Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. BroadcastMySelf is a broadcasting client—it sends audio to a streaming server, which then distributes your stream to listeners. You need an Icecast 2 or Shoutcast server. The two options are: (1) Use a managed hosting provider like Cloudrad.io, RadioForge, or Shouters. These cost $5–$15/month and require no technical setup—they provide you with connection credentials within minutes. (2) Self-host an Icecast 2 server on a Linux VPS (DigitalOcean, AWS Lightsail) for full control at a lower long-term cost.

BroadcastMySelf requires Android 7.0 (Nougat) or higher. For the best performance and access to low-latency audio APIs, Android 10 or higher is recommended. Some advanced features like Class-Compliant USB audio device support require Android 9 or higher. The app is regularly tested on Android 12, 13, 14, and 15 to ensure compatibility with the latest platform changes.

Yes. BroadcastSelf is our Icecast and Shoutcast broadcasting app for iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs. It streams to Icecast v2, Shoutcast v1 and Shoutcast v2 with a two-channel mic and music mixer, MP3 encoding from 32 to 320 kbps, live now-playing metadata, and background broadcasting that keeps running with the screen locked. It needs no account and is free to download and broadcast with, with an optional Pro subscription. See the iOS user guide for the full manual.

Yes, BroadcastMySelf has a free tier that includes full Icecast and Shoutcast connectivity, the music player, basic DSP effects, and local recording. Free users have a 3-hour streaming limit per session. The Premium subscription removes the session limit, enables auto-reconnect on connection drops, and unlocks the full advanced DSP features including the multi-parameter compressor and advanced EQ controls.

If you use a managed hosting provider, your credentials (hostname, port, mount point, and source password) are found in your hosting control panel—usually under "Server Details" or "Connection Info." Look for: Host (an IP address or domain like stream.yourhost.com), Port (commonly 8000 or 8080), Mount Point (e.g., /live or /stream), and Source Password. For Shoutcast v2, you also need your Stream ID. If you self-host Icecast, these values are set in your icecast.xml configuration file under <source-password> and <listen-socket>.

Icecast is open-source (GPL licensed), supports multiple simultaneous mount points on a single server port, and natively handles modern codecs like Ogg Vorbis and Opus in addition to MP3. Shoutcast is proprietary software developed by Nullsoft/AOL. It has a much larger listener directory (shoutcast.com) that can drive organic traffic, and very broad compatibility with legacy hardware and software. For most new independent stations, we recommend Icecast 2 due to its flexibility and open-source nature. See our detailed Icecast vs Shoutcast comparison for full details.

Start with the basics: (1) Verify your credentials are entered exactly as provided—passwords are case-sensitive. (2) Check the port number. Some mobile carriers block non-standard ports like 8000 on cellular data. Ask your hosting provider if they support port 80 or 443 (which are virtually never blocked). (3) If you self-host, verify the Icecast port is open in your server firewall (sudo ufw allow 8000 for Ubuntu). (4) If the test always times out but your credentials are correct, try using the "Skip" option and attempt a live broadcast—some server configurations don't respond to test connection requests. (5) Try switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data to rule out a carrier-side block.

Frequent disconnections are almost always related to upload bandwidth instability. The most effective fix is to reduce your stream bitrate. If you are streaming at 192 kbps, try 128 kbps. If already at 128, try 96 kbps. Second, disable background data for other apps—cloud backup, Google Photos sync, and system updates can saturate your upload mid-broadcast. Third, if on Wi-Fi, ensure you are connected to the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band rather than the congested 2.4 GHz band. Fourth, use BroadcastMySelf Premium, which includes an auto-reconnect feature that automatically re-establishes your stream after a connection drop without manual intervention.

Yes, absolutely. BroadcastMySelf is specifically designed and optimized for mobile data broadcasting. A 4G LTE connection with 2–4 Mbps of sustained upload easily supports a 128 kbps MP3 stream. 5G connections are even more capable. The key is to set your broadcast bitrate conservatively relative to your upload speed. Run a speed test before each broadcast and follow the 50% rule: do not broadcast above 50% of your measured upload capacity. Disable background data for other apps to ensure your full upload bandwidth is available for the stream.

The right bitrate depends on your content type and connection quality. For speech-only content (talk radio, news, podcasts), 64 kbps MP3 or 48 kbps Opus is sufficient and very bandwidth-efficient. For mixed music and talk, 128 kbps MP3 is the industry standard—it sounds good on all devices and requires only about 1 Mbps of upload bandwidth. For music-only stations where audio quality is paramount, 192–320 kbps MP3 is appropriate, but requires at least 2–3 Mbps of stable upload. The golden rule: never exceed 50% of your tested upload speed to maintain headroom for network fluctuations.

