SHOUTcast Blog http://www.shoutcastblog.com SHOUTcast Blog http://www.shoutcastblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif SHOUTcast Blog http://www.shoutcastblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Partial SHOUTcast Outage and API Issues [Resolved]http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/08/23/partial-shoutcast-outage-and-api-issues/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/08/23/partial-shoutcast-outage-and-api-issues/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/08/23/partial-shoutcast-outage-and-api-issues/#commentsFiled under:

UPDATE August 29 2011 @ 0230PM EST:
- We have just deployed the last of the emergency break-fixes to the SHOUTcast servers. This addresses all issues that were affecting the SHOUTcast service from the outage last week. Thank you as always for your patience!

UPDATE August 26 2011 @ 01PM EST:
- SHOUTcast database has been rebuilt and and backups from archives are now complete. Site and API services are slowly returning to normal. Still actively monitoring lingering issues.

UPDATE August 26 2011 @ 0600AM EST:
- Unfortunately the database suffered a crash overnight. We have rebuilt the database and are working on bringing the service back up. Thanks for your patience!

UPDATE August 25 2011 @ 1030AM EST:
- We have rebuilt the SHOUTcast database and the service is slowly returning to normal. The SHOUTcast Directory now shows accurate now playing and recently played track information and listener stats. New stations will also show up in the directory. However, there are still lingering service issues with the search functionality in the SHOUTcast API that we are addressing. Thanks for your patience!



We've been experiencing some technical issues with the SHOUTcast Directory and SHOUTcast API. We had a brief outage on Sunday that was quickly resolved, however there are still a few reported issues that we are actively working very hard to identify and remedy as needed, which include:

-- Stale Metadata for SHOUTcast Radio Directory listings: For the SHOUTcast Directory and APIs, the "Recently Played" track and "Number of Listeners" metadata for stations is not current nor is the metadata updating. However, once you tune into a station the metadata is accurate and current.
-- New Stations Not Showing Up: If you have tried to add a new station with the DNAS since the outage it is likely not showing up and any stations you may have attempted to remove from the directory are continuing to be displayed.
-- Small Number of Tune-In Failures: A small number of stations are not able to tune-in, but most stations are playing back fine (and their metadata is accurate once "tuned-in").
-- SHOUTcast API: Search API not working or returning stale data.
-- Faux DNAS Connections. DNAS connections to YP (SHOUTcast Directory) are returning no error (so they seem like they are successful), however stations for that DNAS are not showing up in the directory, as described above.

Our development and Ops teams are working very hard to address these issues as soon as possible.

Most of the reported issues will not be experienced by your listening audience as most stations are streaming as expected and the metadata for actively tuned-in stations is accurate and current.

To stay up to date on issues and to be notified of future service impacts, keep checking this blog or the SHOUTcast Developer Forum, or follow us on Twitter @SHOUTcastRadio for real-time updates.

Thanks for your patience!

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-08-23T15:15:00+00:00Enjoy SHOUTcast Radio in your living room with WD TV Live Hubhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/08/08/enjoy-shoutcast-radio-in-your-living-room-with-wd-tv-live-hub/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/08/08/enjoy-shoutcast-radio-in-your-living-room-with-wd-tv-live-hub/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/08/08/enjoy-shoutcast-radio-in-your-living-room-with-wd-tv-live-hub/#commentsFiled under:

SHOUTcast Radio in WD LiveHub
SHOUTcast Radio is now available in your living room thanks to the Western Digital TV(R) Live Hub[TM] 1 TB Media Center! Listen to all your favorite SHOUTcast Radio stations in your home stereo! I addition to SHOUTcast you can also store and play your personal media, stream movies and TV shows, and access the best of the Internet on your HDTV. Includes 1 TB of internal storage and plays virtually any media file format.

The WD TV Live Hub is the ultimate addition to your entertainment center. With Full-HD 1080p playback and navigation, it's the perfect way to enjoy your movies, music, photos and the best of the Internet in the comfort of your living room.
* Search and listen to all your favorite SHOUtcast Radio stations
* From Jazz to Hip Hop, find the genre of music that fits your mood
* Tag stations as favorites for easy access to the music you love
* Access online services such as Hulu Plus[TM], Netflix[TM], Facebook(R), YouTube[TM], and more
* Stream videos, music, and photos from the built-in 1 TB hard drive, USB and network drives, network computers, and smartphones
* Play virtually any file format without transcoding

Check out Western Digital TV(R) Live Hub[TM] now!

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-08-08T11:02:00+00:00SHOUTcast iPhone App Out Now - Fresh New Look & Features!http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/07/18/shoutcast-iphone-v141/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/07/18/shoutcast-iphone-v141/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/07/18/shoutcast-iphone-v141/#commentsFiled under: ,

Thanks to everyone that has downloaded the SHOUTcast iPhone app to listen SHOUTcast Radio on the go!

The SHOUTcast iPhone app has been updated lots of new features and a slick new look!

SHOUTcast iPhone App


In addition to the new look, we've added some new features:

o. "Featured" stations list - View a list of curated featured SHOUtcast stations from the SHOUTcast team.
o. Share your favorite SHOUTcast Radio stations on Twitter, Facebook or Email.
o. A cleaner, simpler stations list that makes searching for music a breeze.
o. Lots of bug fixes and performance tweaks

We think this is the best SHOUTcast iPhone App yet - but dont take our word for it, download it now and take it for a test drive! Do let us know what you think and keep the feedback coming!

