Internet Radio - How to Set Radio On Site

Including the radio on your favorite music on your site can be great way to share your favorite music. The process of setting up a radio on your site is quite simple; you can either use some other existing stream or do it yourself. The option of using the others' stream is often easier, but can cost little as many stations require the fee to be paid for using their content. The DIY option is great too; you can add he personalized music or audio to cater to your fans worldwide also. Here are some ideas on starting your own radio station online.There are many websites that can enable you to start broadcasting. These websites are already being used by many to set up the free television stations also. The simple search can lead you to these sites that offer you the chance to broad cast. There might be some software required for the functioning of your radio station in many cases. Here are some of the leading software for this.Shoutcast is free internet radio software. This can e used for setting up your own radio quite easily. The functions are easier to understand, all you have to do is simply download the software, which is free.Helix Server Basic is also free streaming software. You can use this to establish the live radio or video station quite easily too. This software connects you to the dedicated server that enables the streaming of media. You can easily test your own radio with this in minutes and reach thousands of fans overnight.The Quicktime streams are also quite good. This is quite similar to the Helix server, and you are also given the chance to start using the streaming media easily. The catch here is that you might need to subscribe to the server for delivering the radio. This is quite popular among the up and coming musicians and bands these days. Being one of leading music sites apple does gives the better and is updated regularly.The other sites that can help you in setting up the radio are Qucktime broadcast, Peercast, Icecast, Andromeda, Live 365, Personal Stations, PRO stations, and ubroadcast.com.

Peer to Peer Internet Video Broadcasting

Unlike standard television broadcasting, there are a limited number of viewers that an Internet television station can accommodate. These limitations are determined by the amount of bandwidth the network media server has available. A popular Internet television station would require large amounts of bandwidth to provide the broadcast to a large viewing audience.Peer to Peer (Commonly referred to as P2P) broadcasting allows viewers using specialized software to re-distribute the media broadcasts. This eliminates the need to utilize costly centralized media servers to distribute the broadcast and results in cost savings for bandwidth consumption.Any size business or group can establish an effective media broadcast presence without the huge costs normally associated with Internet broadcasting. Using this method, only a few data streams are required for a global Internet broadcast distribution.P2P Internet broadcasting provides extremely bandwidth friendly results and can support a virtually unlimited number of users. This method also provides effective security against Denial Of Service (DOS) attacks which can cripple a centralized server network architecture.There are both commercial and non commercial options that offer P2P broadcast ability for Internet television.This article will cover free open source software.Open source is an initiative that allows people to have access to the source code of software. This is the actual nuts and bolts that allow the software to operate. This initiative also allows people the ability to redistribute and or modify the source code thus allowing improvements and adaptations of the software.PeercastPeercast is a P2P media broadcast application that is available for the Windows, Unix and Mac operating systems. It is compatible with Shoutcast, Icecast and Windows Media streaming protocols.The software was originally designed to use Gnutella as a basis for broadcast distribution. The software now uses a hierarchal topology for media broadcast distribution. This new method provides greater scalability and more data organization.Broadcast station data is collected by the YP directory. This data is continuously updated by individual broadcasters. Listeners / viewers (client software) provide the connection points between themselves, the broadcasters and others.Each broadcaster has the option of including a digital signature to enable media broadcast authentication. This will prevent their broadcasts from being hijacked and replaced with alternative material.The following video codecs are supported by Peercast: VP3, VP6, Theora and WMV. It can also be used for audio broadcasting and can be configured to use several audio codecs. The software can be used to broadcast individual static media files as well.Hardware network routers use Network Address Translation to provide internal IP addresses for computers within that network. Traffic flowing through NAT must be converted from internal IP addresses to external IP addresses. P2P traffic routing through NAT usually requires software port forwarding to bypass NAT. Peercast is NAT friendly software and requires no special port forwarding.A plug-in is available for the popular Winamp media player. (Winamp versions 2.x and 5.x) This can be installed and used by clients to easily receive a Peercast station.The Peercast network provides a real time online station directory of current broadcasters. ( http://yp.peercast.org )The main Peercast client must be installed to broadcast using this P2P network.FreeCastFreeCast is a Java P2P broadcast application. Users must install the Java Runtime Environment, which is available for the Windows, Unix and Mac operating systems. It is compatible with the Icecast streaming protocol.The software has a internal audio and video player applet that can play both the Ogg Vorbis open source audio codec, and the Theora open source video codec. It can also be configured to use the Java Web Start feature for automatically loading and launching. This enables a "one click" approach for web based end users.Each broadcaster has the option of including a digital signature to enable media broadcast authentication. This will prevent their broadcasts from being hijacked and replaced with alternative material.FreeCast uses a hierarchal method of media broadcast distribution. Each broadcaster acts as a central node with listeners / viewers receiving data from them and relaying to other listeners / viewers.Icecast and JRoar media streaming server software can be used with FreeCast. In addition, Ezstream can be used with both JRoar and Icecast to source both Ogg Vorbis and Theora files. This software is a command line utility and is available for Windows and Unix operating systems.FreeCast is continuing software development that will allow its deployment across networks that interact with network routers that utilize Network Address Translation (NAT). Port forwarding is currently required to accommodate NAT routers.A real time station directory is currently not available or supported.

Why You Should Opt for Dedicated Servers for Hosting Your Website

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur who wishes to have a business website hosted online 24/7? Then you should definitely look for a dedicated server on which you can host it. Apart from receiving solutions to tech support queries on a priority basis, dedicated server hosting packages also come with a lot of bells and whistles that make the overall package a lot more cost effective in the long run.
Here are some of the benefits that you will receive by opting for a dedicated server hosting package:
Trouble free server setup: If you have opted for dedicated server hosting, then you can expect a skilled and experienced server administrator to take care of the entire setup process. Usually, all you will have to do is to log on to the admin panel and start uploading website content. Everything, including preparing the storage disks, installing security software (firewall, antivirus), maintaining databases, and backing up website data are taken care of by the server administrator.
Enhanced data security: You cannot expect to run a business website smoothly without having state of the art data security on the server. This is where opting for dedicated server hosting packages can help you. The server administrator will not only install branded security software, but will also keep those updated to the latest versions, thereby ensuring rock solid security to your business data and website content.
High speed internet connection: Dedicated servers are always equipped with the best internet connections that the host has leased from major ISPs. Also, no caps are placed on the bandwidth allocated to websites hosted on these servers. So, even if 500 or more visitors are checking out your website simultaneously, expect all of them to enjoy the same lightning fast access to your website.
Scope of future expansion: As time progresses, your website will certainly expand in terms of number of pages and volume of content as a result. If you are on a dedicated server hosting plan, ordering an expansion is just the matter of making a phone call. Your server space will be increased as per requirement right away, and the cost will be added to the next bill. It is really that simple.
There are so many dedicated server hosting service providers out there that zeroing in on one of them can be quite difficult. However, you are really strapped for time, you can check out the plans offered at 24shells.net. Their cost effective service packages and excellent technical support are good enough reasons for opting for their services on any given day.

Fast and Reliable VPS Hosting

VPS hosting
We all are familiar with, or have heard about the concept of server partitioning in mainframe computers. However, owing to the development of virtualization software and technologies, this concept has undergone a tremendous transformation. It is now possible to make virtual partitions of a web hosting server. For instance, storage space in a dedicated server can be divided among individual website owners and resellers, who would have complete ownership and access to the root of their share in the server. Each of them can independently control their dedicated part of the server. Most website hosting companies now offer Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting; also called Virtual Dedicated Server hosting.VPS Hosting: Virtual Private Server
The process of splitting a server is called virtual private server. This is performed in a manner that each server is able to run its own operating system and can be rebooted without affecting other partitions of the same server. To sum up, all these server partitions run within a server and work as dedicated servers on sharing basis. This sharing of resources brings down costs drastically. Each partitioned server is as secure, flexible and reliable as a dedicated server is.Multi-Tenancy
VPS hosting enables resellers to enjoy multi-tenancy by allocating different resources to their clients. For instance, after obtaining virtual private hosting, resellers can completely control resources. They can allocate various services to their clients, such as web space and e-mail accounts. Through multi-tenancy, VPS allows resellers to host many clients on a single server. CPU resources can be virtualized for them to appear as stand-alone dedicated servers to customers. Administrators can efficiently control the customer resources levels through automated control panel management.Benefits
Here are some benefits of VPS hosting:1. Cutting-edge server share technology
2. Large memory
3. Full customization
4. High-end processors
5. CPU lag time is zero between command and execution
6. Varity of Operating Systems
7. Power control panels, such as cPanel and Directadmin
8. Easy and quick setup
9. Instant Activation
10. Complete privacy and securityUt is an ideal option for those who prefer virtualization, multi-tenancy, clustering and resource management. It lets you enjoy the best of both, shared hosting and dedicated hosting.As a customer centric company, 24shells is an experienced VPS hosting provider with secure, reliable and fast servers. The company also allows you to choose from the various Linux panels.

