Radio Broadcasting FAQ

MetaChat Broadcasting FAQ

This is a how-to on setting up WinAmp to shoutcast to the MetaChat server. If you were wondering, it's called Shoutcasting, because that's the name of the software used. This deals with WinAmp specifically, as a brief look over the Windows Media player plugins doesn't bring up any 'casting add-ins, and I'm unaware of any other programs that allow you to do this. I'm sure there are, but I find WinAmp the easiest to work with.

You'll need WinAmp upgraded to at least version 5 or better. The latest version is a free download from the official site, here. http://www.winamp.com/

To download the Shoutcast plugin, go to this page http://www.shoutcast.com/download/broadcast.phtml and click the link illustrated below.

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Download this and install.
Open WinAmp, click "Options", then "Preferences".
This menu is also accessible by right-clicking on the WinAmp interface.

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Scroll down on the left-hand-side box to the "Plug-ins" heading and choose "DSP/Effect".
You should see the plugin that you've installed listed on the right. Click that.

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This opens up the Shoutcast Source box. The tabs that we're interested in are detailed in the pictures below.
The "Main" and "Input" tabs give you information on the sound levels.

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Once you've got the plugin all set up as illustrated, you're ready to go. The "Shoutcast Source" box must be left open while you're 'casting. Click the "Connect" button to connect to the server, and then click the "play" button on the WinAmp interface to start 'casting. If you click the red "x" in the upper right-hand corner of the "Source" box, that'll minimise it to the tray to get it out of the way.
After you've finished the show (click the "Disconnect" button to turn off the connection!), to close the "Source" box, go back to WinAmp, click "Options", then "Preferences". To turn off the "Source", you need to change the DSP/Effect plug-in from "Nullsoft SHOUTcast Source DSP..." back to "(none)" by clicking "(none)". This'll make that "Source" box go away. Closing this box in any other way can cause WinAmp to behave badly.

Tips

Web sites. When I'm 'casting, I have the following windows open:
MetaChat - to post in and watch the thread I've made for the show. Feedback from listeners is important. The radio stream may sound fine to you, but there may be issues for others, and with any luck someone'll mention it. Also for posting tracklist updates.
The Shoutcast Administrator page - gives info on the current stream and the current listeners, and the last ten songs played. These are on the "Song History" and the "Status" links, respectively. Direct link to page is http://kara.fast-serv.com:9320/
Note: If you're doing a 'cast, do not click on the "Listen" link. You'll cause WinAmp to tune into the stream that you're 'casting, and the 'cast will stop, and you'll get an embarrassing blank spot in the 'cast until you start it up again.

So, you're listening to the stream on your computer as the song is being played, but what does it sound like to everyone else?
To hear what others are listening to, open Windows Media Player and click "File" and then "Open URL". In that box, type in "http://kara.fast-serv.com:9320/listen.pls" (without the quotes). This will cause the Player to connect to what you're playing. This gives you a live example of the delay for the stream to go from your computer to the MeCha server, and then back to your computer. The delay can be five to twenty seconds, depending on your internet connection speed.

ReBuffering Issues. If your tracks keep timing out, that is usually an indication that your internet connection is slow right now and can't handle the information that you're trying to send through it. At this point, it's best to end the 'cast and try again at a later time, or on a different day. Sometimes firewalls can slow the stream down enough that, again, the stream info can't get out fast enough. Try disabling the firewall for the duration of the show.

Track volume. Are your songs not loud enough? The 'casting volume isn't under your direct control - turning up the volume in WinAmp only affects what you hear on your computer. WinAmp is 'casting the song at its recorded levels. In order to increase the volume, you'll have to edit the actual .mp3 file itself. This can be done through a 3rd party program such as Audacity. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (A note on that: when increasing the volume on an audio file, do not allow the peak volume to go over 1dB (decibel). Going over that can distort the sound badly.)

WinAmp's Song Listing Page, and how to access it.
In WinAmp, open the Playlist window. Down the bottom should be four buttons on the left-hand side. Click the "Misc" button, and then "Misc" from the menu, and then click "Generate HTML playlist." This will open a window in your browser showing all the tracks in the playlist and their running times, along with some other info.