include Current Song information I use a program called Update Title running on the notebook that Reads Zara Radio and sends the titles to the Shoutcast Server.
It’s quite a few steps, but it works very well.
Carl Blaresays
Guessing About the Crow’s Setup It is my guess that your setup, The Crow, is done the way you do it so you can broadcast live in real-time and automatically from recorded sound files. The cable patch from your sound mixer and the use of Winamp “line-in” are the clues.
I have tested “line-in” for live broadcasting, and it worked well, but I am now set for 100% automation using Winamp playlist, which is much less precise for good timing than Zara, Sam Encoder for mp3 streaming and the newest update of the Shoutcast Encoder for A.A.C streaming, with two instances of Shoutcast Servers.
I heard on “This Week In Radio Tech” a CBS engineer said that although mp3 is the most popular format, A.A.C. will be the preferred format of the future because it sounds better and is more efficient.
mighty1650says
AAC AAC is actually a much better format.
Unfortunately not many players support it at this time.
AAC was designed to be a format for Dial-up, with better quality at low bitrates.
In today’s mobile world, this will become more essential as data plans become more restrictive and expensive.
ArtisanRadiosays
ZaraRadio for ZaraRadio for automation.
Outputs to Virtual Audio Cable 1. Input VAC1 to VST – for audio compression and to convert to mono. Outputs to VAC2. VAC2 input to OddCast to stream MP3’s. Icecast serves the steam up to listeners.
scwissays
My primative approach I wanted to stream but I also wanted to be able to check my transmitter when I was out of town, so I settled on a real primitive approach that works for me.
I have an old clock radio with an earphone output tuned to my station, with the earphone jack connected to the input on a sound card. The sound card is in an old WIN98 box that runs Windows Media Encoder 7.
I have a cable TV broadband internet service provider that offers up to five IPs for home use and I stream at a microscopic bandwidth (like 22 kbps). The IP is dynamic, but it has only changed once or twice since I set this up a couple of years ago. The fidelity is quite low but I broadcast NOAA weather and PSAs so it doesn’t really matter.
Even with the new broadband bandwidth limits and the reduce upload speeds most cable internet providers offer, low bitrates plus not too many listeners means it works just fine.
I quick and easy way to hear my station and make sure all is well when I’m out of town on business 🙂
My WIN98 box drive died a little while ago so I need to fix that but otherwise it’s quite simple.
ABMedia1says
internet services for my area the streaming using ip i would have to have another internet service i got several to choose from DSL from verizon, Cable Internet From Cable One Or Grayson County Cable, ISDN And Dial up From Internet Texoma. i already have cable internet from my local cable station but my mom is already paying hdtv and standard cable, 2 cable boxes, 2 internet routers, (one for her work and one for personal… she works at home) so that equals to BIG $$$ from the cable bill! so i am probably stuck with ISDN Or Dial up from internet texoma Which is only $4.99-$15.00 a month! which is in my budget range monthly
Marathon Donsays
What We Use… At Radio 252, we have our primary play-out PC running Station Playlist Creator & Station Playlist Studio. It’s got an M-Audio sound card feeding a mixer, which feeds a 10 band EQ, then a Behringer processor, and then on to second computer which serves as an encoder. The encoder PC runs Edcast (formerly Oddcast) and feeds 2 mp3 streams (64k mono & 128k stereo)to our streamhost’s servers and a third 32k stream (AAC) to Loudcaster. BTW, a 3rd PC with Adobe Audition handles production duties. All 3 computers are networked for file sharing. That’s how we move recorded audio from the production PC to the play-out PC.
Don
Radio 252
ArtisanRadiosays
I decided to use my own I decided to use my own server to stream Artisan Radio. The advantage is control. The disadvantage is that even business plans that most ISP’s offer only allow up to 1 Mbit/second uploads (residential plans tend to be less, and with a residential plan most ISP’s either won’t let you, or actively discourage you from running a server). That restricts the number of simultaneous listeners that you can support – it’s dependent on your streaming bit rate, of course.
There are 3rd party streamers. I haven’t looked at them lately, but I would expect to pay if you’re using up a lot of their bandwidth (after all, they pay for it). Plus some at least tend to come and go, change their policies, etc. – you’re putting your station at the mercy of someone else. And if you’re selling advertising or sponsorship, that’s not a good thing, as you’re the one making the commitments.
Carl Blaresays
Important Matters Artisan Radio brings up an important matter… do the terms of service from the ISP permit outgoing streaming? I wish I could stay awake long enough to actually read the terms of service, but I’ve tried and can’t.
It’s impossible to talk to anyone about our internet service.. the bill collecting ladies know nothing about the technical… and the “call for help” number connects somewhere in India where communications never go well and the person is usually unaware of what radio streaming actually is.