Independent Video in the Information Age

One of the primary obstacles for video content distribution over the Internet is the cost of specialized software required to encode video. Video encoding consists of converting video content into compressed digital data that can be easily distributed electronically.There are several software development companies that sell closed source software for video encoding and content distribution. The cost and available features of the different software packages vary. Some software companies require additional royalty payments for use of their encoding software.Thanks to the efforts of several software developers, there is free software that does not require royalty payments. This software can be used for both commercial and non commercial projects.NullSoftJustin Frankel, the creator of the Winamp media software player, also developed NullSoft video. This format was specifically designed for distributing video media through the Internet and is based on the Shoutcast Internet protocol.Both open source and closed source video codecs are supported by NullSoft. Codecs are software programs that allow media to be digitally encoded or decoded using a specific compression architecture. These video codecs include the VP3 open source and the VP6.1 / VP6.2 closed source. The MP3 and AAC audio codecs are supported as well. The VP3 video and MP3 audio codecs are included with the NullSoft tools download.A free set of tools for encoding and streaming video through the Internet using NullSoft was also created. You can download the NullSoft video tools package direct from the NullSoft web site.NullSoft content can be streamed through the Internet with the following free media server software:- Shoutcast DNAS
- Icecast
- Steamcastscvi.net is the unofficial information resource website for NullSoft video. You can find many tutorials, guides and third party software tools to download here.There are several media software players that can view the NullSoft format.These include:- Winamp
- Video Lan Client
- Mplayer
- Xine
- X boxTheora VideoThe Theora project is being developed as a complete open source video solution. The group behind this project is ( http://www.xiph.org.) This format uses the Theora video codec and the Ogg Vorbis audio codec.The Theora project uses the Theora video codec which is based upon the VP3 codec developed by ON2. The Theora codec offers core architectural improvements to provide better video encoding and playback performance.Both live and pre recorded multimedia can be distributed via the Internet using Theora.Theora content can be streamed through the Internet with the following free media server software:- Icecast
- JRoar
- Flumotion
- SteamcastThere are several media software applications that can play the Theora format.These include:- Video Lan Client
- Mplayer
- Xine
- Xbox Media Center
- Real (Player) AlternativeTheora can also be deployed with Java components for web site use. This will allow people to watch Theora multiemdia without the need for installing additional player software.Tim Gnatek of the New York Times wrote a article entitled "Internet TV: Don't Touch That Mouse!".This article highlights some of the problems associated with content delivery via the Internet. These problems include how independent broadcasters will be able to "keep up with viewer demand, given the cost of the servers and Internet connections required" in addition to "How do you get it (video content) from your garage to the Web?''These barriers on the information superhighway are being removed by Internet video stations using alternative media distribution methods.Some of these alternative methods include:P2P video streamingP2P streaming does not require a centralized server architecture for content distribution. Each client that views the video content automatically relays it to the next person requesting access to the video. This greatly reduces the need for large amounts of bandwidth for content delivery.Unlike P2P file trading, P2P streaming can be used to broadcast live multiemdia content using several encoding formats and is supported on various computer operating systems.Video podcastingVideo podcasting allows people to publish content via a web host with no specialized server software. A specialized data client using Really Simple Syndication provides users access to the most current video content. The multiemdia content can be downloaded on a computer or hand held media device for viewing at a later time.You can use both NullSoft and Theora for multimedia podcasting.

The Best Free Apps For the iPod Touch - 2010

The iPod touch and the iPhone are must have gadgets, but they come at a price. The high price tag on these Apple devices is definitely worth paying but do you really want to be splashing out on apps after you just forked out a fortune? Not really. But not to worry: there are thousands of free apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, from social media apps to games and from radio to virtual instruments the choice is just huge.Below are a few of my recommendations:It seems like the whole world is on Facebook now so the Facebook app is an essential free app for your iPod touch or iPhone which lets you keep up to date with your friends whilst on the move. Another app which is excellent for chatting with your mates is the free AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) who needs SMS when you can use free instant chat? Or why not install the free Skype app and make calls to other Skype users for free? It doesn't matter whether they have Skype on their iPod touch, iPhone or laptop.For the bloggers out there is the WordPress app. As long as you have a WordPress account or use WordPress 2.7 or higher software on your self-hosted blog site this app will allow you to create and edit blog posts and moderate your comments.As the original purpose for the iPod was as a music player it is only fitting that there are thousands of music related apps. SHOUTcast is a website that allows literally anybody to create their own radio station, there are currently over 32,000 stations from both professional broadcasters and total amateurs and with the SHOUTcast app you can listen to any these stations straight from your iPod or iPhone.For a more personalised choice you could get the Pandora Radio app which will create a playlist especially for you from the artists and genres you provide it with. Another free radio choice is the AOL radio which offers over 200 radio stations spanning over 25 genres.Movies goers have an impressive range of apps to make buying cinema tickets as easy as putting your hand in your pocket. Apps such as Now Playing and Fandango Movies enable you to search for your local theatre and showing times and book your tickets. This function is also available with the IMDB app but it also has a lot more to offer as it's the biggest online movie database, you can use this app to find out anything about more or less any film!Some of the most popular app downloads are games and there are hundreds of highly addictive free ones. 'Tap Tap Revenge' is the hyper addictive super popular game where you have to tap along in time to the rhythm of your favourite songs in order to gain points. Another top free game is 'Lightsaber Unleashed' as the name suggests this game turns your iPod or iPhone into a Lightsaber: I don't think I need say more!

Turn Your Roku Into the Ultimate Streaming Radio!

We all know the Roku is great from streaming our favorite TV shows and movies, but few people know that it also makes a great internet radio. With the addition of just a few channels from the Roku channel store, you can stream literally thousands of radio stations from around the world on your TV or your audio system. I have my Roku plugged into my surround sound system and the audio quality is superb! Here are our favorite Roku channels that let you tune in the world.Tune-In
This channel comes from RadioTime.com, a website that provides links to thousands of radio stations around the world streaming on the internet. Radio Time is especially good if you missed your favorite talk radio show on your local station and you long to listen to it. Just look it up on Radio Time and more than likely, it's on another station playing somewhere else in a different time slot. If it's streaming on the net, Radio Time has it!Shoutcast
This popular streaming audio website now has a Roku channel! You'll never know what you'll find here. Unlike Tune-In which limits itself to real terrestrial radio stations, Shoutcast gives anyone with a computer and microphone the ability to broadcast anything they want over the internet. Thus, you'll find some gems, along with some real stinkers on this channel. But, that's what makes it so fun!Radio Paradise
A fairly new channel on the Roku scene, Radio Paradise is a single station that prides itself on "music being picked by a real human being". It's a single station with an eclectic selection of music, plus as an added bonus, beautiful HD scenery photos are displayed on your TV while the music is playing. As I'm writing this article, RP is playing Sara Swenson's "Passing Cars, Passing Time". As the song is playing, HD photos of various classic cars are being displayed on my HDTV. Pretty cool! I've only been listening to the channel for a few days as of this writing. So far, I'm very impressed!Baeble Music
Another fairly new channel is the Baeble Music Channel. Baeble features thousands of concerts, music videos and interviews of indie artists from around the world. Video quality is excellent! If you're an indie music fan, this channel is for you.Pandora
This channel based on the popular website doesn't necessarily stream terrestrial radio stations from around the world. Instead you choose a music format, song title or artist that you want to hear. If that song is available on Pandora, you will hear not only the song, but Pandora's recommendation on what it thinks you may like based on your previous choices. You can setup different channels with different music genres, artists, etc.Most Roku users who purchased their device never intended it to be a radio. However, if you add these channels to your lineup, I believe you'll never go back to listening to your old AM/FM radio that's in your house. I haven't! Now if I can just find a way to install the Roku in my car so I don't have to listen to the same old local stations...hmm...