Download SHOUTcast for iPhone v 1.4.1.


Here are some additional screenshots of the new app:



Featured Stations


Stations List gets a fresh new look


Now Playing screen with easy sharing options


Download SHOUTcast for iPhone v 1.4.1.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-07-18T11:21:00+00:00Winamp 5.62 with SHOUTcast Redesignhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/07/12/winamp-5-62-with-shoutcast-redesign/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/07/12/winamp-5-62-with-shoutcast-redesign/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/07/12/winamp-5-62-with-shoutcast-redesign/#commentsFiled under:

OUT NOW!


Winamp 5.62 has been released and is the latest version of the Winamp Media Player (for your desktop). This release includes a fresh new look for the SHOUTcast online service!

Winamp 5.62

















The new SHOUTcast online service redesign makes searching for your favorite radio stations even simpler.

Here are new ways to discover more radio stations:

* Tag Cloud - Select popular and trending genres and stations to find relevant stations.

* Featured and Top Stations - View a list of curated featured SHOUtcast stations from the Winamp team. Or select a Top Station based on trending stations Winamp listeners are tuning into.

* Search songs or stations - Use the new real-time search to find not only stations but songs that are currently playing.

* "Classic" view - for those that like their SHOUTcast old school, we still have a simple "classic" view. Discover a new SHOUTcast station today!


Next, the Winamp team has optimized AAC and HE-AAC audio playback with the help of our friends at Fraunhofer. Broadcasters wanting to take advantage of these new codecs can head over to the downloads section and upgrade their DSP or SC_TRANS to the new versions now.

Finally, Winamp 5.62 supports the latest Winamp for Android release. Use Winamp to wirelessly sync your music to your Android device.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-07-12T10:25:00+00:00Winamp for Android 1.1 : Improved SHOUTcast Experiencehttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/06/08/winamp-for-android-1-1-improved-shoutcast-experience/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/06/08/winamp-for-android-1-1-improved-shoutcast-experience/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/06/08/winamp-for-android-1-1-improved-shoutcast-experience/#commentsFiled under: ,

Winamp for Android v1.1 is out now! Now, SHOUTcast Radio on the Android platform is bigger, better and stronger than ever!



The latest release of Winamp for Android v1.1 offers users even more free music! In our previous release we introduced free downloads with Spinner's MP3 of the Day. From the app's Home screen, select "Free Music" and then tap on "Spinner" and you'll have the option to play (stream) any of the tracks from the last 20 days. You can download the free MP3 tracks individually, or stream them all like a playlist. Check back daily for new free MP3s!

The Winamp & SHOUTcast dev teams are dedicated to bringing you the best SHOUTcast Radio experience on Android and have been hard at work improving playback fidelity. The improved playback experience is available through our new native streaming media engine which also enables us to offer SHOUTcast on a wider range of devices including most devices running the Android 2.1 OS. Previously, SHOUTcast was only available on Android 2.2 & above. Also, be sure to check the updated "Featured Stations".

In addition to free Spinner MP3 of the Day tracks, the new Winamp for Android 1.1 offers Full CD Listening Party. With the CD Listening Party, you'll have free access to the hottest new full-length albums (streaming playback only). Each week the list of available albums is updated with the latest releases from the most popular artists. From the Home screen, select "Free Music" and then tap on "Full CD Listening Party". This week you can stream full albums from David Bowie, Depeche Mode & Def Leppard... just to name a few. Check back weekly for new free albums!

Finally, with the 1.1 release Winamp for Android introduces two additional languages: Simplified & Traditional Chinese. Winamp for Android now supports a total of 14 languages including: English, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Romanian, Russian, Spanish & Turkish.

Thanks again for making Winamp the premier media manager on the Android platform. Please keep your feedback and feature requests coming and visit our product blog often because in the next few months we plan on launching a lot of the great features that you've all been asking for!

Download Winamp for Android

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-06-08T13:56:00+00:00SHOUTcast iPhone App Updated with Background Streaminghttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/05/04/shoutcast-iphone-app-updated-with-background-streaming/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/05/04/shoutcast-iphone-app-updated-with-background-streaming/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/05/04/shoutcast-iphone-app-updated-with-background-streaming/#commentsFiled under:

SHOUTcast iPhone app


SHOUTcast iPhone and iPod Touch users! The update you have been waiting for is finally here: background streaming! Now you can enjoy listening to your favorite SHOUTcast stations whilst doing other things with your iPhone - like checking email or updating your status on social networks!

SHOUTcast iPhone app version 1.3.1 is now available from the Apple App Store!

The new version includes the following features:
  • Multitasking background audio support! if you're running the latest iOS, you'll enjoy listening to your favorite SHOUTcast Radio station while you're checking e-mail or sending text messages.
  • AirPlay[TM] support! Stream SHOUTcast Radio from your iOS device to an AirPlay[TM] compatible device (AppleTV 2)
  • Updated station listings. The stations listings are ordered in the same way they appear on the SHOUTcast.com website.
We hope you continue to enjoy SHOUTcast on your iPhone or iPod Touch. We have some exciting new updates coming up in the next few months so keep the feedback coming - we love hearing from you!

