Why use Icecast?

C

CharmingNathan

Member
Hello all,

This may sound like I am hating on Icecast with this post, but I am not, and this message is meant as a genuine question.

We're just going through a re-vamp of our website, currently we employ one channel of SHOUTcast and one of Icecast. The station focuses on playing music from outside the mainstream and championing the new and unknown/unsigned artists and bands.

For this and other reasons, showing the artwork for the song we are playing is very important, and to facilitate this we use Marci songs played, which is about the only software we've found that not only displays the current, but the last nine songs played.

As far as we're aware, Icecast only shows the current song playing, as it has no 'history' written into it like SHOUTcast does.

When we first started up, we were advised that Icecast had better sound quality than SHOUTcast, but have recently been informed this is a myth.

However, during this revamp we're scratching our heads for a reason not to ditch Icecast and to employ TWO SHOUTcast channels, so the artworks on both channels can be displayed.

Has anyone got any argument to present for a reason to keep Icecast?

If so, please do, as we're genuinely keen to hear.

Many thanks.
 
CharmingNathan said:
When we first started up, we were advised that Icecast had better sound quality than SHOUTcast, but have recently been informed this is a myth.
Click to expand...

Yes that is not true, there is no difference!

Before Shoutcast v2 was released, with Shoutcast v1 you had to manually disconnect the AutoDJ feature in order to connect a live stream, where as with Icecast you did not and could do this with the mount points and without disconnecting your listeners. Hence why a lot of people preferred Icecast (and also its support for Ogg Vorbis streams). But they practically have the same features now that SCv2 has implemented mount points..

You might find this FAQ helpful: https://www.internet-radio.com/community/threads/shoutcast-or-icecast-server.179/
 
Thanks for that Support.

I shall read that link later. But I guess your answer basically boils down to there being no good reason to keep Icecast? I don't think they update their software periodically, like SHOUTcast do either?

Next question is, I suppose, why is support for Ogg Vorbis so good?

We use good old .mp3's!

And please don't say that the answer to my question is in the link...!:confused: ;)
 
No problem :)

Yes Icecast gets updated regularly, just as much as Shoutcast if not more often actually. It's really a matter of preference!

As with the AAC format, Ogg Vorbis has a better audio quality than Mp3 at the same bitrate. Also some software (well Traktor mainly) only allows for streaming in that format.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top