Comparing Icecast & Shoutcast

Hippynet streaming gives the option to use either Icecast or Shoutcast. We support both server types however generally recommend that Icecast is used. Below are some of the key differences between the two.

Icecast and SHOUTcast are both streaming audio systems that are used to broadcast audio over the Internet:

1. Open-source vs proprietary: Icecast is open-source software, which means that it is free to use and can be modified by anyone. SHOUTcast, on the other hand, is proprietary software and is owned by Nullsoft.

2. Audio format support: Icecast supports a wide range of audio formats, including MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and AAC, while SHOUTcast supports much fewer.

3. Protocol: Icecast uses the HTTP protocol for streaming and it can be used with most media players and devices, while SHOUTcast uses a proprietary protocol

4. Flexibility: Icecast is more flexible when it comes to audio format and codec support, it allows for more options when configuring the server, while SHOUTcast is more limited and the options for configuration are less.

5. Stream relay: Icecast has built-in support for stream relaying, it can act as a proxy for other icecast streams and it can also re-stream audio from other sources, while SHOUTcast doesn't have this feature.

6. Web Interface: Both Icecast and SHOUTcast have built-in web interfaces for controlling the server and displaying information about the currently playing audio, but Icecast's web interface is more advanced, it's more flexible and provides more information. This is different to the control panels that are provided by Hippynet which work for both types of server.

Overall, Icecast is a more powerful and flexible streaming solution. In our anecdotal experience managing a wide range of customers and using both solutions we find that Icecast is generally less prone to 'annoying' problems than shoutcast and generally seeps to be more compatible with a wider range of software and audio players. Others may have different experience and recommendation but we can't think of any real reason to use SHOUTcast over Icecast.