Yes. BroadcastMySelf works with any microphone that Android recognizes as an audio input device. This includes: (1) USB microphones (like Shure MV7, Samson Q2U) connected via a USB-C OTG adapter—Android recognizes these as Class-Compliant USB Audio devices automatically. (2) Audio interfaces (like Focusrite Scarlett Solo) connected via USB-C OTG, allowing you to use professional XLR microphones. (3) Bluetooth microphones that connect via Android's Bluetooth audio profile. (4) Wired headset microphones with a 3.5mm TRRS plug (on phones that have a headphone jack). For best results and lowest noise floor, a USB dynamic microphone is the recommended option for most mobile broadcasters.

The Noise Gate is a dynamics processor that automatically mutes your microphone input when the signal level falls below a set threshold. It eliminates the continuous ambient background noise—air conditioning, traffic, keyboard clicks—that would otherwise fill your broadcast during pauses. To set it correctly: speak at your normal broadcast voice and note the peak level on the input meter. Then observe the meter level when you are completely silent—this is your noise floor. Set the gate threshold 3–6 dB above the noise floor level. This ensures the gate opens immediately when you begin speaking and closes cleanly during silence, without cutting off word endings (a problem called "gate chatter" that occurs when the threshold is set too close to the voice level).

Auto-Ducking monitors your microphone input continuously. When it detects your voice above a configurable threshold, it automatically reduces the music channel volume by a set amount (the "duck depth"), then restores the music when you stop speaking. This simulates the manual fader adjustment that radio DJs perform when speaking over music. Configure the duck depth to 12–18 dB for a natural DJ-style effect. The fade speed controls how quickly the music ducks down (on voice detection) and recovers (when voice stops). A faster fade is more immediate but can sound abrupt; a slower fade sounds more natural but may allow the first syllable of speech to compete with the music level briefly.

Distortion (a harsh, clipping sound) is almost always caused by the input gain being set too high. Check the microphone VU meter—if it regularly hits the red zone (at or above 0 dB), your gain is too high. Reduce the microphone input gain until your speaking voice peaks at around -3 to -6 dB on the meter. The compressor cannot fix clipping that occurs before it in the signal chain, so correct gain staging must come first. If you are using an external USB microphone or audio interface, also check the interface's hardware gain knob—this controls the analog gain before the signal reaches Android.

Yes, but with an important caveat. When Android switches to a Bluetooth headset for audio input, it activates the Bluetooth SCO (Synchronous Connection-Oriented) profile, which limits audio quality to 8 kHz or 16 kHz sample rate—equivalent to a phone call. This is significantly lower quality than your phone's built-in microphone or a USB mic. Bluetooth headsets are suitable for monitoring your stream privately (connecting the output to Bluetooth earphones works well), but for the microphone input, wired or USB solutions will always produce better broadcast audio quality.

Yes, with the right accessory. A USB-C "Powered OTG Hub" solves this problem completely. These hubs have multiple USB ports plus a USB-C charging pass-through. Connect your USB microphone to one port, a charger to the charging port, and the hub's OTG output to your phone. This allows simultaneous microphone connection and charging from a single USB-C port. Powered OTG hubs are available for $15–$30 and are highly recommended for broadcasts longer than 2 hours, as streaming, screen-on time, and audio processing together can drain even a large battery in 3–4 hours.

Yes. BroadcastMySelf runs as a foreground service with a persistent notification, which prevents Android from killing it when the screen turns off. You will see the broadcast status in your notification bar. However, some Android manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus) have aggressive battery optimization that can kill background services. If your broadcast stops when you lock the screen, go to Settings > Battery > App-specific settings (or Battery Optimization) > find BroadcastMySelf and set it to "Unrestricted" or "Don't optimize." This is a one-time setting.

BroadcastMySelf Premium includes three key upgrades over the free tier: (1) Unlimited streaming duration—the 3-hour session limit is removed entirely. (2) Auto-Reconnect—if your stream drops due to a brief network interruption, the app automatically reconnects without requiring any manual action. This is critical for unattended or long-form broadcasts. (3) Advanced DSP features—the full parameter compressor with adjustable attack, release, ratio, and knee settings; the full 10-band graphic EQ; and additional dynamics processing options that are restricted in the free version. Premium is available as a monthly or annual subscription.

Premium subscriptions are managed through Google Play's billing system and are linked to your Google account. On your new device, install BroadcastMySelf and sign in with the same Google account you used when you originally subscribed. Open the app and navigate to the Premium section. There should be a "Restore Purchases" button—tap it to re-verify your subscription with Google Play. Your Premium features will be restored automatically. If this does not work, ensure you are signed in to the correct Google account and that your subscription is still active in Google Play > Subscriptions.