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.
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