How To Broadcast Online Your Own Radio

Step 1 - Check If you have External IP Adress

2006-08-26T21:58:00.000+03:00

You don't know what is an external ip adress? Is a numeric value (e.g. 213.233.0.1).
Why you nead an external ip ? because you don't nead the server firewall to block your broadcast.

How to check if you have an external ip? You have a choice:
- Choice 1: You pick up your phone and call your local internet provider and ask him/her if you have external ip and, if not, if is available for you.
- Choice 2:
a) Click on the LINK and take a good look at the numbers and I olso suggest to write them on a piece of paper.
b) Click right on My Computer icon located on the desktop.

c) Click on the "Computer Name" tab and write on the pice of paper your Full Computer Name. (Exemple: "globalmm" without the point(.) ).

d) Click on the start button and then on the RUN button.

e) Write "cmd" in the text box.

f) Write "ping abc" (replace abc by your FULL COMPUTER NAME writed down on the piece of paper earlier) .

g) See your IP.

f) Compare it with the ip that you written on the piece of paper earlier at step a).

If your ip is exactly the same with the one at the step a) you should be happy becaouse you can broadcast radio from your computer.

If you ip is different from the one at the step a) you should call your local internet provider and ask him/her if an external ip is available for you, if not you should wait until you change your provider with one that could offer you an external ip.

If you don't have external ip you can't broadcast over the internet radio, only in you local newtwork (LAN).

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Step 2 - Download the software

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If you are sure that you have external IP, now you have to download the software you will nead.

SAM Broadcaster 4 aac:
direct mirror
SpacialAudio Download Page

Shoutcast Server:
direct mirror
Shoutcast Download Page

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Step 3 - Install The software

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If you just download mysql , sam broadcaster and shoutcast server, now you are ready to install the software in the exact order:

1) Install mysql like any other software clicking next

Be carefull, install the software in c:\mysql folder, otherwise nothing will work:

After instalation use Windows Explorer to open c:\mysql\bin\winmysqladmin.exe and if the light is green at the traficlight try icon. If you don't open this software you couldn't install sam broadcaster.

2) Install Sam Broadcaster:
Note. Sam Broadcasters is not a free product, please buy the full version from http://www.spacialaudio.com . However if your radio is just for pleasure (not business) you can use the trial version becaouse the single inconvenience is that after the software expire your songs are intrupted by playing an mp3 file that tells you to buy the software.

I hate babying you , however the steps are important:
a) Click yes

b) Click next

c) Read the agreement and if you agree click "accept":

d) Click next

e) Select MYSQL

f) Leave "use custom settings"

g) Now the files ar copyed

h) Then click SKIP (because you don't have a serial number) and after click finish.

3) Install Shoutcast server

a) Read and if you agree click "I agree"

b) Let the type of install on "GUI" and click next

c) Click install and finish.

Now you have finished installing the software.

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Step 4 - Acquaint yourserf with Sam

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1) Import your music

a) Open Sam using the icon from your desktop

b) Make folders using Insert key.

c) Click on the Plus (+) icon to insert files into the playlist folder.

d) Browse you hard drive

2) Play and mix your music

a) Set Sam on Auto Dj or just to play Queue. On auto dj after you have nothing in queue the computer will play a random song. If you selected just to play queue, after you have nothing in queue, the player will stop.

b) Drag files from play list and drop them into Queue or just press enter.

c) Deck buttons and fields.

Fields: Cur = Current Time ; Tot = Total Time ; Rem = Remaining Time.
= play (inactive when the track is playing)
= pause (inactive when track is stoped)
= stop
= skip to to the next track
= starts again the same song
= eject the song from the deck
= fade to the next track

d) equalizer settings (i suggest to let them as default because your listener can set his own settings)

f) Mixing. You can mix your songs by draging one in deck A and the other one in deck B and playing both at the same time.

3) Voice FX

a) To place you voice over the music or without the music you firtst nead a microphone, you cam use the microphone from a headset, or any other computer microphone, plug it in the RED HOLE on the back or fron of your PC.

b) Go in Start Button > Control Panel > Sound and audio devices

c) Click on the Audio tab

d) In the region sound recording click on the volume button and make sure that everything beside the microphone is mute.

f) Click ON

When you want to talk click on the lock talk button and you'll hear that the music is automaticaly turn down, or you can stop the music when you talk.