Common Protocols Used For Multimedia Streaming

Multimedia broadcasting on the Internet requires the use of specialized protocols to overcome the inconsistencies of data transfers. Delivery of the content requires the data to be received at specific times and in the proper sequential order to ensure a quality viewing / listening experience. Multimedia received late or out of order causes the stream to drop off or stutter.Multimedia can be streamed or broadcast via the Internet using one of several protocols that can provide a quality Internet broadcast. The criteria for selecting the most suitable one is based on the type of software used for encoding and delivery of the multimedia content.The following protocols are the most commonly used for multimedia streaming :Shoutcast was developed by Justin Frankel and is a modification of HTTP, which is used to distribute web page data over the Internet. Shoutcast uses special meta tag data that is placed within HTTP communications headers. TCP is used to transport the data.Icecast was developed by the Xiph open media organization and is a modification of HTTP, which is used to distribute web page data over the Internet. Icecast is similar to Shoutcast and uses special meta tag data that is placed within HTTP communications headers. TCP is used to transport the data.HTTP ( Hyper Text Transport Protocol ) was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force and provides a definitive architecture for data communications between a client and server. TCP is used to transport the data.RTSP ( Real Time Streaming Protocol ) was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force and functions similarly to HTTP. RTSP differs from regular HTTP content delivery by requiring a permanent data connection between clients that are exchanging data. RTSP uses a message ID to monitor each data connection between clients, so that no permanent TCP connection is required. RTSP also allows users to control the basic functions of a media server; such as starting, pausing or stopping the delivery of the content. TCP is used to transport the data.RTP ( Real Time Transport Protocol ) was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force. RTP provides identification and sequential ordering of data bits as well as monitoring the delivery of multimedia content. RTP is less susceptible to the loss of data being sent via computer networks, but it is very sensitive to data delay that can be caused by network irregularities. RTP does not provide the ability to guarantee content delivery. UDP is used to transport the data.Real Data Transport (RDT) was developed by RealNetworks as a proprietary alternative to RTP. RDT is commonly used in conjunction with a control protocol such as RTSP. UDP is used to transport the data.MMSH ( Microsoft Media Server ) was developed by Microsoft as a proprietary protocol that was used with the Windows Media Server. MMSH was replaced by RTSP, but is still used as a fall back alternative. Either TCP or UDP can be used to transport the multimedia data.These are the data protocols that are used to deliver the packets of information over the Internet.TCP ( Transport Control Protocol ) was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and is one of the primary methods for controlling data exchange over computer networks. TCP guarantees the reliability and order of data by requiring acknowledgment for receiving data from clients before more is sent. The use of TCP will result in a large communications overhead.UDP ( User Datagram Protocol ) was developed by David Reed and is one of the primary methods for controlling data exchange over computer networks. UDP does not require the verification of data, which does not provide guaranteed delivery of the data or proper ordering of the data. This greatly reduces overall communications overhead. It provides a greater data delivery speed and is much more efficient.Without the use of specialized protocols for multimedia content delivery, video and audio distribution would be very complicated and costly. The quality of the streamed content would be marginal and not well suited for continuous multimedia distribution.

Broadcasting Your TV Over the Internet - A Way to Reach the Public

One of the most important events in the history of mankind was definitely the invention of the Television. It is probably responsible for the extent of the globalization that we enjoy today. The invention of the Television created a popular pastime for all Americans and for all humans in the world. Due to TV, we can see news events happening live on out screen and we can watch any popular shows, music clips and movies that we like on any one of the thousands of available TV channels in the world. The days where we had to wait for the TV set to warm up so that we can watch couple of hours of black and white entertainment has long passed. Now with the availability of high definition and LCD, we can watch events with a high resolution and with the advent of satellite we can watch any event unfolding in the world live. However, perhaps the biggest event that is significant is the availability to watch TV online through the Internet.With the availability of higher Internet speeds and with the use of Shoutcast Server Technology, it is now possible to watch any station or listen to any Radio Station "Live" with the Internet. Many stations around the world have used the Shoutcast technology to video stream their Broadcast content over the Internet. With the higher connection speeds in the world today due to ADSL, we can watch these video streams easily without any significant delay or scrambling. In fact watching Internet has become quite popular today, even at the workplaces. Even though your boss may not like it much, you can watch your favorite show or watch the news Live, by watching your popular station over the Internet. In instances where it is not allowed to watch TV in the workplace, then it's always possible to listen to your favorite Radio Station over the Internet.However, this technology is not just limited to the stations and Radio stations across the world. Now using this technology, you can always make your own shows or Radio shows and then you can broadcast it across the Internet easily with the usage of the Shoutcast Video Streaming Technology. Of course, a novice user perhaps can't do this, but a expert user will be easily able to do this without any problems. You can make your home made shows by using a camera and some special video editing software and then you are set to go. Then you can easily put your logo on top of the screen and you have your own station. This is also perfect for small companies and organizations, so that they can broadcast their views and products easily embroidered as a program. No one will just watch an advertisement, but everyone will be interested in watching a special channel. It is also perfect for fan clubs and societies as they can make and broadcast their own shows through the Internet. Thus take advantage of this wonderful technology today and create your own show and broadcast it over the Internet.

How Does Video Streaming Work?

Since the advent of the internet, doing many interactive things including video streaming has become possible. The power of dynamic internet allows a person to transmit both audio as well as video at very high speeds; so that things like video streaming and teleconferencing become possible. In essence, video streaming is nothing more than taking a video and audio signal at the source and transmitting across the internet. This allows you to send any interactive video stream to any website that can receive dynamic data. The website that is displaying the video stream must have a special script that can show your video and audio stream.You can easily create video streaming with nothing more than a simple microphone and a webcam or you can use more advanced equipment to generate the required signal. In addition, you will need some sort of an encoder software that will help you to transform the signal into a continuous stream. In order to achieve this, the streaming data have to be broken into packets and each packet needs to be checked at the moment of streaming in order to make sure that the data integrity is maintained. If there is an encoding problem, this can cause the loss of the coherence of the visual data, which can cause problems at the reception end as well. Otherwise visual frames as well as audio packets will be dropped during transmission and this can make the broadcast lose its overall coherency. Usually, the signal integrity can depend on your internet connection speed, as well as the quality of the line itself. Your internet connection should be good enough so that the data packets are also being forwarded to your ISP with minimal loss. In addition, your connection should have an overall stability for extended periods of time since internet broadcasting o streaming will usually take place for some time. An unstable connection can cause lot of dropped frames in your video stream.The most popular type of encoding in video streaming is flash streaming. The greatest advantage of flash streaming is that it can be played back in any kind of a browser. You can easily use Internet Explorer, Firefox Mozilla, Google Chrome or even Opera to play back any flash streaming regardless of the computer or the operating system that is being used. Hence, whether the user is using an Apple computer or a classic PC won't matter and even using Windows or Linux will not make a difference in playing back the stream. However, the main problem with flash streaming is the fact that it will use a larger amount of bandwidth and this can make it an issue in terms of bandwidth availability.The second type of encoding mechanism that you can use is Shoutcast streaming. In fact, shoutcast streaming is a very popular streaming method that has been in use for over a decade. It is especially used for audio streaming and for internet radio stations, since it is an inexpensive and easy way of streaming. The shoutcast streaming encoder actually uses a sort of MP3 encoder that is Winamp compatible, so that it can be played back in variety of different platforms including Winamp player as well as VLC player. Especially, many online radio stations have popped up after the usage of Shoutcast streaming. However, the main disadvantage of Shoutcast streaming is the fact that especially video signals can be hard to playback in different type of browsers. Thus, you may end up using different scripts for different browsers and this may not be necessarily sensible for a website that displays video streaming. However, for audio streaming Shoutcast still remains the best option.Almost all of the encoders for video streaming as well as audio streaming can be found for free on the internet. However, you will need to use some sort of a data service provider to provide a server for your streams. These encoders will send the video stream or the audio stream to the streaming server and the streaming server will send the signal to the whole of the internet. Of course, anytime that someone watches your video stream, then it will use that much of bandwidth from the server itself. For example, if you are streaming at 128 kps, then this will mean that the person who is watching your video stream will also be using a 128 kps of the bandwidth. So, if you have many people watching your video stream, then this can cause a lot of bandwidth to be used immediately by the server. In fact, with a simple calculation, if 50 users watch your video stream or your internet video broadcast continuously for a month; it can use as much as 50 GB of bandwidth from your server and from your service provider. Hence, this can cause large bills from your service provider.Thus, it is essential that you choose a service provider that is able to give you affordable rates for the amount of listeners that you will have on your stream. In addition, some stream bandwidth providers will give you a fixed amount of bandwidth and they will charge you only for that, while some stream bandwidth providers can give provide you with a pay as you go system. In order to choose the correct stream service provider, you will need to have some idea of how many people will watch your stream or broadcast. Of course, needless to say, your service provider should also make sure that they provide continuous support for your video streaming broadcast. Furthermore, script support should also be provided, so that you can embed a compatible script on your website. This way, you can make sure that your video stream can reach as large number of people as possible. In the end, you can do a lot of interesting activities with video streaming and you can even start your own internet TV station or your own online radio. So, start looking at your options and start your personal internet broadcasting today.

