About This Book
This book explains how to stream audio over the Internet or via network connections using the icecast audio server. It is intended as a comprehensive manual for the setup, use, care, and maintenance of icecast and related encoding and streaming applications. The book explains the best methods for using icecast and for streaming audio over the Internet. Because there is currently much confusion over the ethics and legality of online music streaming, this book attempts to resolve some of these issues. This book covers the basics to the more complex issues surrounding audio streaming.
This book also details the use of streamers, how to interpret sample files and audio bitrates, the creation of a static playlist as well as streaming live audio over networks. When possible only those applications that are classified as open source and which fall under the GPL or related licenses are discussed. All source code mentioned in these chapters is freely available for download. I have attempted to avoid any software that is closed source, requires a license, or costs money.
Though links and source code versions do change over time, every effort has been made to keep listings and release numbers for each application as up-to-date as possible. If you find any URL broken or inaccessible as listed, check with some of the major open source repositories: http://freshmeat.net/ and http://sourceforge.net/. If unable to locate the applications, use your search engine of choice to determine the program's new home or current web site. Most of the applications discussed provide links to other audio utilities via their own web sites.
By the end of this book, the reader should be able to setup, actively manage and connect to an audio server. The book is based largely upon my own real-world experiences as a System Administrator for one of the largest radio and television companies in the Western United States, i.e. KSL Radio and Television. Icecast provided a working solution to our streaming audio needs almost five years ago, and it continues to be one of the most popular and frequently visited services offered by the KSL radio web site. Whether you are looking for something to network your home music collection or to routinely transmit gigabits of audio data over the Internet, this book will help clarify any icecast questions or challenges you face.
This book is based on an older web page, "The Unofficial Icecast HowTo". That page is still in existence and can be referenced at the following URL: http://www.gnuware.com/icecast/unofficial/. I will attempt to move all pertinent data from that site over to this online publication. Submissions for additional topics or improvements will be welcomed.
 | This book is best viewed using the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. For some reason, Microsoft Internet Explorer does funky things to my DocBook rendered pages. Use Firefox or alternative browsers whenever possible. |
The most recent version of this web site is 0.4.5 and was released October 21, 2008.