Icecast is a
streaming media
Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a Computer network, network for playback using a Media player (disambiguation), media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of Network packet, packets from a Server (computing), ...
project released as
free software
Free software, libre software, libreware sometimes known as freedom-respecting software is computer software distributed open-source license, under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, distribut ...
maintained by the
Xiph.Org Foundation. It also refers specifically to the
server
Server may refer to:
Computing
*Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides requested information for other programs or devices, called clients.
Role
* Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending custome ...
program which is part of the project. Icecast was created in December 1998/January 1999 by
Jack Moffitt Jack Moffitt may refer to:
* Jack Moffitt (computer scientist), American computer scientist, co-author of Icecast
* Jack Moffitt (musician), Australian musician, former member of The Preatures
* Jack Moffitt (screenwriter) (1901–1969), Americ ...
and Barath Raghavan
to provide an
open-source
Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
audio streaming server that anyone could modify, use, and tinker with. Version 2, a
ground-up rewrite aimed at multi-format support (initially targeting
Ogg Vorbis
Vorbis is a free and open-source software project headed by the Xiph.Org Foundation. The project produces an audio coding format and software reference encoder/decoder (codec) for lossy audio compression, libvorbis. Vorbis is most common ...
) and scalability, was started in 2001 and released in January 2004.
History
Icecast was originally developed by Moffitt in 1998 for
SMU's radio station. At the time, the station was constantly losing its FCC license and was at the time only able to reach listeners in the same building. Given that all of the dorms throughout campus had Ethernet connectivity, using streaming audio to broadcast was a natural solution, but currently available audio streaming software, such as RealAudio, was too expensive. Moffitt created Icecast, allowing the station to easily reach everywhere on campus without the necessity of FCC licensing or a transmitter upgrade. Initially developed to support
mp3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany under the lead of Karlheinz Brandenburg. It was designed to greatly reduce the amount ...
files,
Vorbis
Vorbis is a free and open-source software project headed by the Xiph.Org Foundation. The project produces an audio coding format and software reference encoder/decoder ( codec) for lossy audio compression, libvorbis. Vorbis is most comm ...
support was added shortly after.
Technical details
The Icecast server is capable of streaming audio content as
Opus
Opus (: opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera ...
or Vorbis
over standard
HTTP
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is an application layer protocol in the Internet protocol suite model for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web, wher ...
, video as
WebM
WebM is an audiovisual media file format. It is primarily intended to offer a royalty-free alternative to use in the HTML video and the HTML audio elements. It has a sister project, WebP, for images. The development of the format is sponsored by ...
or
Theora
Theora is a free lossy video compression format. It was developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation and distributed without licensing fees alongside their other free and open media projects, including the Vorbis audio format and the Ogg contai ...
over HTTP, and
MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany under the lead of Karlheinz Brandenburg. It was designed to greatly reduce the amount ...
,
AAC
AAC may refer to:
Aviation
* Advanced Aircraft, a company from Carlsbad, California
* Airborne aircraft carrier, a type of aircraft
* Alaskan Air Command, a radar network
* American Aeronautical Corporation, a company from Port Washington, New ...
,
and
NSV over the
SHOUTcast protocol. Theora, AAC, and NSV are only supported in version 2.2.0 and newer.
Icecast requires external programs, called "source clients", to originate the streams, and the Icecast project includes a source
client
Client(s) or The Client may refer to:
* Client (business)
* Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer
* Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuable ...
program known as IceS.
The source runs typically in the place where the audio is generated (e.g., a studio) and the Icecast server where a high-
bandwidth
Bandwidth commonly refers to:
* Bandwidth (signal processing) or ''analog bandwidth'', ''frequency bandwidth'', or ''radio bandwidth'', a measure of the width of a frequency range
* Bandwidth (computing), the rate of data transfer, bit rate or thr ...
connection is available (e.g., a
colocation centre
A colocation centre (also spelled co-location, or shortened to colo) or "carrier hotel", is a type of data centre where equipment, space, and bandwidth are available for rental to retail customers. Colocation facilities provide space, power, ...
). Since version 2.4.0 source clients can use plain HTTP standard PUT requests instead of the custom SOURCE method.
Supported file formats
See also
*
List of streaming media systems
This is a list of streaming media systems. A more detailed comparison of streaming media systems is also available.
Servers
* Ampache – GPL/LGPL Audio streaming
**atmosph3re – responsive web-based streaming audio server for personal music ...
*
SHOUTcast
*
Peercasting
Peercasting is a method of multicasting Streaming media, streams, usually audio and/or video, to the Internet via peer-to-peer technology. It can be used for commercial, independent, and amateur multicasts. Unlike traditional IP multicast, peercas ...
*
Edcast
References
External links
*
*article in ''Streaming Media'' magazine
The Birth of Icecast
{{Xiph.org
Free audio software
Internet radio software
Xiph.Org projects
Streaming software
1999 software