The other function you can lern from the help files.

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Step 5 - Configurate the software

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1) Configurate Shoutcast Server

a) Go to Program Files > Shoutcast (or other location where you've install shoutcast server) using windows explorer.

b) Open sc_serv.ini with notepad end edit:
- MaxUser=32 mean that the maximal number of your listeners, I suggest to modify it to at least 50 listeners, read the text above:

- Password=changeme - replace "changeme" with another unique password because if you accidentaly shere you program files in a file shering software you will not lose you yahoo acount or any other acounts.

- SrcIP=ANY - replace "ANY" with your external ip you wroted on the piece of paper earlier, if you don't remember just go again to the step 1.

- AdminPassword=adminpass - you can use the same password as adminpass

The rest of the settings let them as default. Now click on sc_serv.exe to start the server. Make sure to remove any firewalls , including the windows default firewall, otherwise nothing will work because the signal will not pass your firewall and your listener can't connect to your broadcast.

2) Configurate SAM

a) Test your Bandwidh by wisiting http://www.bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/ or any other website that test bandwidh. You are interesed by the speed in kilobytes.

At the speed I conduct the test (21.4 kilobytes) I can broadcast to 2-3 listeners with the quality of the sound of 8kbps that is very low, that it's in theory, but in practice aac plus coding tecknology allow you to broadcast to more visitors on the low speed but with better quality.

b) Open SAM in the Desktop B (see on the upper bar) and in the Encoders window click on the plus (+) icon.

c) select acc plus v2

d) Click on Choose Format button, you will see as default, the setting:

32kBit/s is a good quality and is broadcasted at 3kb/s /listener , with the speed I tested (21kb/s) I can broadcast to 21/3 = 7 listeners, but if broadcast at half of speed at 16kbit/s 16.000Hz that is broadcasted at 1kb/s I can broadcast to 21 listeners. Set your quality an click ok.

e) Click on server details tab:

SERVER ip: your external ip
Server port: let as default (8000)
Password: write your password defined in your server settings earlier.
Station Name (Verry Important) : Write your station name (I suggest to be signifiant to your station genre: Rock Island = Rock; Tehno Mania = Tehno)
Genre: specify (some people will search your radio by genre)
Website URL: If you already have a website you could write it in here to just promote it, if you don't have a unique page just for the radio.
AIM, ICQ, IRC Chanel worth mentionated if you want to be flooded by "frends".
Click OK

f) Click on the play icon on the Encoders windows to start the encoder:

g) Now will see that the encoder was started

If you don't have external ip (in my case) or if you have an active firewall you will see the same error masage meaning that your listeners will not be able to listen your radio, but if all the condition are right you will not see this error message.

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Step 6 - Confirmation & Tuning

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1) Confim that you radio works by:

a) playing some music

b) Open the winamp (5.x or higher) and Add URL http://111.222.033.044:8000 (replace 111.222.033.044 with you real external ip and don't forget to add ":8000" after)
Now you know that your radio works just in your nework (LAN).

c) Ask a friend (that acces internet from other internet provider) to listen your broadcast by adding the same url in his winamp.

d) Go to www.Shoutcast.com and search "your station name". If you see that you are listed there, then means that you are now for sure a radio broadcaster.

2) Make you station more accessible

a) Go to FREE HOSTING Directory

b) Select yourself a free hosting provider with instant sign up and with a ftp acount.

c) In your internet browser open http://111.222.033.044:8000/ (you know to replce the ip) and you will se your station details. Click right to "listen" link and select "save target as" and save listen.pls file on the desktop.

d) Connect to your ftp server and upload listen.pls file.

e) Now people can acces your broadcast by going to http://yourfreeacount.freehostprovider.com/listen.pls instead of http://111.222.033.044:8000/ .

That's all the basic tips to broadcast online your own radio.

Copyright © 2006 Allex Radu www.GlobalMassMedia.com
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