Click here to download SHOUTcast for iPhone/iPod Touch.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-05-04T14:43:00+00:00AOL Launches PLAY Music App for Androidhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/03/14/aol-launches-play-music-app-for-android/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/03/14/aol-launches-play-music-app-for-android/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/03/14/aol-launches-play-music-app-for-android/#comments

PLAY is an awesome and totally free mobile music app from AOL that helps you discover new artists, listen to songs you love and share music with your friends.

Think of it like this -- sharing songs on PLAY is like posting music status updates from your phone, complete with album art and comments from friends. Plus with PLAY you get exclusive content from AOL Music, including free songs from Spinner's MP3 of the Day and full-length streams of each week's new releases (a day early) from AOL's CD Listening Party.

You'll also get exclusive live streaming video direct from SXSW -- real-time footage of our Pop-Up Shows and SXSW Official Showcase.

So go ahead! Download the app free and start commenting on and liking what your friends are listening to, sharing your musical experiences on Facebook and Twitter, creating your own album art, listening to free music and more!

Download PLAY here.

 

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]]>T.C.2011-03-14T15:45:00+00:00SHOUTcast DNAS BETA Build 10 Releasedhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/01/18/shoutcast-dnas-beta-build-10-released/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/01/18/shoutcast-dnas-beta-build-10-released/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2011/01/18/shoutcast-dnas-beta-build-10-released/#commentsFiled under:

The SHOUTcast development team is pleased to present the latest BETA drop of the SHOUTcast DNAS broadcasting server (Distributed Network Audio Server). This build is our latest GM release candidate and introduces new features, as listed below, as well as addresses bugs reported in the previous BETA builds.

SHOUTcast DNAS Beta Build 10 Release Notes:
  • Now ships in BSD 8.x and Windows 64-bit
  • Fixed locale issues preventing sc_trans from loading without changing the machine's locale (non-Windows issue)
  • Fully enabled SHOUTcast 2 (Ultravox 2.1) protocol support with server output (used with YP2=1 in config and a compatible connecting client e.g. Winamp 5.6+)
  • Massive documentation update with full configurations details, example configurations and getting started guide
  • Accessing any admin / info pages with no station id or a station id less than or equal to zero will show a summary of any available streams (if there are any)
  • Changed config handling to close sc_serv if not set / missing / invalid
  • Added 'next song' to the stream + admin pages
  • Added a disconnect message indicating the duration, number of bytes sent and agent of the connection being closed
  • Added a current and next song pages (/currenttrack?sid=# and /nextsong?sid=#) along with <NEXTSONG> in the xml report for consistency
  • Changed 'yp2' configuration setting default to 'on'
  • Fixed segfault issue when attempting to connect to YP2 (non-Windows versions)
  • On Windows 'Ctrl + Break' is now handled as a valid quit command instead of just having the running instance close immediately
  • Added description for the Windows service so it's clearer the service is ours
  • Minor log message changes to sort of standardise the message style
  • Upgraded libraries to use expat-2.0.1
To download the new BETA drop and to learn more please proceed to the development forums.

Please report all bugs or feature requests in the forums.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2011-01-18T12:39:00+00:00Android Music Player -- Winamphttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/11/30/android-music-player-winamp/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/11/30/android-music-player-winamp/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/11/30/android-music-player-winamp/#comments

Own an Android device or thinking about buying one?

Our friends at Winamp have just released Winamp for Android!

Winamp for Android is an easy way to move your current music on to your phone using its all new wireless sync feature plus its a great way to listen and manage your music.





Features of Winamp on Android include:

  • Import your iTunes Library & Playlists - Enjoy your existing iTunes music and playlists on your Android phone
  • Wireless Music Sync With Your PC - Ditch those cables! Enable Wi-Fi sync and transfer music between your PC and phone without any wires (Note: Winamp 5.59 beta required).
  • Now Playing Information - Displays song info, album art and more. Press and hold on the song info to interact with other apps like Pandora, YouTube and the Amazon MP3 Store.
  • Easy, Intuitive Player Controls - Quickly pause, change tracks, manage your play queue, see what's playing and more.
  • On the Go Playlists - Use the new Play Queue feature to create music playlists on-the-go.
  • Android Home Screen Widget & Shortcuts - Add playlist shortcuts and the widget player to the Android home screen. As well as enable playback control from the lock-screen.

How to Download

1) Download & install the Winamp desktop application. (Winamp Beta 5.56 for your PC here)

2) From your Android phone (OS 2.1 or above required), download and install Winamp for Android. You can either scan the below QR code with your phone or search for "Winamp" in the Android Market.




For more information and help, please visit here.

 

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]]>T.C.2010-11-30T15:17:00+00:00SHOUTcast Radio API Program - Important Updatehttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/09/30/shoutcast-api-update/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/09/30/shoutcast-api-update/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/09/30/shoutcast-api-update/#commentsAttention SHOUTcast Partners & Developers: If your application accesses the SHOUTcast API thru yp.shoutcast.com [aka SHOUTcast 1.0 API] please read this important update.

The new SHOUTcast 2.0 API platform has been released and we are currently focused on migrating current 1.0 API partners to the new APIs. The migration is estimated to be complete on or about December 6, 2010.

If you are a current licensed partner, please contact contact us to coordinate your migration as soon as possible .

