User Guide
Complete reference manual for BroadcastMySelf — from first-time setup to advanced DSP configuration and troubleshooting.
This manual covers BroadcastMySelf for Android. On iPhone or iPad? Read the BroadcastSelf iOS user guide instead.
iPhone app →Table of Contents
1 First Launch & Setup Wizard
When you open BroadcastMySelf for the first time, the Setup Wizard launches automatically. It walks you through three quick steps: language selection, audio calibration, and initial server configuration. The app supports 12+ languages and detects your system language automatically—you can change this at any time in Settings.
Permissions Required
- • Microphone — Required. Without this, the app cannot capture audio for broadcasting.
- • Storage / Files & Media — Required for loading music from your device into the playlist.
- • Notifications — Recommended. Allows the app to show broadcast status in the notification bar while running in the background.
- • Bluetooth (Android 12+) — Required if you want to use Bluetooth microphones or headsets.
Audio Calibration
The wizard runs a brief audio calibration to measure your device's microphone latency and baseline noise floor. Speak at your normal broadcasting volume during this step. The calibration result is used to optimize the noise gate threshold and input gain defaults. You can re-run calibration at any time from Settings > Audio > Recalibrate.
2 Configuring Server Connection
Icecast 2 Setup
- • Select Icecast 2 as your server type.
- • Enter Host (IP or domain), Port (usually 8000), and Mount Point (e.g., /live).
- • Enter your Source Password (distinct from the admin password).
- • Optionally set a Stream Name and Genre for directory listing.
- • Tap Test Connection to verify.
Shoutcast Setup
- • For older servers, select Shoutcast v1. For DNAS 2.x, select Shoutcast v2.
- • Shoutcast v1 uses a single password field. Shoutcast v2 requires a Stream ID and a DJ Password.
- • The Mount Point field is not used for Shoutcast v1.
- • If Test Connection fails, verify the port is not blocked by your mobile carrier.
Connection Test Fails?
- • Double-check credentials: Passwords are case-sensitive. Copy-paste from your hosting panel where possible.
- • Try a different port: Some carriers block non-standard ports on mobile data. Ask your host if they offer port 80 or 443.
- • Use Skip: If you know your credentials are correct but Test Connection times out, tap Skip and attempt a live broadcast directly—some servers don't respond to test requests.
- • Check firewall: If self-hosting, ensure the Icecast port is open in your server's UFW/iptables firewall rules.
3 Understanding the Dashboard
Status Indicators
- ● ON AIR — Connected and streaming to your server. Listener count may appear here if supported by your server.
- ● RECORDING — Saving audio locally in parallel with (or instead of) streaming.
- Latency Dots: Green (<100ms), Yellow (100–300ms), Red (>300ms). Red indicates your connection may be unstable.
VU Meters
- Left meter: Microphone input level. Target peak: -3 dB.
- Right meter: Music channel level. Target: -10 dB when voice is active.
- Clipping: Red at the top of the meter. Clipping causes distortion and must be avoided. Reduce your input gain.
Free vs Premium
- Free: 3-hour streaming session limit per broadcast. A countdown timer appears on the dashboard.
- Premium: Unlimited streaming duration, auto-reconnect on connection drop, and advanced DSP features unlocked.
- Loop Control: Tap the loop icon to cycle between Off, Loop One, and Loop All modes for your playlist.
4 Using the Mixer Console
Twin Faders
The Mixer Console shows two vertical faders: the left controls the microphone channel volume, and the right controls the music channel volume. Drag each fader independently. Tap the mute icon below each fader to silence that channel instantly without changing its position.
For a DJ-style broadcast, start with music at 80% (around -6 dB) and mic at 100% (-3 dB). When speaking, manually duck the music fader or enable Auto-Ducking for automatic adjustment.
Headphone Monitoring
If you have headphones connected, the monitoring mode button lets you choose what you hear: Mic Only (your own voice, useful for checking gain), Music Only (cue the next track privately), or Both (the full mixed signal as your listeners hear it).
Set monitoring to "Both" for your default broadcasting mode. This lets you hear the blend in real time and react immediately to any audio issues.
5 DSP Effects & Dynamics
Noise Gate
Automatically silences the microphone when the input level falls below the threshold. This removes ambient noise during pauses in speech.
- • Threshold: Set 3–6 dB above your room's ambient noise level.
- • Attack: 1–5 ms. Keep this fast to avoid clipping word beginnings.