How to Start an Online Radio Station in Less Than an Hour

It seems like ancient history now, but two decades ago when the internet was taking shape there was a lot of talk about what it would offer, and how it would become an indispensable tool. With the benefit of hindsight we can now see what those early proponents were talking about, but we can also see where popular use has had a more important impact.In some ways the internet has in fact become that "indispensable tool" we heard so much about. It has also become a mass meeting place, a place to escape and live in a pretend world, a place to play games and the medium for availability and discussion about information on any and all topics.As a 30+ year media veteran I cannot help but notice that the internet has also offered a voice to "common folks" previously available to large media houses. Online newsletters on a myriad of specialist subjects now reach thousands of subscribers all over the world. Similarly broadcast media have now been opened up. Rather than the huge capital outlay for equipment and staff that used to be needed to start a radio station, indeed if you could even get a license, anyone with a computer and the few dollars necessary to monthly streaming costs can now broadcast globally.Since the early days when crude automation systems were first introduced into broadcasting, there have been steady and remarkable improvements in the technology. Today relatively sophisticated software is readily available for free that does things those early systems could never dream of doing.If you have ever thought about dipping your toe into the world of broadcasting then now is the time to do it, and the internet gives you not only all the tools you need but a platform to broadcast on that would have been the envy of any radio station not that many years ago.Here's what you will need:

An account with a stream host. I use a company called Strem101 because they're cheap, but there are all kinds of them available and you can choose one that looks good to you.


A collection of music "ripped" (converted) to mp3 files.


A current copy of Winamp.


A copy of the Shoutcast DSP plugin for Winamp.

How to do it

Arrange a stream hosting account.


Put all your mp3 song files in a folder.


Download and install Winamp.


Download install the Shoutcast DSP for Winamp.


Open Winamp Preferences and click on DSP/Effects


Choose the Shoutcat DSP.


Enter the stream host settings in the Shoutcast DSP plugin.


Use the Winamp to select your folder of music and start it.

There are a few setting that you'll need to tweak, but there are Readme files to help you through that. You'll also likely want to set the Winamp preferences to Repeat playing once it has played all the songs in your folder, and select Shuffle to have Winamp automatically shuffle the songs and not just play them in order.While this method works remarkably well, it is far from the level of sophistication that is available by using a free radio automation system like Zara Radio. These give you the capability to produce and execute a broadcast-style format that can sound as good as any AM or FM radio station.I wish you luck! Clearly the internet has proven that no matter what your musical taste or style is, there will be someone out there who will at least give your online radio station a try.

Live Soccer Radio - Get in on the Action

It is not very difficult to have your own radio on the internet in order to listen to your favorite soccer game. Firstly, you have to download Null Soft Winamp. It is the main tool which can help you broadcast on the internet or which helps you connect to an already existing server.The programs used must have a configuration adapted to broadcast needs. Therefore, before broadcasting, several settings are necessary. You must enter the folder where the SHOUTcast server is installed and you must open the application sc_serv.exe. Out of the existing options in the upper toolbar, you have to choose Edit Config. In this window you must look for a line with the text Password= . When you have found this line, change what it is written after the sign equal with the password you want for your server. You have to restart this application in order to enjoy the changes. Select OK in the dialogue box and in the window sc_serv.exe choose Kill Server. Open again the application sc_serv.exe and let it run.Now you can set WinAmp-ul in order to broadcast. Open WinAmp and hit Ctrl + P to open the Preferences window. Select from the existent options DSP/Effects. In the list on the right select Nullsoft SHOUTcast Source DSP then press the button Configure active plug-in. Tick the option Make this server public.In Description case write the name of your radio. Tick the option Enable Title UpDates.
Press the Connect button. Now you can broadcast online and other users can as well be connected to your station in order to listen to soccer online.

How To Make Your Own Radio Station

Following the steps below you too can create your own station on the net :A. Downloading the main softs1. The first thing you have to do is to download Nullsoft's audio player, Winamp. In order to broadcast you must have Winamp installed, it's the main tool, without it you cannot do anything.2. The second thing is to download SHOUTcast server3. Last but not least, download the SHOUTcast plug-in.B. ConfigurationBefore broadcasting you have to do some settings:Enter the folder where you've installed SHOUTcast server and open sc_serv.exe. Double click on it. A window will appear on your screen. In the toolbar select the Edit Config tab.It will appear a text document. In this document try to find the line with the following particle: Password=Change the password after the "=" sign with any password you want.S ave all the modifications brought to the document by choosing from toolbar File - Save.Now you're again in the sc_serv.exe window. You are anounced that restart the application that changes to take effect ( press OK and from the sc_serv.exe window choose kill Server.Open again the sc_serv.exe appilcation and let it to run in the background.Now it's time to configure Winamp in order to broadcast on the net...First of all open Winamp ( go to Options - Preferences). The preferences window will appear. Select from the down, left side the DSP/effects category, then select Nullsoft SHOUTcast Source DSP,after which press the Configure active plug-in button. In the window that will appear select the Encoder option and make the following changes:1. In the encoders list choose Encoder2.2. At Encoder Type choose Mp3 Encoder.3. At Encoder Settings choose your connection type.4. Now click Output and choose from that list Output2.5. Click on the Connection button and at Password put the password that you've putted in the text document earlier.6. At the Encoder option choose 2.7. Now click on the Yellowpages button and mark the Make this server public option.8. At Description put the name of your desired radio station (ex. Total ICE FM).,then mark the Enable TitleUpdates option.9. Press the CONNECT button. From this very moment you are broadcasting on the net.Have fun!IMPORTANT:If somebody wants to connect to your station you must know your IP Address (for example: [http://123.123.123.123:8000] and that person must open Winamp - Add - Add URL - OK.The general form is: http:// your IP Address:8000

How to Stream Your Music Into Second Life - Six Software Source Clients Compared

Were you aware that your music can be streamed into Second Life using the same technology as internet radio? Bringing your music to this new audience requires a Shoutcast source client, which sends your music to a streaming server, which subsequently rebroadcasts your music to all the listeners in Second Life.This article lists the leading choices in Shoutcast/Icecast source clients. This source client is the piece of software that runs on your computer, connecting the music you play with the streaming server.What it doesThe Shoutcast/Icecast streaming source client takes audio input from a program or hardware device, encodes it into a media stream, and sends the media stream on to a streaming server. Each step of this process requires configuration, and each program differs in the specifics of where you may find these settings. However, the settings themselves are fairly universal.Music sourceThe input to the source client may come from a media player such as iTunes, Winamp, or Windows Media Player, or it may also come from a hardware device connected to your computer -- such as a mixer connected to a sound card or even an integrated laptop microphone. Your chosen source client will present a list of possible inputs from which you can choose to broadcast.EncodingSome source clients may be able to encode into multiple media formats. However, for compatibility with Second Life, you will need to use mp3. The Second Life viewer on your listeners' end does not support WMA, AAC, Ogg, or other formats. Further, you will find that if you try to use the most pristine mp3 encoding settings, your listeners will experience skips in the stream. It is best not to use anything higher than 44.1 kHz, 64 kbps, stereo. You should be able to find these settings grouped together.Specifying the stream serverLastly, you will need to specify the Shoutcast/Icecast streaming server to which the source client will connect. This will be in the form of a URL or an IP Address, a Port number, and a Password. Some streaming clients allow you to build a 'library' of servers, each with their own URL, port, and password. This is handy if you regularly perform at a number of venues. Each venue will have its own server. This allows you to, once configured, merely select a given venue's server from a list, and have all the values set at once. If your source client does not have this feature, you will need to manually enter this data every time for each venue.CriteriaFor each listed software streaming client, I list the price, where you can obtain it, what platform it runs upon, and other attributes. After reading this article, you should be ready to choose a streaming source client that meets your needs.Before I list the choices, I will first define what the various attributes mean.Operating System (OS) - This tells you what operating system the streaming source client is compatible with. There are choices for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and other UNIX-like OSs.Plugin vs. Standalone - Some Shoutcast/Icecast source clients are 'plugins', which operate inside of other programs. An example is the Shoutcast DSP Plugin, which installs 'into' Winamp as a host. Other source clients run in their own window, providing all needed functionality themselves.Record functionality - Some source clients will also record (or 'archive') your stream. The stream is not only sent on to the streaming server, but it also is written to your computer's disk as an mp3 file. This allows you to play back your stream at a later date.Presenting the candidatesbutt (broadcast using this tool)
Free
Linux, MacOS and Windows.
Open source project hosted on Sourceforge
Standalone
Streaming and recording simultaneously with different bitratesThis relative newcomer provides all the functionality that you would need or want. The fact that it is free, and runs on almost any computer, makes it a great choice.Winamp with Shoutcast DSP Plugin
Free
Windows, Mac OS, Linux, other UNIX
Winamp makes Winamp Standard
Shoutcast makes the Shoutcast DSP Plugin
Host media player and Plugin
No built in recording functionalityThis solution has been the mainstay in the Windows arena, mostly due to its price.Nicecast
$40 (free demo)
Mac OS
Rogueamoeba is the company behind Nicecast
Standalone
Archive functionFor years, this has been the standard in the Mac arena. Full featured.Simplecast
$139
Windows
Spacialaudio produces simplecast
Standalone
No built in recording functionalityThis selection comes from a company with a full line of professional internet radio tools.Reaper with Shoutcast plugin
$60 (free demo)
Windows
Cockos makes Reaper
Landoleet is where you can get the reaper_shoutcast.dll plugin (this is NOT the same as the Shoutcast DSP Plugin for Winamp)
Host DAW and Plugin
Full multitrack recording capabilityReaper is a full-functioned DAW, from a company founded by the guy who first invented Shoutcast technology. Extremely powerful, with complexity to match.EdCast
Free
Windows
Oddsock makes edcast
Available either standalone, or as a plugin for Winamp or Foobar2000.
Recorder not built in.Both EdCast and its precursor Oddcast are from the same developer, along with a number of other useful music tools (including a stream recorder).The envelope, pleaseIf you are just getting started in streaming your music into Second Life, I recommend that you start with butt. Silly name, I know. However, it is free, does everything you want it to do, and runs the same way on any computer you're likely to have. Plus, it is an open source program, meaning that its future is pretty much assured.Any of the other choices would be fine as well. They all work pretty much hiccup-free. If your needs are unique, there may be some reason to prefer another over butt.Myself, I use Reaper with the Shoutcast plugin. Reaper is a full-featured music production DAW like Pro Tools, Logic, Sonar, etc. In fact, it was my DAW before I started streaming into Second Life. The fact that Reaper is from the guy the guy that invented internet radio (as well as Winamp, Gnutella, and other modern necessities) holds strong sway with me.Get going!You really can't go wrong with any of the above. Just grab one, grab the free Second Life viewer, create a free Second Life account, log on, and start performing for the eager Second Life audiences!I hope you join us in this journey to a strange and wonderful new world. In the meantime, you may wish to do some early exploring on your own - it is free to get started! Just click the link below:

Features to Look in for SHOUTcast Hosting Service

If you want to run your won radio station on the Internet, if you want to stream music in the Internet or if you want to host a talk show for sharing your opinion, there is only one solution at hand and that is taking the help of SHOUTcast hosting service. But before you go for the SHOUTcast hosting service you should check out the following features.Trial basis service: You would find that all the reliable SHOUTcast hosting providers would offer you service on a trial basis for a few days and for that you need to pay only a small one time charge. If you get this service then you would be able to test the hosting service and find out whether it suits your needs or not. Also you can check the connection speed and see if it is perfect for the smooth running of the radio or the streaming of the audio. If you find that there are constant problems in the streaming then that is a sign of poor connectivity and you should not go for that service unless it can be easily fixed by the tech support team.Support for both FTP and SSH protocols: You should always find out beforehand whether the SHOUTcast hosting service that you have chosen provide support for both the two protocols that are used for uploading the files on the server. That is they should support both FTP as well as SSH protocols. If such support is available then you can switch the protocols if you are getting better connection speed on the other while you are uploading the files on the server.Dedicated server option: Always find out whether the SHOUTcast hosting provider provides dedicated server option to you or not. If it provides then opt for that option since here you would get the help of tech support engineer who would be helping you out in any problem. Also you should take notice of the service quality provided to you during the trial phase. See if you are getting personalized services and then you should opt for the hosting service.

Shoutcast Hosting - How it Destroyed Tiger Woods' Career

Are you a budding DJ who loves sharing his homegrown play-lists with everyone? Or are you a singer eager to share his music with netizens across the world? Whatever is your purpose, if you want your voice to be heard by millions, your best bet is to opt for a Shoutcast Hosting Service. Even just a couple of weeks back, users of Shoutcast sent out news of Tiger Woods' scandal and that of his career coming to a temporary halt to millions of listeners worldwide. Can you imagine the benefits of such a service? The possibilities are endless.A Shoutcast Hosting Service will provide you with some storage space on a dedicated Shoutcast server, where you can upload the audio files you wish to share via FTP client software. The files have to be in MP3 or HE-AAC file formats. The bit-rate at which the file was encoded is not a problem, though. Once those files are uploaded, you can configure the settings to stream those files for specific time periods. Any user connected to the internet is able to listen to these audio streams with the help of Real Media Player, Musicmatch Jukebox, Windows Media Player, Apple QuickTime Player, WinAmp, or other similar software programs.Shoutcast hosting services are available with various service plans. Service providers offer plans to keep your Shoutcast server online throughout the day, so that users listening in at any point of time can access your audio stream. Alternately, you can opt for plans that keep your server online only for a specific time period each day. You can set the time interval, and the provider will stream the music during that time period only. Obviously, the fees are less in amount if you opt for short term audio streaming services.Most Shoutcast Hosting Service providers will give you access to a user-friendly configuration interface, through which you can customize the broadcast settings to suit your requirements. The interfaces are usually very easy to understand, even for users who have little technical knowledge. You can customize the hours when you wish the broadcasting to commence, the duration for which the broadcast will take place, and the audio files that will be streamed. The service providers can also configure the settings for you, in case you are not confident about doing it yourself.Shoutcast is not just about audio streaming any longer. Many service providers now include the choice of streaming video files in their service plans. You can stream Shoutcast Videos or NSV-Videos, just like audio files, to people tuning in from across the globe.If you want excellent Shoutcast Hosting services, opt for a reliable service provider with good reputation. 24Shells.net is one of the best providers out there, with state-of-the-art service at reasonable fees. Get in touch with them, and make the world dance to your tunes.

How To Choose Shoutcast Hosting Solutions

If you love music and have been dreaming of setting up your own music station, then, Shoutcast hosting is for you.In this day and age where everyone is going online for every need, listening to the radio online is the latest trend. Online radio stations broadcast a number of programs on a wide range of subjects, including politics, religions and sports, besides music of course.Fortunately, you do not have to be at the receiving end of all the fun. The Shoutcast software allows users to set up a streaming radio station that others may listen to using any media player. This is what Shoutcast hosting does for you.But, Shoutcast hosting solutions are not all the same. Running the server is a challenging task. You need to get a grip on configurations. You also need to upload the kind of music you want to send out and then handle some more configurations before you are ready to go on air. So, when you are looking for Shoutcast hosting, you need to opt for a solutions provider with the following features:Support: The first thing that a rookie needs to know is that you need enough support from your hosting solutions provider. You will need help in the FTP and SSH protocol. You might also need some help with the Admin panel until you are ready to start working on your own.Dedicated Shoutcast hosting: If you plan to run your radio station for a long time, then, managed, dedicated hosting solution is best for you. With dedicated hosting solutions, you are guaranteed of constant availability, high band width and bundled maintenance plans.Trial: Before you choose any one Shoutcast hosting service over the others, ask for a trial service for a number of days. Then, you will be able to evaluate the quality of their service in the real life scenario. You can judge the stream quality. There should be no stutter because constant stuttering is the sign of poor quality of service. However, some hosts may not provide a free trial service. In that case, you need to find more about the hosts through testimonials and forums.A satisfying experience in streaming media needs the backing of a powerful server that has the experience of providing Shoutcast hosting solutions. Some of the added features you must look for include:1. Set up assistance for free2. A powerful web based control panel for Shoutcast hosting3. Management facilities for the Playlist4. Auto MJ facility5. Sufficient Bandwidth6. Easy FTP and SSH access7. Prompt client support services

Stream Media With SHOUTcast Hosting

Multimedia can be streamed or broadcast through the Internet using several protocols. These specialized protocols help in overcoming the inconsistencies of data transfers. In order to ensure quality viewing or listening experience the delivery of the content has to be specific and in the proper sequential manner. Therefore, for effective multimedia streaming SHOUTcast hosting is commonly used.SHOUTcast hosting is another type of web hosting service. It is primarily a server software, which is used for streaming media. This software is developed by Nullsoft. This server enables broadcasting to and from media player software of digital or audio content especially in MP3 or HE-AAC format. Internet radio networks are also created by this way by professionals or hobbyists.It is a cross-platform and freeware software. This means that the server software can be implemented and inter-operated on multiple computer platforms. Apart from that, it is also available for using at an optional fee or no cost.History and usage of the SHOUTcast server hostingThe server was first invented in the year 1999. This streaming protocol uses metadata tags and responses starting with 'ICY'. The acronym stands for "I Can Yell", which is the original name of the protocol. The domains of the protocol were registered before Nullsoft, the developer of the software. Nullsoft changed the protocol's name to SHOUTcast. However, the prefix 'ICY' still persists in the protocol spec.The software is used to create or listen to Internet audio broadcasts. With the invention of such useful software it has become possible to set up an inexpensive Internet broadcasting station. This has also made possible for large radio network owners and hobbyists to set up their own broadcasting network at a less cost compared to the cost associated in setting up a traditional FM radio station or AM broadcasting station.How is it designed?SHOUTcast consists of a client-server model where each component communicates through a network protocol. This protocol intermingle the audio data with metadata like station name or song titles. The hyper text transport protocol (HTTP) is used as a transport protocol to distribute web page data over the Internet.The popularity of the software has grown remarkably over the years since its inception. If you are intent in setting up your personal radio station in future then this software is your ultimate choice. This server helps in creating small personal radio to big Internet radio station.