If you would like to contact our team about possibly joining the SHOUTcast Radio API Partner Program when it resumes taking new partners, please send an email request to faisal@shoutcast.com and include a product/application description. We will A member of the SHOUTcast team will contact you when new partner requests are being accepted.

Whats new in SHOUTcast 2.0 API?
The SHOUTcast 2.0 API is the next-gen API and replaces the current API. In developing the new APIs, we listened to developers and partners' requests and feedback to create a completely new API platform. Now our partners can build even more compelling applications or improve your current product.

SHOUTcast 2.0 API allows you to:
  • Filter stations by additional parameters like genre, subgenre, station name and more.
  • Control & limit station results by bitrate, codec, and the number of listeners.
  • Pagination allows you to limit the number of results returned per each query
  • Ability to surface random stations within a genre or subgenre
  • New reporting tracks API usage per API call and product (if you have multiple products using the SHOUTcast API)
  • Support of industry-standard response types such as XML, RSS and JSON
  • Support of SHOUTcast 2.0 platform features in development: query for "coming soon" and "now playing" data. Launch Date TBA.
You can also read our FAQ and check out some sample code at the SHOUTcast Developer Network site.

Thank you for your interest in SHOUTcast Radio!

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-09-30T18:47:00+00:00Announcing the Latest SHOUTcast Updateshttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/08/23/announcing-the-latest-shoutcast-updates/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/08/23/announcing-the-latest-shoutcast-updates/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/08/23/announcing-the-latest-shoutcast-updates/#commentsFiled under:

After a successful June launch of the new SHOUTcast 2.0 platform, the SHOUTcast team has continued to make tweaks and upgrades based on the feedback received from Listeners and Broadcasters. As we have told you before, we value user feedback and use it to improve and innovate the SHOUTcast platform and to that end, we have released an update to SHOUTcast 2.0

Please keep your feedback coming and see our release notes below that detail the new features.

What's new?
For Listeners:
  • Improved Search: Based on your feedback, we changed the order of search results to give preference to "Station Names" over "What's Playing" across the SHOUTcast station network. Now users will get more relevant results when searching for their favorite station.
  • Updated Search Results Filters: To further help users find the station they are searching for, a 'Station Name' filter (located in the left rail) refines the search results.
  • Station Info Balloons: We've added more information to the station listings in the directory. If you hover over each station's name, a balloon pops up with additional information like the station's website & keywords as listed by the broadcaster.
For Broadcasters:
  • Broadcaster Registration. The final step in the SHOUTcast 2.0 platform rollout! Broadcasters can now begin to upgrade their stations to the new platform. Instead of entering their station details in a config file, broadcasters can now add their stations to the SHOUTcast directory using a simple easy to use web form. Plus, the Broadcaster Profile lets Broadcasters manage and configure their stations in real time. Check it out now! You will need to log into SHOUTcast using your existing account with your Google, Facebook, Yahoo or AOL account.
We invite you to take SHOUTcast for a test drive now at shoutcast.com and tell us what you think!


Cheers
The SHOUTcast Team.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-08-23T11:34:00+00:00Listen to SHOUTcast Stations in Winamphttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/08/16/listen-to-shoutcast-stations-in-winamp/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/08/16/listen-to-shoutcast-stations-in-winamp/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/08/16/listen-to-shoutcast-stations-in-winamp/#commentsFiled under:

Did you know you can listen to SHOUTcast Radio stations using your default media player like Winamp, iTunes or Windows Media Player? Here's how:

Select 'Settings' under the 'Help' menu, or just point your web browser to http://shoutcast.com/settings

In settings, select 'Play SHOUTcast stations in default media player (eg: Winamp / iTunes / Windows Media Player)' [the second option] and scroll to the bottom and hit 'Save Settings'.

Note that you will need to have cookies enabled for SHOUTcast.com to remember your setting when you return to the site.

For a complete list of new features as well as some frequently asked questions, check out the SHOUTcast 2.0 FAQ here:http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/09/shoutcast-2-0-faq/

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-08-16T11:03:00+00:00SHOUTcast 2.0 and Upcoming Search Improvementshttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/30/shoutcast-2-0-and-upcoming-search-improvements/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/30/shoutcast-2-0-and-upcoming-search-improvements/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/30/shoutcast-2-0-and-upcoming-search-improvements/#commentsFiled under:

Since SHOUTcast 2.0 launched we have received tons of feedback both good & bad.

We've received lots of feedback specifically around the new Search, unfortunately not good feedback but we appreciate the candid emails listeners have sent.

We take user feedback very seriously and we are currently working on an update that will adjust the search functionality to preference to station names rather than what's now playing as it does today.

These search improvements will be rolled out within the next few weeks on SHOUTcast.com.

We hope these improvements will make it easier to find the SHOUTcast stations you are looking for.

In the mean time, if you'd like to use the old/classic search experience you can use SHOUTcast within Winamp.
Please click here to download Winamp.

Thank you for using SHOUTcast!

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-07-30T13:21:00+00:00ATTENTION SHOUTcast Broadcasters: YP Bug Fixes Deployedhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/26/yp-bug-fix-deployed/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/26/yp-bug-fix-deployed/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/26/yp-bug-fix-deployed/#commentsFiled under:

Greetings SHOUTcast Broadcasters! Some SHOUTcast Broadcasters experienced issues with their station listings after the launch of the new SHOUTcast 2.0 platform. We worked directly with many of you and we identified a few bugs in the back-end platform and YP - which was the root cause of these issues.

