SHOUTcast

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SHOUTcast

Developed by	Nullsoft
Latest release	1.9.8 / 28 February 2007
OS	Cross-platform
Type	Streaming media
License	Proprietary
Website	http://www.shoutcast.com/

SHOUTcast is a server for streaming media developed by Nullsoft. It allows digital audio content, primarily in MP3 or HE-AAC format, to be broadcast to and from media player software, enabling hobbyists and professionals to create Internet radio networks.

SHOUTcast is cross-platform, and freeware.

1 Design
2 Uses
3 History
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Design

SHOUTcast consists of a client-server model, with each component communicating via a network protocol that intermingles audio data with metadata such as song titles and the station name. It uses HTTP as a transport protocol, although multicast is another option.

SHOUTcast servers and clients are available for Palm OS, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris. Client-only versions exist on Windows Mobile, Series 60, the PlayStation Portable,^[1] and on Nintendo DS (DSOrganize).

The output format is supported by multiple clients, including Nullsoft's own Winamp, Totem, VLC media player, Amarok, XMMS, Zinf and Apple iTunes. Shoutcast servers are usually linked to by means of playlist files, which are small text files (usually with extensions .pls or .m3u) that contain the URL of the ShoutCast server. An attempt to visit that URL in a normal Web browser will usually result in a ShoutCast status page. But if a client connects and sends a GET / and nothing else, it will get the MP3 stream (which is potentially endless). Thus a rudimentary ShoutCast player can be constructed from basic Unix/Linux commands such as "echo $'GET /\n' | nc <server> <port> | madplay -"

Uses

The most common use of SHOUTcast is for creating or listening to Internet audio broadcasts. SHOUTcast makes it possible to inexpensively set up an Internet broadcasting station, so hobbyists and large radio network owners alike can use it to set up their own broadcasting network for a fraction of the cost of a traditional AM broadcasting or FM radio station.

Some traditional radio stations use SHOUTcast to extend their presence onto the Web.

History

SHOUTcast's streaming protocol uses metadata tags and responses that all start with ICY, which stands for "I Can Yell", the original name of the protocol. A cybersquatter registered the associated icanyell.com/.net/.org domains before Nullsoft, so Nullsoft changed the protocol's name from I Can Yell to SHOUTcast. Despite the name change, the ICY prefix persists in the protocol spec.