- • Release: 100–200 ms. A slower release sounds more natural.
Auto-Ducking
Automatically reduces music volume when your voice is detected, then restores it when you stop speaking. Eliminates the need to manually adjust the music fader while talking.
- • Duck Depth: 12–18 dB recommended for a natural DJ blend.
- • Fade Speed: Faster = more abrupt; Slower = more musical.
10-Band Equalizer
Shapes the tonal balance of your microphone signal. For most broadcast voices:
- • Cut everything below 80 Hz (rumble removal).
- • Cut 2–4 dB around 300–500 Hz if voice sounds boxy.
- • Boost 2 dB at 3 kHz for vocal presence and clarity.
Compressor
Reduces the dynamic range of your voice, making soft passages louder and preventing loud passages from clipping. Creates the consistent, polished level associated with professional radio.
- • Ratio: 4:1 is a good broadcast starting point.
- • Threshold: Set where your average speaking level sits.
- • Make-up Gain: Use after compression to restore overall volume.
6 Music Player & Playlist
Loading Music
- • Tap the music folder icon to browse your device's audio files.
- • Supported formats: MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WAV, M4A.
- • Long-press tracks to add to the current queue, or tap "Add All" to load an entire folder.
- • Drag and drop to reorder tracks in the playlist.
- • The currently playing track title and artist are automatically sent as stream metadata to your Icecast/Shoutcast server.
Playback Controls
- • Crossfade: Enable in Settings to automatically blend the end of one track with the start of the next.
- • Shuffle: Tap the shuffle icon to randomize playlist order.
- • Loop: Cycle between Off, Loop One, and Loop All.
- • Cue Point: Long-press a track to set a start point so playback begins mid-track.
7 Local Recording
BroadcastMySelf can record your broadcast locally to your device's storage simultaneously with live streaming, or independently (offline recording without streaming). This is useful for archiving shows, creating podcast episodes from live broadcasts, or recording without an internet connection.
Starting a Recording
Tap the red Record button on the Dashboard. The indicator changes to red and a recording timer appears. You can stream and record simultaneously.
Stopping a Recording
Tap the Record button twice to stop. A single tap pauses; the second tap finalizes the file. The completed file appears in the Recordings library.
Output Format
Recordings are saved as MP3 at your configured bitrate. Files are stored in /Music/BroadcastMySelf/ on your device. Share directly via the Recordings library.
8 Audio Settings & Bitrate
Codec Selection
- MP3: Best compatibility. Use 128 kbps for talk radio, 192–320 kbps for music stations.
- Ogg Vorbis: Better quality-per-bit than MP3. Use with Icecast. Not supported by all players.
- Opus: Best codec for speech at low bitrates (32–64 kbps). Requires Icecast and a modern listener player.
Sample Rate & Channels
- Sample Rate: 44100 Hz is standard for music. 22050 Hz reduces bandwidth by 50% for speech-only stations.
- Stereo vs Mono: Mono halves your bandwidth usage. For talk radio, mono at 64–96 kbps often sounds better than stereo at 64 kbps.
- Audio Buffer: Increase if your connection drops frequently. Larger buffers add latency but improve stability.
9 Premium Features
Unlimited Streaming
Remove the 3-hour per-session limit. Premium users can broadcast continuously for as long as needed with no interruption.
Auto-Reconnect
If your connection drops mid-broadcast, the app automatically attempts to reconnect every 10 seconds without requiring manual intervention, keeping your stream live through brief network interruptions.
Advanced DSP Unlock
Premium unlocks the full compressor with ratio and attack/release controls, the full 10-band EQ, and multi-stage dynamics processing unavailable in the free version.
10 Troubleshooting
Connection Issues
- • Cannot connect: Verify host, port, and password. Check that the port is not blocked by your carrier or firewall.
- • Frequent drops: Reduce bitrate by 50%. Disable background data for other apps. Switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi if available.
- • High latency (red dots): Choose a server geographically closer to your location.
Audio Issues
- • Distorted audio: Input gain is too high. Reduce mic gain until meters no longer clip.
- • Voice is too quiet: Increase input gain, or reduce the noise gate threshold slightly.
- • Music bleeds into mic: Enable noise gate. Use wired or bone-conduction headphones to monitor without speaker bleed.
- • No microphone sound: Check that microphone permission is granted in Android Settings > Apps > BroadcastMySelf > Permissions.