Community Radio

[Jarada]

Hey everyone,

 

Recently been browsing through the forums, which are really great btw, and I've not been able to find a specific answer to the question I have. So I hope you guys (and ladies, of course ;)) can help me.

 

OK, I am trying to setup a web-based community managed radio station that offers the following features:

• Ability to play a random selection of tracks stored on the server through automation
  
• Ability to have scheduled shows controlled by community where automation ceases
  
• Ability for radio host to broadcast to the server from remote
  
• Ability for radio to allow for songs stored on the server to be played manually by the radio host at the same time as he/she is also broadcasting to the server
  
• Software must be Linux compatible and preferably as cheap as possible (being a web-based community we have a very limited budget)

OK, so with these five core requirements I tried to find a specific piece of software that covers them all and I turned up short. SHOUTCast and Icecast don't offer automation, and as far as I can see, the automation software doesn't offer the ability for a host to broadcast Shoutcast style from remote.

 

So... what I want to know is, firstly, am I wrong with the previously written statement? And secondly, if not, would Shoutcast/Icecast and Campcaster/Rivendell used in a combo (so have Shoutcast and Campcaster for example) offer a solution that matches our needs?

 

Thank you very much in advance :biggrinthumb:

[frankallen]

Firstly Hello,

To answer your question i have no idea but the best person to ask here is marcalle find is name and click on it to send him a pm im sure he will be happy to help you out as this is his field of expertise.

 

Frank

[shoutcaststreaming]

His reply should be posted here, so we all know the answer.

[BWorld]

Hello Jarada, my name is Marcus and I will try to answer your question as best as I can by addressing each of these points:

 

• Ability to play a random selection of tracks stored on the server through automation
  
• This can be done using an Auto-DJ software, such as Cast-Control or CentovaCast
  
• Ability to have scheduled shows controlled by community where automation ceases
  
• This would require some sort of a script that would have to be written customized for your station, probably using one of the AutoDJ softwares above. A developer would have to contact one of the companies above to get an API setup of some sort to allow a script to be created for the 'community' to control.
  
• Ability for radio host to broadcast to the server from remote
  
• This can be accomplished, again, by using one of the above softwares...provided they have the music on their systems.
  
• Ability for radio to allow for songs stored on the server to be played manually by the radio host at the same time as he/she is also broadcasting to the server
  
• This would be tricky because the files would somehow have to be downloaded by the radio host, then sent back up.
  
• Software must be Linux compatible and preferably as cheap as possible (being a web-based community we have a very limited budget)
  
• I'm not really familiar with Linux user friendly automation softwares.

I would like to help more, if you can be specific with any further questions, I might be able to help more!

 

I hope this helps.

[Jarada]

Hello Marcus,

 

Thanks for answering my questions Icecast and CentovaCast looks to be perfect for what I need, I think, and CentovaCast is completely Linux based, so that covers my fifth point.

 

I do have a few things I want to clarify though, and see if you can help more...

 

When I say for the radio host to broadcast to the server in points 3 and 4, I'm referring to the host broadcasting his/her voice up to the server. All the music will be stored on the server, and therefore will have to be played manually through the Auto-DJ software during live shows.

 

Which is why point 4 is very important, in that the songs can be played manually by the Auto-DJ as well as the radio host talking up to the server...

 

Could you confirm if this is possible on Icecast to have a stream from CentovaCast playing music and a stream from the host with him/her talking streaming through at the same time?

[BWorld]

There is no technology that can allow that, in which I am aware of.