I stream from my computer, with an upload capacity of 2-meg which would be great if there were listeners. I have only a trickle now and then of people connecting. That may be why the ISP hasn’t pestered me.
In real fact, it’s a big toy, like a model railroad. But it’s 2000% better than any local AM/FM stations for good programming.
The world is very strange during those years before we go on to “our reward.”
ArtisanRadiosays
Some ISP’s for residential Some ISP’s for residential plans actually block the ports you would generally use to stream or are associated with streaming – a common one is 80 to stop you from running a web server.
Even those that don’t block ports generally have restrictions built into those terms of service that are almost impossible to read. As an example, you may find that ‘unlimited’ use generally doesn’t really mean unlimited, but the ISP’s perception of what bandwidth is reasonable (and anything over that is abuse).
If it’s possible, I’d always recommend going with a business plan, rather than a residential one. At least in Canada, the difference in cost is negligible when you consider all the extra services that come in a business plan (free cable TV, as an example), the support staff are much more knowledgeable (they actually know what they’re talking about), and if something happens, there are usually service guarantees (it’s supposedly for a business, after all). Just recently, I had my Internet connection go down, and within 24 hours a technician came to my door (at home) on a Sunday during a holiday weekend, troubleshooted the problem to a bad cable modem and replaced it.
Nothing like being one of the privileged (as opposed to the great unwashed)!
americansunriseradiosays
streamerp2p We run a local stream using streamerp2p with their Oddcast plug in. Works very nicely, though I need to restart it once a day. It sees that big outgoing pipe and tries to ramp up the kbps….
ZaraRadio and ShoutCast I’m using ShoutCast for my audio streaming.
I’m on residential DSL which is not STATIC IP. So, to keep my stream’s URL pointed to my changeable IP address, I use DYNDNS. DYNDNS is a free service that keeps track of my IP address and redirects the URL to the correct IP address. This way, I don’t have to worry about the IP address changing.
My automation of choice is ZaraRadio, ver 1.4.4 which works with plugins allowing it to work with ShoutCast. ZaraRadio is free and has plenty of bells and whistles more than I make use of.
There is one glitch using ShoutCast as a plugin with ZaraRadio. You can’t overlap files as it causes an annoying clicking during the overlap. I’m told there are ways around this but it’s not a problem for me.
mighty1650 says
My Unique setup
For me since I use Zara Radio I have to do a few special things.
For automation my station uses a Toshiba Notebook.
To stream I have a cord running from the REC part of my audio board into my Desktops Line-In
The audio then goes into Winamp via a line-in plugin.
Then the audio goes through the Energize II plugin for processing, then into the SAM Encoder plugin for streaming.
To include Current Song information I use a program called Update Title running on the notebook that Reads Zara Radio and sends the titles to the Shoutcast Server.
It’s quite a few steps, but it works very well.
Carl Blare says
Guessing About the Crow’s Setup
It is my guess that your setup, The Crow, is done the way you do it so you can broadcast live in real-time and automatically from recorded sound files. The cable patch from your sound mixer and the use of Winamp “line-in” are the clues.
I have tested “line-in” for live broadcasting, and it worked well, but I am now set for 100% automation using Winamp playlist, which is much less precise for good timing than Zara, Sam Encoder for mp3 streaming and the newest update of the Shoutcast Encoder for A.A.C streaming, with two instances of Shoutcast Servers.
I heard on “This Week In Radio Tech” a CBS engineer said that although mp3 is the most popular format, A.A.C. will be the preferred format of the future because it sounds better and is more efficient.
mighty1650 says
AAC
AAC is actually a much better format.
Unfortunately not many players support it at this time.
AAC was designed to be a format for Dial-up, with better quality at low bitrates.
In today’s mobile world, this will become more essential as data plans become more restrictive and expensive.
ArtisanRadio says
ZaraRadio for
ZaraRadio for automation.
Outputs to Virtual Audio Cable 1. Input VAC1 to VST – for audio compression and to convert to mono. Outputs to VAC2. VAC2 input to OddCast to stream MP3’s. Icecast serves the steam up to listeners.
scwis says
My primative approach
I wanted to stream but I also wanted to be able to check my transmitter when I was out of town, so I settled on a real primitive approach that works for me.
I have an old clock radio with an earphone output tuned to my station, with the earphone jack connected to the input on a sound card. The sound card is in an old WIN98 box that runs Windows Media Encoder 7.
I have a cable TV broadband internet service provider that offers up to five IPs for home use and I stream at a microscopic bandwidth (like 22 kbps). The IP is dynamic, but it has only changed once or twice since I set this up a couple of years ago. The fidelity is quite low but I broadcast NOAA weather and PSAs so it doesn’t really matter.
Even with the new broadband bandwidth limits and the reduce upload speeds most cable internet providers offer, low bitrates plus not too many listeners means it works just fine.