Shoutcast Hosting - Music 24x7

According to Edison Research, a well known firm in media research, more than 42 million users were tuned in to online radio stations in October 2009. This is more than double the 2005 figures. This surge has been attributed to the emergence of shoutcast hosting technology. Shoutcast hosting enables users and professionals to set up and run internet broadcasting services. With this technology, an individual can relay live streaming audio from his computer through the internet. This technology is a viable and cost-effective alternative to AM, FM, or community radio stations. Shoutcast Hosting: How it Works
Hosting on a shoutcast server is based on client-server architecture. The broadcaster's computer acts as the client, while a remote computer is the server. The usual inputs for shoutcast are MP3 and AAC+. You can use any MP3-compliant player, such as Winamp, iTunes, Real player, VLC player or XMMS, to listen to the live streaming.To broadcast through the shoutcast server, you have to install compatible players in the system and a shoutcast DSP plug-in. The plug-in allows connection to the server using a dedicated IP address. Now, you can create an audio file directory by uploading songs on the server. While broadcasting, the client computer can make a selection from the directory that is relayed through the server IP address. Through multiple channels, the client computer can broadcast on-demand streaming music for all users.Shoutcast Hosting: What to Look for
Ask your hosting provider whether they provide a trial service. This will allow you to check the streaming services and monitor service interruptions. Under ideal conditions, there should be no stutter when the music is playing. If you find any stuttering in the transmission and streaming, opt out immediately.Create multiple versions of your favored tracks in your hosting library, i.e., high-bit rate for faster, uninterrupted broadband connections, and low-bit rate for slow internet connections.Make sure you have support for both ftp and ssh protocols on your host. Having access to both will help you toggle between the two according to available bandwidth when uploading tracks to your server.Always opt for a managed,dedicated shoutcasting service. Why? Because you get the best maintenance plans and constant, uninterrupted availability of bandwidth. 24shells, the leader in the hosting industry, offers high quality shoutcast servers.

Shoutcast Hosting - What Features to Look For

Shoutcast is a great medium by which you can host your very own internet radio station and play your favorite tunes all day. Anyone in the world can tune in to your private station and listen to your tracks, provided they know the IP address of your server. If you want to share your awesome music collection with your buddies around the world, then a reliable Shoutcast hosting service would be just the thing to opt for.However, running a Shoutcast server is not an easy task. There are settings to be configured, music to be uploaded, and more configurations to be carried out, before you can hope to get your music out to the world. Even if you are opting for a dedicated Shoutcast hosting option, always make sure that you are checking for the following options to make your life easier:1. Check for trial services: Ask your host whether they offer trial service for a few days. This will allow you to test out their service in a real world scenario to feel how well they can stream your tracks. There should be no stutter when music is playing, under ideal conditions. A few hitches here and there can be forgiven, but constant stuttering is a sign of poor service. Opt out immediately. Keep in mind, however, that a host that does not provide free trial is not necessarily a bad host.2. Have both high and low bit-rate versions handy: Make two versions of each track in your hosting library, one with high bit rate for quality, and the second with low bit rate to ensure stutter free streaming on slower connections.3. Get support for both ssh and ftp protocol: Make sure you have support for both ftp and ssh protocols from your Shoutcast host. Having access to both will help you to switch between the two according to available bandwidth when uploading tracks to your server.4. Get dedicated hosting: If you are planning to go for long term hosting, always opt for managed, dedicated Shoutcast hosting plans. The bundled maintenance plans and constant availability of high bandwidth makes it worth the extra cost.5. Ensure you are getting good service: During the trial period, take note of the quality of service provided by the host. Make sure they treat you as an individual with problems, not just 'another client'. Opt out if you find that the service is not up to the mark. There are plenty of other Shoutcast hosting service providers out there.Check out a few good websites for excellent offers on Shoutcast hosting. 24shells.net would be a good option. Go through their host of offers, and you are sure to come across something that is simply perfect for you.

What You Should Look For In A SHOUTcast Hosting Service

SHOUTcast from Nullsoft is a great way of running your very own radio station on the internet. Are you an aspiring musician who wants to stream newly created music over the internet? Or do you simply wish to host your own talk show to share your opinion on popular matters with the rest of the world? Whatever be the reason, if you wish to have your radio station online 24/7 with little hassle, you should definitely opt for a reliable SHOUTcast hosting service.However, there are so many SHOUTcast hosting services out there that it can be a little overwhelming to shortlist one service provider from all those names. Here are some quick pointers that should help with that:Ask for service on a trial basisMost reliable SHOUTcast hosts offer services for a few days on a trial basis, asking for a small, one-time payable fee. This option will allow you to test out the service and find out whether there are any glitches in the system. Test out the service properly in this phase. Check the connection speed and ensure it is optimum for smooth streaming of audio. One or two momentary stutters at times can be attributed to unavoidable buffering delay, but constant hitches in audio are signs of poor connectivity. If this occurs, see if they can get it fixed by calling up their tech support. Otherwise, move on, since you will only be wasting your hard-earned cash here.Ensure that the host supports both FTP and SSH protocolsYou cannot always predict that the connection speed will remain constant when you are uploading files on the server. So, make sure that the SHOUTcast hosting service has support for both major protocols used in uploading files, i.e., SSH and FTP. That way, you will be able to switch protocols as per the connection speed, when you are uploading files to the SHOUTcast server.Ask about dedicated hosting optionsFind out whether the host offers dedicated SHOUTcast hosting. If they have it on offer, try to opt for this service. Opting for dedicated SHOUTcast hosting service will ensure that an experienced tech support engineer is always assigned to your radio station, fixing up any glitches before those can affect smooth transmission. Also, in case of a serious technical problem, your station will be fixed up on a priority basis, bringing it back online as quickly as possible.There are a number of good SHOUTcast hosting service providers out there. However, 24shells.net is an excellent option, thanks to their dedicated service personnel and excellent servers. Check out their website for their latest offers, and you are pretty likely to love what you see.

How Do I Send My Music to Listeners in Second Life? Shoutcast, Icecast, and Streaming Explained

DJs, karaoke track artists, singer/songwriters, and bands can all find a ready-made, world-wide, paying audience in Second Life. What all is involved in getting your music streamed into Second Life?Music in Second Life operates on a technology known as Shoutcast. Shoutcast, along with its open source compatible follow-on Icecast, is the same technology that underpins all of internet radio. When you stream your music into Second Life, you are essentially operating your own internet radio station!OverviewThere are several links in the chain between you creating your music and the listener hearing your music.
- you create your music on a computer
- a program known as a source client encodes your music for the server
- a Shoutcast/Icecast streaming server broadcasts the music to multiple Second Life viewers
- the listeners' Second Life viewer plays your music for their enjoyment
Let's look a little deeper at each stage of this process.Music CreationAgain the first step in the chain is that your music must be input to a computer. If you are DJing from WinAmp, iTunes or other music player, this is already taken care of by the music player program. If you are performing in real-time -- such as playing a guitar and singing -- you will need to input your performance into the computer's sound card through the use of a microphone and/or a mixer. Many computers have microphones built right into them that would be suitable, though you may notice an increase in sound quality with a more sophisticated microphone.Source ClientThe Source Client is the link between your computer and the internet. This is a program or utility that runs on your computer. It has essentially two responsibilities. It creates and maintains a connection to the Shoutcast/Icecast server, and it encodes your music into the data stream that the server needs. Source Clients are available both as standalone programs, and as plugins that operate with your Music Creation program.Shoutcast/Icecast streaming serverThe Shoutcast or Icecast streaming server is a 'virtual machine' that runs on a computer. While you can technically install the server on your own computer -- even the one you are using as the Music Creation computer -- it is generally inadvisable to do so. The reason for this is that the primary function of the Shoutcast/Icecast server is to take as an input the single stream from your Source Client, and redistribute it as any number of of streams -- one for each listener. Each additional listener consumes more bandwidth. A typical home internet connection can accommodate only a few such listeners before all the available or upload/download capacity is exhausted.As such, a Shoutcast/Icecast server is most typically rented -- as one would rent space on a web host. There are numerous companies that rent streaming servers for a few dollars per month. Further, most Second Life venues have already rented such servers. If you are slated to perform at a given venue, they will most often have you employ their existing streaming server.Second Life viewerThe last link in the chain is up to the Second Life viewer. Each parcel of land in Second Life is associated with a Music URL. When an avatar steps onto a given parcel, the Second Life sim sends the Second Life viewer this Music URL. This URL should be the location of your Shoutcast/Icecast streaming server. The Second Life viewer then sets up a connection to the streaming server. It accepts the stream of your music from the server, decodes it, and outputs it through the audio system of the computer upon which the Second Life viewer is running. In this manner, each listener is able to hear the music you are making. Your listeners may even be on the opposite side of the Earth!What do I need to get started?While all the pieces described above are needed to stream your music into Second Life, only a minimum set is required to get up and running. The absolute minimum is that you will need a Music Creation program and a Source Client. There are many options available in these categories, both free and commercial. They are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and other platforms.As mentioned above, there are many venues that supply Shoutcast/Icecast streaming servers for your use. I spent about a year as a Second Life musician before I decided to rent a stream of my own.The last item is the Second Life viewer. While you do not technically need this to stream into Second Life, you will want it anyhow. Otherwise, you will find it difficult to connect with venues and fans. There really isn't any downside, as it is free. Plus, Second Life is just a lot of fun!Is it for you?After reading the above, you may be eager to delve into Second Life as another marketplace for your musical endeavors. As you can see, the opportunities are nearly endless. Further, it costs nothing to try your hand at it -- plus, it's just a whole lot of fun. No matter what sort of musician you may be, there is another market waiting for you in Second Life.I hope you join us in this journey to a strange and wonderful new world.