Last week we successfully deployed an update to the SHOUTcast YP2 platform that addressed the bugs that caused some stations to not appear in the SHOUTcast directory.
Most stations that were experiencing this issue should now be listed in the directory -- the update should have automatically fixed the issues.

However, if your station is still not listed please try the following:
  • Stop your SHOUTcast SC_SERV servers. Wait about 7 to 10 minutes to allow the SHOUTcast YP to completely purge any lingering data for your station in the database, and restart your server.
  • If previously you had set your main relay to public and wish to change to back to private for your load balancing needs, you may do so. Please note you may have to restart your server for this setting to take affect.
  • Make sure you have entered a correct genre for your station. A list of genres is posted here.

If you are still seeing issues with your stations, please see the SHOUTcast Technical Support Forums for tips and advice from other broadcasters or leave a comment here in this blog post.

For further updates, follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SHOUTcastRadio

For a complete list of new features as well as some frequently asked questions, check out the SHOUTcast 2.0 FAQ.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-07-26T17:00:00+00:00SHOUTcast 2.0 FAQhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/09/shoutcast-2-0-faq/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/09/shoutcast-2-0-faq/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/07/09/shoutcast-2-0-faq/#commentsSHOUTcast Listeners & Broadcasters ~

We have received lots of feedback & questions about SHOUTcast 2.0 so we have compiled the most frequently asked questions below for easy reference.

Please keep the feedback coming so we can continue to improve SHOUTcast 2.0, as well as fix any issues that you have identified.

LISTENER QUESTIONS:

Q: What are the new improvements in SHOUTcast 2.0?
Q: I don't want to use the SHOUTcast flash player so how can I listen with my preferred media player (Winamp/iTunes/Windows Media, etc.)?
Q: What is the *.PLS file for a specific station?
Q: I already know the station Im looking for. How do I search by Station Names?
Q: Why when I search for "Pop stations" in the search bar, I get a bunch of random stations and not the pop stations?
Q: What happened to the Station's website links? How do I go to a station's website?
Q: How do I search for my favorite artists/songs, stations or find stations belonging to a specific genre?
Q: I can't find the station I want through the search.
Q: I like to listen to SHOUTcast on my mobile phone's web browser, but the Flash web player doesn't work. How do I play SHOUTcast stations on my mobile browser?
Q: Why do some stations show "Now Playing" and "Coming Soon" info but others just show "Recently Played" info?

BROADCASTER QUESTIONS:

Q: My station is not appearing in the SHOUTcast Directory even though the stream is up and running. Help!
Q: I cant see my station listed on the site anymore even though I didn't do anything. Why isn't it there?
Q: The genre I had my station(s) in is no longer listed as a choice for listeners, what do I do?
Q: I am having issues installing SC_SERV2 Beta -- how can get help and find documentation?
Q: Is there a simple easy to use GUI version of SC_SERV DNAS 2?
Q: Why did you remove the "Listener Max" info from the website and how do I get this info now?
Q: How do a get a "static ID" for my station?
Q: Why do some stations show "Now Playing" and "Coming Soon" metadata but others just show "Recently Played" info - how do I get my station to display "Now Playing" and "Coming Soon" metadata?
Q: Where did the link with the TTSL (Total Time Spent Listening) stats go?
Q: My question was not answered here. How do I get in touch with the SHOUTcast team?

LISTENER QUESTIONS:

Q: What are the new improvements in SHOUTcast 2.0?

A: For a complete list of features in SHOUTcast 2.0, click here: http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/welcome-to-shoutcast-2-0/

Q: I don't want to use the SHOUTcast flash player so how can I listen with my preferred media player (Winamp/iTunes/Windows Media, etc.)?

A:
1. Please go to the 'Help' menu on shoutcast.com, and then the 'Settings' tab (or visit the page directly here: http://shoutcast.com/settings)
2. Select 'Play SHOUTcast stations in default media player (eg: Winamp / iTunes / Windows Media Player)' [the second option] and scroll to the bottom and hit 'Save Settings'.
3. Please make sure you have cookies enabled so that Winamp remains your default choice every time you visit SHOUTcast.com.

Q: What is the *.PLS file for a specific station?

A: In the SHOUTcast directory, hover over the 'Play' blue button and right click your mouse button and select 'Copy link address' or 'Copy link location'. The URL for the PLS file for that station is now copied to your system's clipboard.

Q: Why would I want to use *.PLS file to listen to a specific station?

A: SHOUTcast pls files are direct launch links to stations. Users that wish to play SHOUTcast stations in their default media players like WINAMP, iTunes, etc should use these pls links. You can also use these pls files to bookmark stations in your Winamp or iTunes playlists.

Q: I already know the station Im looking for. How do I search by Station Names?

A: Our search engine gives preference to 'Station Names' when you type in a search term. So a search for 'Station XYZ' will return 'Station XYZ' as the top-most search result. Further, we have added a new 'Station Name' filter to the search results page to further refine the search by station names only. Please see this blog post for more information.

Q: Why when I search for "Pop stations" in the search bar, I get a bunch of random stations and not the pop stations?