I quick and easy way to hear my station and make sure all is well when I’m out of town on business 🙂
My WIN98 box drive died a little while ago so I need to fix that but otherwise it’s quite simple.
ABMedia1 says
internet services for my area
the streaming using ip i would have to have another internet service i got several to choose from DSL from verizon, Cable Internet From Cable One Or Grayson County Cable, ISDN And Dial up From Internet Texoma. i already have cable internet from my local cable station but my mom is already paying hdtv and standard cable, 2 cable boxes, 2 internet routers, (one for her work and one for personal… she works at home) so that equals to BIG $$$ from the cable bill! so i am probably stuck with ISDN Or Dial up from internet texoma Which is only $4.99-$15.00 a month! which is in my budget range monthly
Marathon Don says
What We Use…
At Radio 252, we have our primary play-out PC running Station Playlist Creator & Station Playlist Studio. It’s got an M-Audio sound card feeding a mixer, which feeds a 10 band EQ, then a Behringer processor, and then on to second computer which serves as an encoder. The encoder PC runs Edcast (formerly Oddcast) and feeds 2 mp3 streams (64k mono & 128k stereo)to our streamhost’s servers and a third 32k stream (AAC) to Loudcaster. BTW, a 3rd PC with Adobe Audition handles production duties. All 3 computers are networked for file sharing. That’s how we move recorded audio from the production PC to the play-out PC.
Don
Radio 252
ArtisanRadio says
I decided to use my own
I decided to use my own server to stream Artisan Radio. The advantage is control. The disadvantage is that even business plans that most ISP’s offer only allow up to 1 Mbit/second uploads (residential plans tend to be less, and with a residential plan most ISP’s either won’t let you, or actively discourage you from running a server). That restricts the number of simultaneous listeners that you can support – it’s dependent on your streaming bit rate, of course.
There are 3rd party streamers. I haven’t looked at them lately, but I would expect to pay if you’re using up a lot of their bandwidth (after all, they pay for it). Plus some at least tend to come and go, change their policies, etc. – you’re putting your station at the mercy of someone else. And if you’re selling advertising or sponsorship, that’s not a good thing, as you’re the one making the commitments.
Carl Blare says
Important Matters
Artisan Radio brings up an important matter… do the terms of service from the ISP permit outgoing streaming? I wish I could stay awake long enough to actually read the terms of service, but I’ve tried and can’t.
It’s impossible to talk to anyone about our internet service.. the bill collecting ladies know nothing about the technical… and the “call for help” number connects somewhere in India where communications never go well and the person is usually unaware of what radio streaming actually is.
I stream from my computer, with an upload capacity of 2-meg which would be great if there were listeners. I have only a trickle now and then of people connecting. That may be why the ISP hasn’t pestered me.
In real fact, it’s a big toy, like a model railroad. But it’s 2000% better than any local AM/FM stations for good programming.
The world is very strange during those years before we go on to “our reward.”
ArtisanRadio says
Some ISP’s for residential
Some ISP’s for residential plans actually block the ports you would generally use to stream or are associated with streaming – a common one is 80 to stop you from running a web server.
Even those that don’t block ports generally have restrictions built into those terms of service that are almost impossible to read. As an example, you may find that ‘unlimited’ use generally doesn’t really mean unlimited, but the ISP’s perception of what bandwidth is reasonable (and anything over that is abuse).
If it’s possible, I’d always recommend going with a business plan, rather than a residential one. At least in Canada, the difference in cost is negligible when you consider all the extra services that come in a business plan (free cable TV, as an example), the support staff are much more knowledgeable (they actually know what they’re talking about), and if something happens, there are usually service guarantees (it’s supposedly for a business, after all). Just recently, I had my Internet connection go down, and within 24 hours a technician came to my door (at home) on a Sunday during a holiday weekend, troubleshooted the problem to a bad cable modem and replaced it.
Nothing like being one of the privileged (as opposed to the great unwashed)!
americansunriseradio says
streamerp2p
We run a local stream using streamerp2p with their Oddcast plug in. Works very nicely, though I need to restart it once a day. It sees that big outgoing pipe and tries to ramp up the kbps….
http://www.streamerp2p.com
mram1500 says
ZaraRadio and ShoutCast
I’m using ShoutCast for my audio streaming.
I’m on residential DSL which is not STATIC IP. So, to keep my stream’s URL pointed to my changeable IP address, I use DYNDNS. DYNDNS is a free service that keeps track of my IP address and redirects the URL to the correct IP address. This way, I don’t have to worry about the IP address changing.
My automation of choice is ZaraRadio, ver 1.4.4 which works with plugins allowing it to work with ShoutCast. ZaraRadio is free and has plenty of bells and whistles more than I make use of.
There is one glitch using ShoutCast as a plugin with ZaraRadio. You can’t overlap files as it causes an annoying clicking during the overlap. I’m told there are ways around this but it’s not a problem for me.