SHOUTcast Hosting For Beginners

The purpose of SHOUTcast is simple. SHOUTcast hosting servers allow you to host an online radio station. To put it simply, SHOUTcast in itself is a free software developed by AOL that has the capability to take a single piece of audio and distribute it to a number of clients. Of course, this is putting it rather simplistically, but that explains the essence of SHOUTcast hosting.There are a number of advantages in using SHOUTcast:* It is widely used* Enjoys popular support* Low cost* A large number of radio station support SHOUTcastThese days, more and more people are interested in SHOUTcast servers. But, it must be remembered that running a server that does an awesome job of filling the world with music is not an easy job. Before you can beam out your music, you have to configure the server, upload music and configure some more. So, choosing the right SHOUTcast hosting service is the only way to make your life easy.All SHOUTcast hosting servers do the same thing. However, there is a difference in the number of tools offered by various hosting servers. Depending on these tools, you have greater ability to control your server. Additional features are great. The network over which the streams are delivered decides the quality of the service. Similarly, some SHOUTcast hosting services offer great customer support. The price is also a factor that should figure in choosing the right hosting service.Some of the nifty features that you must look for in your SHOUTcast hosting service provider are the level of customer support they offer, their uptime report and of course, customer reviews about the quality of their service. Without prompt customer support, it is practically impossible for an average person to configure the server and get the music going. The best way is to read through customer reviews. You'll know what other customers feel about the service of these hosting services. Better still, choose a service that allows you a trial period. That way, you get a chance to evaluate the services of the host firsthand.Another important feature is the number of listeners the package supports. If you are running a home radio station that is meant for your pals, you could do with a package that allows 8-10 listeners. However, a large radio station requires a bigger listening capacity. If your hosting service does not provide sufficient power, then, your listeners are going to drop you.Always look for a hosting plan that comes with the Auto-DJ facility. Otherwise, you will not be able to upload songs.Radio stations must never suffer from downtime. Listeners don't like their stations drawing a blank. Therefore, choose a hosting service that guarantees you minimal downtime. This is important.

Shoutcast Web Hosting And Streaming Online Radio

Shoutcast web hosting and streaming online radio has a number of advantages to bring to the consumer. On the one hand, it is a web hosting service that provides a site with all the tools and the power that it needs to survive in today's marketplace. On the other, it offers streaming online radio, so that one can make use of the many different channels, opinions, and talents that are out there on the airwaves today. No matter what your area of specialty or interest is, Shoutcast has a network that can cover you, keeping you informed, entertained, and taken care of in the 21st Century marketplace. What kinds of things can you expect from Shoutcast Internet Radio?Flawless StreamingBroadcasters from all over the world use Shoutcast in much the same way that video broadcasters can with Veetle. Someone, who puts Shoutcast to use for them, can host their own Internet radio service and take advantage of the thousands of free channels that are already out there, which cover a variety of different topics, from rock music to talk radio. The streaming is, for the most part, flawless, because it is backed by one of the premier web hosting platforms in the world today.Global AccessAt Shoutcast, it does not matter where you are located. You can have access to a global audience if you so prefer. That global audience gives you the chance to air your opinions, your talents, and your music preferences to anyone, who is willing to listen. Technology is bringing people from all walks of life together in a manner that it never has before. Shoutcast is one of the shining examples of this togetherness, and with a bright future for the Internet ahead, there are no signs of it slowing down any time soon.Pursuit of PassionsWhat makes Shoutcast a preferred choice for many is not the hosting power that runs behind the scenes-as amazing as that is-but the ability to put one's passions to work for them. Back in the day, people had little choice but to take what was given to them as their "lot in life." Today one can sound off about the things that bother them, start a business that speaks to who they are and what they believe as people, and even find followers on a global scale. They can enjoy the camaraderie of people from all over the country and the world, who share similar tastes. They can essentially use the Internet to be the way that they work toward world peace.Communication is the key, and at Shoutcast, the ultimate form of direct communication is now available and expansive across multiple technologies. Start your account today and see the benefits.