A: When doing a search on SHOUTcast.com, the search engine will search all genres in the SHOUTcast Directory but will also include stations, artists and songs matching those search terms as well.

Q: What happened to the Station's website links? How do I go to a station's website?

A: Hovering over a station's name pops a dialog that lists more information about that station, including a link to their website.

Q: How do I search for my favorite artists/songs, stations or find stations belonging to a specific genre?

A: In the Search Bar at the top of http://www.shoutcast.com, enter in your search term. It will automatically search all stations, genres and station names and produce results most resembling your search query.

The search functionality on SHOUTcast will match your search term in this order:

1. Now Playing (Artist, Song title)
2. Genre
3. Station Name

In other words, if you type in a search term like 'Lady Gaga' SHOUTcast search will search for 'Lady Gaga' songs being played on SHOUTcast stations, followed by genres called 'Lady Gaga' and finally, stations called 'Lady Gaga.' Using the filters on the left, you can refine your search results. Please note that we are working on add a new 'Station Search' filter to limit searches by stations, based on your feedback. Look for that filter to be added very soon.

Q: I can't find the station I want through the search.

A: If you find that there are several results, please broaden your search to make your search more general. If too few results show up, please make your term as specific as possible. If you are looking for a specific station, try to put the search term in quotations. eg: if you are looking for SOMA, type in "SOMA" (including quotes) for a more targeted search. Additionally, we are working on add a new 'Station Search' filter to limit searches by stations, based on your feedback. Look for that filter to be added very soon.

If you believe that a station is not coming up in error, please submit an email to us so we can investigate.

Q: How can I change the background colors and the theme?

A: We have added site skinning to our future product improvement plans. Please stay tuned to http://www.shoutcastblog.com for more information.

Q: I like to listen to SHOUTcast on my mobile phone's web browser, but the Flash web player doesn't work. How do I play SHOUTcast stations on my mobile browser?

A: If your mobile phone supports cookies, please navigate to Help --> Settings and then click the second option that says "Play SHOUTcast stations in default media player ( eg: Winamp / iTunes / Windows Media Player )" and click on 'Save Settings.' All Play buttons will now link to individual stations and will start playing the stream. Additionally, if you are using an iPhone, you can download the SHOUTcast iPhone app. Android users can try any one of our Partners' apps, [which can be found here]

Q: Why do some stations show "Now Playing" and "Coming Soon" info but others just show "Recently Played" info?

A: SHOUTcast stations that have upgraded to the new 2.0 tools show "Now Playing" (real time) & "Coming Soon" (songs coming up in the next 15minutes) artist/song information. SHOUTcast stations that have not upgraded to the new 2.0 broadcaster tools have a latency of up to 15 minutes for their artist/song information to appear in the directory. That is why their metadata is captioned as "Recently Played."

NOTE: Broadcasters - In order to offer your listeners real-time (Playing Now) and upcoming (Coming Soon) metadata information for your station, you will need to upgrade to the new SHOUTcast 2.0 broadcasting tools. Please see the broadcasting tools download page for more information & download links: http://www.shoutcast.com/broadcast-tools


BROADCASTER QUESTIONS:

Q: My station is not appearing in the SHOUTcast Directory even though the stream is up and running. Help!

A: You server might be set to 'Private.' To change this setting and to make your station appear in the directory follow these steps:
1. In the SHOUTcast DSP or SC_SERV locate the 'Make this Server Public' setting.
2. Make sure this setting is set to TRUE / Checked
3. Stop and restart your server for the setting to take affect.


Q: I cant see my station listed on the site anymore even though I didn't do anything. Why isn't it there?

A: The SHOUTcast directory service recently went thru some upgrades, as a result the YP service's IP has changed. It is possible that your SHOUTcast server is still "sticky" to the old Ips. In order to force your network to update its DNS cache, please stop your SHOUTcast DNAS server, wait about 10 minutes and restart the server. Additionally, if you have sufficient permissions on the network that your servers are installed on, you may try to purge the DNS cache to ensure that you access the correct servers.

Also - please make sure your server is set to Public in the configurations.

Q: The genre I had my station(s) in is no longer listed as a choice for listeners, what do I do?

A: In order to better organize the vast variety of music genres available on SHOUTcast, and to make it easier for listeners to find your station, we recently made some changes to the way stations are categorized in SHOUTcast. Please see this link for more information including the list of music genres available, and how to change your configuration in order to be listed in the correct category: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=303241


Q: I am having issues installing SC_SERV2 Beta -- how can get help and find documentation?

A: Get installation instructions, tips & tricks and help from other SHOUTcast broadcasters and developers at the SHOUTcast forums: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=317230


Q: Is there a simple easy to use GUI version of SC_SERV DNAS 2?

A: SC_SERV2 is still in Beta. We are working on a GUI version of SC_SERV2 that should be out soon. Until then, we recommend you check out this developer-created GUI for SV_SERV2 thats been getting good reviews. For users that want a GUI with their SHOUTcast server, you can still use SC_SERV1 by clicking here

Q: Why did you remove the "Listener Max" info from the website and how do I get this info now?

A: In order to make the station listings as clean as possible and provide the most relevant information to our users, we moved the maximum listener / capacity of each station in the Listener column. Broadcasters that would like to monitor their station's capacity should use their SHOUTcast server's configuration files and admin panels.

