SHOUTcast Server

Setup

I'm assuming you have Winamp 2.x installed and know how to use it.

First step, install the server and the plugin. Open the Winamp Prefrences and select DSP/Effect to start the SHOUTcast digital sound processing client. This is the first step in broadcasting music. Once the Source window is open (as shown on the right), you can close the Prefrences window. The source window will stay open as long as it is loaded and/or broadcasting. This is where you will configure the source (obviously). We'll cover this in more detail later.

Configuring the Server

Now, the fun part: configuration. We need to tell the server how to control access and how to listen for the stream. Click Edit Config and the configuration file will open in a new Notepad window. This configuration file is pretty well self documented, so theres no need for me to go over every variable. The most important one is the following: PortBase.

PortBase is the port that your source plugin and your users will connect to. Note that the port you pick +1 must be available. In other words, if you pick port 8000, both port 8000 and 8001 must be available (unused).

Firewalls are a trial and error thing, and no two firewalls are configured the same. What may work for you at home may not work for your listeners elsewhere. Take a day or so to check your server from work or school to see if it works before publishing your server link.

Remember, once you edit the configuration file, save it, and restart the server. The server reads the file once--on startup. After that, changes won't be effective until the next server restart.

Configuring the Source

So you've got the server ready to go. Now for starting your stream. Go back to the Source window (in Winamp) and start with the Encoder tab. Highlight "Encoder 1" and make sure it has an encoder selected (such as MP3 Encoder). Set the Encoder Settings appropriately.

Encoder Settings:

This is just like mp3 files. The higher the sampling rate, the higher the quality. However, higher sampling rates mean bigger bandwith, and thus more prone to constant rebuffering and dropped connections. I like my music to be high quality, but this comes at a price. The higher sampling rate means less people can listen to my connection. The lower the sampling rate (the lower the quality), the less bandwith it takes and thus more people can listen. It's a trade off. I typically set mine at 96kbps, 44100kHz, Stereo.

Output Settings: Connection and Yellowpages:

Each Output has to be directed to its server.

Address: "localhost" or the IP of the server (if you run the server program on another computer)
Port: this is the value you specified as PortBase in the server config file.
Password: whatever you set as Password in the server config file. Default is "changeme"
Encoder:"1"

Again, each Output can be customized.

If you want this server to be public (ie, listed on Shoutcast.com), then fill this out with whatever you want. Description is the only field required.

If you do not want this to be a public server, uncheck the Make this server public box.

Why all the Outputs?

One cool thing about SHOUTcast is the Output ability, or the ability to process multiple instances of the same stream. Why would you want this? Well, say you want to customize it a bit. Say you want your own stream for work to be high-quality. Set Output 1 to your prefrences at work, Output 2 as the settings for your friends, etc.

The DNAS Server can be run more than once. How do you do this? Make a configuration file for every connection type you want. Maybe one high-quality one for work, one medium quality for friends, and one average quality for public use. You can then make three copies of separate customized configuration files. Once this is done, go to Start > Run and use the command line to start the server using each configuration file:

This command would start the server for your work connection. Substitute sc_work.ini for the configuration file of your choice. Then you can set each output (1, 2, 3, etc) to connect to each of these servers. Output 1 could be your work stream using a high quality encoder, Output 2 could connect to the server for your friends, using a medium encoder, and so on.

Remember to use different ports for each server!

Firewall Configurations

So you've got your music streaming. Now for the most important part: getting you and your friends connected. As mentioned in the Requirements above, some kind of firewall is recommended. If you'll be giving out your IP, you'll want some kind of connection protection. I highly discourage the use of Zone Alarm. Reason being is the pure strength of the program. While it does an excellent job of protecting your computer, it often gets in the way of doing things network-related. Just as it causes headaches at LANs, it'll really leave you puzzled as it quietly blocks legitimate connections.

I personally use the hardware firewalls offered in Linksys products. These built-in firewall rules do a fairly good job at blocking things while letting me add my own universal rules.

First off, find out the IP address of your server machine. Start > Run > cmd > "ipconfig"
Note the IP address....this is what you'll need to forward your specified port in your firewall.

Below is a sample picture of a rule in my firewall to forward incoming traffic on a port 20 to my SHOUTcast server machine on my LAN whose IP is 192.168.1.100.

Linking

Now to distribute your stream. Here's how you do it.

The stream is sent through a file called "listen.pls." You simply add this to your port/address to let people listen.

Sample link: http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:20/listen.pls

Obviously, the xxx's are your outside IP and the 20 is the port specified in PortBase and the port opened on your firewall.