SHOUTcast System Overview

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Shoutcast Home | Shoutcast Server (DNAS) | Shoutcast Developer (API) | Shoutcast For Business & Revenue Generation | Shoutcast DSP (encoder Plug-In for Winamp)


Overview of the SHOUTcast System

The SHOUTcast system is based around a 'client + server' configuration which allows you to run a server (either directly or via a hosted service) which can provide a stream or streams (if using a v2 server) of the 'source' connected to it to any clients which then connect to the server.

The clients connect via a direct connection i.e. server <->> client where the main flow of data (the stream data) will go from the server to the client.

The server itself will take a source for the stream which can be from the Transcoder (sc_trans) or Winamp + Source DSP (dsp_sc) or any other program which is able to provide the stream data to the server in the required format (depending upon the mode the server is being run in). Additionally the source could even be another server which then makes our server into a relay server.

Once a source is connected to the server, the server will then allow clients to connect to it and so the SHOUTcast system is running. An additional feature provided is the means to list the stream in the SHOUTcast Radio Directory (otherwise known as the YP from its earlier days which stands for YellowPages) which does as it is named by providing a directory listing of streams which makes it easier for any clients to find your stream and so be able to listen to it.

Important to note is that the YP will not do anything else other than providing some information to the client such as a title, contact information i.e. a website to go to, the genre of the stream (used for categorising the stream for easier finding) and so on as provided to the YP from the server as well as providing the required url address of your stream. This is no more different than placing a link on your own site to the url address of your stream, it just happens to be listed in one place which makes it easier for clients to find yours and other peoples streams.


Example SHOUTcast System Setups

Based on what we now know about the SHOUTcast system you could have one of the following setups of tools to have a working SHOUTcast system.

   Legend
   
   «~»          -  A query made about the stream i.e. obtaining an url for it.
   → or ← or ↑  -  A direct connection where the direction of the arrow shows the
                   direction the connection happens e.g. from a source to the server.


Example 1: Source connected to a Server and listing on the YP for client connections

   Winamp + DSP  →  DNAS [sc_serv]  →         YP          «~»   Winamp
     (Source)          (Server)        (Radio Directory)       (Client)
                           ↑                                      |
                            ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯


Example 2: Source connected to a Server with a client using a direct url e.g. via website

   Winamp + DSP  →  DNAS [sc_serv]  ←   Winamp
     (Source)          (Server)        (Client)


Example 3: Source connected to a Server with a client using a direct url

   Transcoder  →  DNAS [sc_serv]  ←   Winamp
    (Source)         (Server)        (Client)

Note: This shows how the source can be different but the client will not know.


Example 4: Relaying a Server via your Server and listing on the YP for client connections

   DNAS [sc_serv]  →  DNAS [sc_serv]  →         YP          «~»   Winamp
      (Source)             (Server)      (Radio Directory)       (Client)
                               ↑                                     |
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯


Summary


As can be seen from these examples there are a number of ways to provide a source to the server (not accounting for 3rd party source programs) and for a client to connect to the server. In all cases the connection from the client to the server is direct even if the stream is listed on the YP and the client 'connects' to the stream via the YP entry.