When you're setting up a mobile radio station with BroadcastMySelf, one of the first decisions you'll face is which streaming protocol to use. The choice between Icecast and Shoutcast is more than just a preference; it affects compatibility, features, and even how your metadata (like artist and title) is displayed to listeners.
What is Shoutcast?
Created by Nullsoft (the same team behind Winamp), Shoutcast is the "grandfather" of internet radio. It's stable, widely supported, and has a massive directory (SHOUTcast Radio Directory) that can bring automatic traffic to your station.
Pros:
- Massive directory presence.
- Very low overhead.
- Extensive hardware and software compatibility.
What is Icecast?
Icecast is the open-source alternative and is widely considered the more "technically flexible" of the two. It supports multiple mount points on a single port, allowing you to have a "Live" stream and an "AutoDJ" stream running simultaneously on the same server.
Pros:
- Supports multiple mount points.
- Native support for Ogg Vorbis and Opus.
- Generally more stable metadata handling.
- Open-source and free to host.
The Protocol Comparison
| Feature | Shoutcast v2 | Icecast 2.x |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | Proprietary/Commercial | Open Source (GPL) |
| Mount Points | One per instance | Multiple per instance |
| Metadata | Good (HTTP Headers) | Excellent (Mount-specific) |
| Directory | Shoutcast.com | Dir.Xiph.org |
Which one should you choose for BroadcastMySelf?
If you are a professional terrestrial station looking to expand online, Shoutcast's directory and widespread compatibility with automotive players might be the edge you need.
However, for independent DJs and hobbyists, we almost always recommend Icecast 2. Its ability to handle multiple streams (e.g., a low-bitrate stream for listeners on mobile data and a high-bitrate stream for those on Wi-Fi) on a single port is invaluable.
Conclusion
Regardless of your choice, BroadcastMySelf supports both protocols natively. The most important factor isn't the software running on the server, but the quality of the audio you're sending to it.