Q: How do a get a "static ID" for my station?

A: Broadcasters that wish to have a unique static ID for their station will need to upgrade to the new SHOUTcast 2.0 broadcasting tools. Please see the broadcasting tools download page for more information & download links: http://www.shoutcast.com/broadcast-tools

Q: Why do some stations show "Now Playing" and "Coming Soon" metadata but others just show "Recently Played" info - how do I get my station to display "Now Playing" and "Coming Soon" metadata?

A: SHOUTcast stations running on legacy 1.0 SHOUTcast broadcaster tools have a latency of up to 15 minutes for metadata information to appear in the directory. That is why their metadata is captioned as "Recently Played." In order to offer your listeners real-time (Playing Now) and upcoming (Coming Soon) metadata information for your station, you will need to upgrade to the new SHOUTcast 2.0 broadcasting tools. Please see the broadcasting tools download page for more information & download links: http://www.shoutcast.com/broadcast-tools

Q: Where did the link with the TTSL (Total Time Spent Listening) stats go?

A: We will be adding the link back to http://www.shoutcast.com next week. In the meantime, you may visit the stat page directly at: http://yp.shoutcast.com/ttsl.html

Q: My question was not answered here. How do I get in touch with the SHOUTcast team?
A: The SHOUTcast never sleeps and is always ready to take your questions! You can reach them by using the two emails below:
TC: tcinradionyc@aol.com
Faisal: Faisal@SHOUTcast.com

 

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]]>T.C.2010-07-09T16:55:00+00:00Broadcasters: Upgrade to SHOUTcast 2.0http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/broadcasters-upgrade-to-shoutcast-2-0/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/broadcasters-upgrade-to-shoutcast-2-0/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/broadcasters-upgrade-to-shoutcast-2-0/#comments
The goal of SC_SERV2 is to provide enhanced serving features and access to the new yp2 infrastructure
while maintaining as much backward compatibility with the previous sc_serv as possible.

Download Link >> http://www.aolcdn.com/shoutcast/sc_serv2_beta_02232010.zip

Release Notes:

1) Serve multiple streams from a single server instance
2) Relay multiple streams from a single server instance
3) Multiplex all server activity through a single IP port.
4) Shoutcast 2 wire protocol support for sources, relays and clients
5) Repackaging of Shoutcast 1 and Shoutcast 2 data as appropriate for the connecting client(s)
6) yp2 infrastructure support

To take advantage of these new features you will also need the following:

1) sc_trans version V2 B38 or higher: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....hreadid=317229

2) authorization hashes (register as a broadcaster in the new infrastructure and you will be issued the necessary hashes) - COMING AUGUST 17 2010!

sc_serv must be configured to use the yp2 infrastructure to take advantage of the multiplexing and multiple stream support. The original yp interface had no means of
expressing multiple streams from a single port.

The yp2 interface is still in development and will be released soon! Stay tuned for updates.

If you are going to connect multiple sc_trans instances to sc_serv, you must use the Shoutcast2 protocol.
The original Shoutcast protocol had no means of specifying a stream ID. Clients connecting to the
server do not need Shoutcast2 support, since sc_serv will repackage the stream data and metadata for them as appropriate.


Comments / bug reports / feedback / feature requests welcome and encouraged!

 

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]]>T.C.2010-06-29T01:00:00+00:00What's New on SHOUTcast 2.0http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/welcome-to-shoutcast-2-0/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/welcome-to-shoutcast-2-0/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/welcome-to-shoutcast-2-0/#comments
What's new for listeners?

All-New Station Directory:
We heard you loud and clear. You wanted easier navigation to find the stations you wanted to hear. You wanted better and faster search. You wanted more options to listen to your favorite SHOUTcast Radio stations. You also wanted the site to look pretty. We're giving you all that, and a lot more! Presenting the brand new SHOUTcast 2.0 Station Directory featuring:
  • Improved search: Find music and audio content playing on SHOUTcast 2.0 stations in real time
  • Multiple sorting options including station name, genre, number of listeners, bitrate and type
  • New genre list makes it easier to find stations
  • New bottom bar player lets you listen to music while you browse SHOUTcast stations at the same time or pop it our for more flexibility.
  • New Popup player that is also embeddable on your website
  • Get station recommendations with the new "Featured Stations" section
  • 'Coming Soon' search results searches against what's coming up next on SHOUTcast 2.0 stations*

What's new for Broadcasters and Developers?

We overhauled the engine to go with the shiny new paint. The completely re-written SHOUTcast 2.0 directory platform (aka YP2) and broadcaster tools are a significant leap forward in the evolution of SHOUTcast. Some highlights include:
  • All-new SHOUTcast YP2 protocol
  • Real-Time 'Now Playing' and 'Coming Soon' meta data updates
  • Streaming from port 80*
  • Stream multiple stations from a single SHOUTcast server instance*
  • In-Stream metadata in standardized XML*
  • UTF-8 and international character support*
  • Support for multiple file-types including MP3, AAC+, FLAC, WAV and Ogg*
  • Improved server and stream security*
  • New Wiki for broadcasters
*ATTENTION... In order for your stations to benefit from the new functionality noted above you must upgrade to the new 2.0 broadcaster tools.

Click here to download the 2.0 tools and upgrade now!

