Streaming Server: first steps with SonicPanel

A streaming server is not a website with music on it. It is a machine built for one job: delivering live audio to many people at once, without breaking up. It is what sits behind an online radio station.

This article explains what you get, how to start broadcasting, and what to decide before choosing a plan.

What you get

Everything is managed through SonicPanel - the panel where you control the stream, the listeners and the schedule. The address and credentials arrive by e-mail once we have created your radio.

Feature	What it is for
AutoDJ	The station broadcasts on its own from your library when nobody is live. It is what keeps you on air around the clock
Unlimited traffic	No bandwidth budget to watch - on every plan
AAC and MP3	AAC sounds better at the same bitrate; MP3 plays everywhere. You can run both
Statistics	How many listeners, from where, and for how long

The plans

They differ in two numbers: space for the library and maximum bitrate. Listeners are unlimited on all three, and you choose the panel, SonicPanel or VoxStream, when you order.

Plan	What it carries
Streaming Pro	Unlimited simultaneous listeners · 20 GB · up to 128 kbps
Streaming Plus	Unlimited simultaneous listeners · 50 GB · up to 192 kbps
Streaming Ultra	Unlimited simultaneous listeners · 150 GB · up to 320 kbps

Simultaneous listeners, not daily ones. The number that counts is how many people are listening at the same time at your peak. A station with a thousand listeners a day rarely has a thousand at once.

Bitrate: what to choose

Bitrate decides quality - and also how much internet each listener needs. Higher sounds better, but shuts out anyone on a weak connection.

Bitrate	When it makes sense
64-96 kbps	Voice, spoken word, or an audience listening on mobile data
128 kbps	The usual balance for music. Plays well almost anywhere
192 kbps	When quality is the selling point and your audience has good connections

In Mozambique, think about mobile listeners. A high bitrate uses more of the listener’s data and breaks up on weak connections. Many stations broadcast at two qualities at once and let people choose.

Getting on air

1	Order the plan at www.mozout.co.mz and wait for the e-mail with your SonicPanel credentials.

2	Sign in and note the server address, the port and the broadcast password. Those three are what your encoder will ask for.

3	Upload music to AutoDJ so the station has something to play when nobody is live.

4	Connect your broadcasting software using the details from step 2 and run a test before announcing anything.

5	Publish the listening address on your site. If you want an address on your own domain, we will create the record - see DNS records explained.

Want to get your station on air and not sure which plan is enough?

Talk to us

Example encoder settings

Every free encoder asks for the same fields (in BUTT, for example, under Settings, Main, Server, Add). Copy them from the stream's connection details in the panel, where the server, port and passwords are shown:

Type: Icecast or SHOUTcast, as the panel shows for your stream.
Address and port: the server name and port from the panel, not your site's address.
Mount point (Icecast only): exactly as in the panel, with the slash, for example /stream.
Password: the source (broadcast) password, which is not the panel login.
Codec and bitrate: MP3 or AAC, up to 128 kbps on Pro and 192 kbps on Plus and Ultra.

If it will not connect, the usual causes are a wrong port or server type, a typo in the mount point, the panel password used instead of the source password, a bitrate above the plan's, or a firewall or antivirus on your computer or network blocking the outgoing port.

More about your radio

SonicPanel or VoxStream, scheduling and shows, going live, the player on your site, Live Stream and the extras of each panel.

Choosing and switching panels

Programming and going live

Player, Live Stream and extras

Categories

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