Setting Up a Winamp Shoutcast Server

Setting up a Shoutcast server can be a tedious adventure if you don't know how. You have to know your WAN IP and a lot of the things that most PC users cringe at the thought of having to do on a computer, but that's not you! You're here to learn this stuff and learn it well! Or at least click buttons until it does something, heh.If you don't know what WAN IP means I will go into a little detail about that later on. Right now just keep what little sanity you have left from reading the first paragraph and trying to stop your brain from melting, It will all be over soon.Basic Shoutcast server configuration is usually what most people get caught up on since it can be pretty difficult to get running smoothly. Luckily this guide will get you streaming your favorite music to the masses in no time! Or if you prefer, broadcasting your digital DJ skills to the internet. Some things you will need to have written down or memorized at least will be explained in detail as we go along! So grab a pen or "notepad.exe" if you prefer and lets get started with Winamp Shoutcast Broadcasting!First things first, do you know your IP address? This is your PC's address on the internet, its a simple string of numbers with 4 sections divided by a period. It will be where people using the internet will connect to to listen in on your Shoutcast Server.I've gone ahead and got your WAN IP address for you, Your IP is 68.229.252.209WAN IP stands for Wide Area Network and is how you communicate with other websites and people on the internet. Your WAN IP address I just grabbed for you and just now should be correct but if you are behind a Proxy server then the WAN IP listed above will be no good as it will only show the Proxy which you are connecting through. If you do not know what a Proxy server is then you should be ok. Write down your IP adress and read on.With IP address in hand and a lot of self esteem Lets go ahead and download the tools we will need to setup and install a Winamp Shoutcast Server. This guide is assuming you do not have Winamp installed or the Shoutcast Server. head over to Winamp.com and download Winamp for free, this link will open in a new window.Once you have downloaded Winamp you will need the Winamp Shoutcast DSP plugin, once again this link will open in a new window, go there and download the plugin I'll wait. Oh that was fast! I hope you downloaded the right Shoutcast DSP plugin for your version of Winamp, anyway lets move on.Now its time to download the actual Shoutcast Server that will connect your Winamp to the internet and broadcast your noise loud and clear! Head over to Shoutcast's Download page this link opens in a new window so no worries. Once there click on "be a server" it should be the last link of the three options. Download the Shoutcast Server program where ever you saved Winamp and the Winamp DSP plugin to, hopefully you saved all three files to the same spot. Ok we now have all the tools we need to bump some serious Ludwig van Beethoven beats. Lets install this bad boy or girl.Install Winamp first, we'll start with the easy stuff then work our way up the ladder to harder configurations. The installation of Winamp should be fairly straight forward and will probably only take a minute to install. Winamp likes to open itself once properly installed to show off its awesomeness so once you see Winamp's main window you should be done installing Winamp.This is my Winamp installed with a custom skin, if your winamp looks different don't worry, I have a custom skin which makes my Winamp program look like this, yours should look similar however. congratulations you have successfully passed the point of no return, read on.Shoutcast DSP Plugin hard at workNext lets install our nifty little Winamp DSP Plugin I was talking so much about earlier, once again it should be an extremely simple and quick installation, you pretty much just have to hit "OK" for it to install, don't mess with any default settings it might show during installation. The Winamp DSP plugin is what will be creating the bridge between Winamp and your Shoutcast Server allowing any audio which is playing in your Winamp to be miraculously heard by many people despite the distance they are from your PC. Isn't the internet grand? If you don't see the "SHOUTcast Source" window open immediately then you might have to turn it on, go to, Winamp Options Preferences Plug-ins then in the list on the left under Plug-ins click on DSPEffects and you should see your installed plugins listed in the window to the right, highlight "Nullsoft SHOUTcast Source DSP" and your SHOUTcast source screen should pop up instantly.Oh yea, here's a tiny version of what the Winamp DSP screen looks like!You don't have to configure anything yet, but trust me, we will be playing with this window more later.Install the Shoutcast Server program last! Why? Because I don't want to re-write this article if you installed it first! This is what you will use to stream audio from Winamp and its really simple to configure so you're in luck! Install the Winamp Shoutcast server leaving all the default options alone during installation. Once its complete it will pop up the Shoutcast Server "Readme.txt" read the Readme.txt carefully to fully understand how everything works... OK fine, don't "RTFM" I'll just show you how to configure it, happy? Me too!Configuring the Shoutcast Server GUIOpen the Shoutcast Server GUI (GUI stands for General user Interface or Fancy Window With Buttons to press")Star menu / Program files / SHOUTcast DNAS / Edit SHOUTcast DNAS configurationA spiffy text document will pop up called sc_serv.ini, this is the brains of the Shoutcast Server and ultimately controls how the program controlls incoming connections to your audio stream. We only need to change one simple thing in the server configuration file (sc_serv.ini) which is on line 29 which would be the password field which should currently be defaulted to "yourpasswordhere" change the password field from "Password=yourpasswordhere" to whatever you want like "Password=jwpctips" or whatever you want just don't include the " "'s. Once you have thought of a nifty password for your server close the sc_serv.ini making sure to save your changes. Your Shoutcast Server is now configured, lets tell Winamp about this!Configuring the Nullsoft SHOUTcast Source DSP Plug-inGo back the SHOUTcast Source window and click on the Output tab. Check "Connect at Startup, enter your WAN IP address ( 68.229.252.209 ) into the "Address field and change the password field to the password you entered in the sc_serv.ini. You might want to check the box next to "Automatic Reconnection on Connection Failure" and set the reconnection time out to 15 second for good measure. This is telling the plugin where your Shoutcast server is located, the password to gain access to your Shoutcast server, and if it disconnects for whatever reason to try to connect again within 15 seconds.Once you have entered your information into the Output tab click on the "Yellowpages" button. Enter a brief description in the "Description" field telling what your stream is about, an example would be "JW's Rave music online DJ remix" or "JW's radio talkshow". If you do not have a website you would like your listeners to be sent to if they click the title of your stream on the Shoutcast Showcase page then leave the URL blank, if you do have a website you would like to direct your listeners to then enter it in the "URL" field. The Genre field is the type of Shoutcast broadcasting you will be streaming out, examples are Talk, Rap, Country, Rock and Roll.If you have an AIM or ICQ screen name you can enter them if you want to but its not necessary. Also completely optional is the #IRC, if you don't have an IRC channel then this isn't necessary to change.You have successfully configured your Winamp Nullsoft DSP plugin! Now lets throw everything together and kick tires!broadcasting from your New Winamp Shoutcast serverMake sure you have winamp open with the SHOUTcast Source window open, then go to Start menu / Program Files / SHOUTcast DNAS / SHOUTcast DNAS (GUI) your server should pop back up and display a bunch of mumbo jumbo which usually you don't have to pay attention to, its just the server telling you whats vaguely going on behind the scene. Switch back over to Winamp and throw some MP3's on your play list and press play, Your SHOUTcast Source window should connect to your Shoutcast Server and begin streaming whatever you have currently playing in your play list!Congratulations, you've just installed and configured a Winamp Shoutcast Server and didn't even blink! This is a fairly basic setup which could be fine tuned to allow such things at more listener slots so more internet people can listen to your stream rather then the default 32 limit, but you have to take into consideration how stressful having 200 listeners on your stream can be to your bandwidth. I would say for a basic cable modem a 32 user limit is pretty beefy and having a full server may cause your listener's connection to your stream to become unstable, which is an easy fix to change the limit of listeners, just edit the sc_serv.ini again and search there for "MaxUser=32" and adjust the number to whatever you fell comfortable with.Things that could possibly go wrong:If you can't get your Winamp SHOUTcast Source to connect to your Shoutcast serverYou might need to double check that you entered your WAN IP address corretly. Also double check your password.Listeners complain about disconnects or sluggish sound in audio from your streamChances are you need to turn down the bitrate of your audio. Go to your SHOUTcast Source / Encoder tab and reduce the Encoder Settings to a lower bitrate such as 24kbps, 22.050kHz Mono

SHOUTcast Hosting - Online Radio Listeners Count Crosses 42 Million

Online Radio Listeners Leap Ahead to 42 Million with SHOUTcast Hosting The results of a survey conducted by Edison Research, leaders in media studies, hint at a paradigm shift in radio-listening patterns among American listeners. In the October 2009 survey, the weekly listener count for online radio stations surged up to 42 million. This is almost double the count in 2005. The research company credited this shift to the emergence of SHOUTcast hosting technology.What is SHOUTcast Hosting?
SHOUTcast hosting technology enables hobbyists and professionals to set up and run internet broadcasting stations. With this technology, an individual can relay live streaming audio from his computer through the internet. Worldwide listeners connected to the internet can hear these live streaming audio signals. This technology is a cheap alternate to AM, FM or community radio stations. The popularity of online audio broadcast among individuals earned it the name, SHOUTcast Radio.Broadcasting audio and music over the internet requires considerable storage capacity and high bandwidth. Thus, it is inevitable to connect the computer to a dedicated server. These servers are called as SHOUTcast hosting servers. They run on server software platform developed by Nullsoft, makers of Winamp media player. The SHOUTcast server software provides a high quality interface to store, select and broadcast audio and music files.How SHOUTcast Hosting Works
SHOUTcast hosting is based on client-server architecture. The broadcaster's computer acts as the client, while a remote computer is the server. The input for SHOUTcast relay is MPEG Layer 3, also called as MP3 technology, and AAC+. Listeners can use any MP3 supporting media player, such as Winamp, iTunes, Real player, VLC player or XMMS, to listen to the live streaming.To broadcast through SHOUTcast server, an individual has to install compatible players in the system and SHOUTcast DSP plug-in. The plug-in allows connection to the server using a dedicated IP address. Now, the user can create audio file directory by uploading songs on the server. While broadcasting, the client computer can make selection from the directory which is relayed through the server IP address.Through multiple sourcing, client computer can broadcast on-demand streaming music for different listeners. However, this requires high bandwidth connection at the server end.24shells, leaders in hosting industry, offers high quality SHOUTcast servers. The company offers various advantages such as zero set up charges, free auto DJ and unlimited bandwidth. The service quality is guaranteed with 50% refund if the server is down for more than 30 minutes in a given month.

How Shoutcast Hosting Packages Can Benefit Your Career

Do you wish to host your very own radio station via Shoutcast on the internet? There can be several benefits you can get from this. First off, you get to share your favorite music with the rest of the world. If you are looking to become a musician or singer, your personal radio station can serve as a great launch pad. Besides, if you are looking to work in the telecommunication industry, then owning a personal radio station can be a nice little addition to your CV. No matter what your motive though, you need to find the perfect Shoutcast hosting service for hosting the radio station in the first place.There is so much work to do before you can launch your Shoutcast channel though. These will range between setting up the radio station, uploading music and speech files on the server and streaming those over the internet. The difficulty curve of many of these tasks is pretty steep, and that's why you should opt for a Shoutcast hosting service. However, finding the best Shoutcast hosting service for your requirements is not an easy task, to say the least, since there are so many of these available on the internet. Here are a few tips that should speed up your search for the best one, however:Look for services that offer trial for a few days: This is not a mandatory condition for choosing a service, but it is good to have this feature. That way you will be able to test out the service for a few days, before signing up for a full hosting plan. Of course, if the provider does not offer a free hosting plan, it does not mean the service is going to be bad. Do keep that in mind.
Ask for support for both SSH and FTP: This is one of the requisites of a proper Shoutcast hosting service, and should influence your decision of whether or not you should opt for a particular Shoutcast hosting service. Support for FTP protocols will help you upload files on the server, even when the available bandwidth is not high enough to support the more secure SSH.
Value for money: Make sure that you are getting good enough service to justify the price you are paying for the Shoutcast hosting package. The available bandwidth should be fairly constant, so that you can stream audio tracks in an uninterrupted manner. Besides, there should be proper audio compression technologies in place to ensure minimal stuttering during streaming.If you are satisfied with the features that the Shoutcast hosting package offers, then go ahead and opt for it. This will be a major step in taking your career in the right direction, or simply sharing your views on various topics with the rest of the world.