 

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]]>Derek Evers2010-06-29T00:05:00+00:00What is SHOUTcast Radio?http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/what-is-shoutcast-radio/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/what-is-shoutcast-radio/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/29/what-is-shoutcast-radio/#commentsSHOUTcast Radio is the ultimate directory of online radio stations. With over 35,000 music, talk, sports and community radio stations from the US and around the world, SHOUTcast is unparalleled in its ability to help you find what you want to listen to -- no matter where you are -- at the press of a button.


Browse the genres on the left to explore the SHOUTcast Radio Directory

Find Music from Around the World

You can browse the SHOUTcast directory for music spanning all kinds of genres from around the world, including dance hits from Lady Gaga or the most obscure techno from the Czech Republic. Sports fans will be pleased to know that SHOUTcast carries all of the ESPN affiliates, as well as local and international channels. And when you want the real story, you can search one of the hundreds of news stations to gain every perspective.





Hit the 'Play' button on any station to access our web player to start listening

Online Web Music Player

Our web player is easy to use and lets you listen while simultaneously exploring other stations in the directory. You can even pop-it out embed it on your favorite website. The real time search function allows you to find your favorite songs and artists playing at any moment, and our categories will make sure you won't have to spend time shuffling through music you don't want to hear. And for those lazy days when you don't feel like searching, enjoy our station recommendations with "SHOUTcast Featured Stations," where you can sort your favorites by station name, genre or popularity.

Comedy, classic rock, foreign news, reggae straight from Jamaica, black metal from Sweden, 'This American Life' on NPR or your favorite team's game, no matter what you're looking for, we guarantee you'll be able to find it on SHOUTcast. But why take our word for it? Check it out for yourself.


Listen to SHOUTcast Radio

 

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]]>Derek Evers2010-06-29T00:02:00+00:00Sneak Peak of SHOUTcast 2.0http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/15/shoutcast-2-0-sneak-peak/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/15/shoutcast-2-0-sneak-peak/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/15/shoutcast-2-0-sneak-peak/#commentsFiled under:

Coming Soon to a web browser near you...

The All-New SHOUTcast 2.0! This is not just a facelift of the web site but a complete end-to-end upgrade of the SHOUTcast platform. Read on to find out what we have been cooking up for you for the past few months:

What's new for listeners?

All-New Station Directory:
We heard you loud and clear. You wanted easier navigation to find the stations you wanted to hear. You wanted better and faster search. You wanted more options to listen to your favorite SHOUTcast Radio stations. You also wanted the site to look pretty. We're giving you all that, and a lot more! Presenting the brand new SHOUTcast 2.0 Station Directory featuring:
  • Improved search: Find music and audio content playing on SHOUTcast 2.0 stations in real time
  • Multiple sorting options including station name, genre, number of listeners, bitrate and type
  • New genre list makes it easier to find stations
  • New bottom bar player lets you listen to music while you browse SHOUTcast stations at the same time or pop it our for more flexibility.
  • New Popup player that is also embeddable on your website
  • Get station recommendations with the new "Featured Stations" section
  • 'Coming Soon' search results searches against what's coming up next on SHOUTcast 2.0 stations*

What's new for Broadcasters and Developers?

We overhauled the engine to go with the shiny new paint. The completely re-written SHOUTcast 2.0 directory platform (aka YP2) and broadcaster tools are a significant leap forward in the evolution of SHOUTcast. Some highlights include:
  • All-new SHOUTcast YP2 protocol
  • Real-Time 'Now Playing' and 'Coming Soon' meta data updates
  • Streaming from port 80*
  • Stream multiple stations from a single SHOUTcast server instance*
  • In-Stream metadata in standardized XML*
  • UTF-8 and international character support*
  • Support for multiple file-types including MP3, AAC+, FLAC, WAV and Ogg*
  • Improved server and stream security*
  • New Wiki for broadcasters
*ATTENTION... In order for your stations to benefit from the new functionality noted above you must upgrade to the new 2.0 broadcaster tools.

Click here to download the 2.0 tools and upgrade now!

We're looking forward to the launch of the new directory site and tools very soon. Stay tuned for more updates right here on the SHOUTcast blog!



 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-06-15T16:40:00+00:00HOW TO: Access pls files on SHOUTcast.comhttp://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/15/how-to-access-pls-files-on-shoutcast-com/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/15/how-to-access-pls-files-on-shoutcast-com/http://www.shoutcastblog.com/2010/06/15/how-to-access-pls-files-on-shoutcast-com/#commentsUsers wishing to use their default media players (eg Winamp, Windows Media Player, iTunes) to listen to SHOUTcast radio stations should follow these instructions. Further, this tutorial is also geared towards users wishing to access each station's launch link in pls format.

You can configure the SHOUTcast website to open pls links for all stations in the directory. Here's how:

Step 1: Click the "Change Default Player Settings" link as shown below:


Step 2: When the Player Settings configuration window opens, check the following option:
"I want to listen using my own media player (Winamp, Windows Media, iTunes, etc)"


Step 3: Press Save

Now, all 'Tune-In' buttons on SHOUTcast.com will be linked to pls files rather than opening the web-based Popup player. If you need help configuring your default media player to open pls files, click here.

 

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]]>Faisal Sultan2010-06-15T10:29:00+00:00