Web radio server: broadcast your station with Icecast or AzuraCast
Launch your internet radio station with a Kimsufi dedicated server. You install the streaming software of your choice, Icecast or AzuraCast, to serve listeners over HTTPS, and unmetered traffic keeps up with your audience.
Why use a dedicated server for your web radio?
An Icecast web radio works as a three-link chain. A source, meaning software such as BUTT for live shows, or Liquidsoap and LibreTime for automated playout of your MP3 and Ogg files, sends the audio to the Icecast server. The server distributes the audio stream to each listener, connected from a browser, a web player or a web radio client such as VLC.
Each listener receives their own copy of the stream: bandwidth usage grows with your audience. Shared streaming plans sell listener "slots" and often cap the bitrate. To build a radio station that lasts, a dedicated machine lets you set your own rules: number of streams, formats, live shows, statistics. Community radio, campus radio or music project: the same technical foundation works.
Why choose a Kimsufi dedicated server for your radio station?
Unmetered traffic
Bandwidth from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps depending on the model, with unmetered traffic included: your audience grows without volume-based billing.
Dedicated resources
CPU, RAM and storage are not shared with anyone: encoding and streaming stay stable, day and night.
Full control
With root access, you install the streaming tools of your choice and configure each mount point.
Built-in security
Anti-DDoS protection is included with every offer, and our datacenters are ISO 27001 certified.
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How to choose your web radio server?
The first criterion is bandwidth. The throughput you need is easy to calculate: number of concurrent listeners × stream bitrate. For example, 200 listeners at 128 kbps use about 26 Mbps.
- Processor: Icecast relays the audio without re-encoding it and needs little CPU; encoding (AutoDJ, transcoding) needs more.
- Memory: AzuraCast, which runs on Docker, needs at least 2 GB of RAM according to its documentation.
- Storage: set aside space for your media library, your audio files and show recordings.
- Location: a datacenter close to your audience reduces latency.
Install Icecast, AzuraCast or Shoutcast
Your machine is ready a few minutes after you order; install Debian or Ubuntu in one click from the control panel. On these distributions, the icecast2 package installs with a single command, then everything is configured in the icecast.xml file: passwords, mount points, maximum number of listeners, listening port. Put an HTTPS proxy in front of the Icecast server to serve the stream on your domain name.
AzuraCast brings together Icecast, an AutoDJ, playlists, scheduling and statistics in a web administration interface. It can also manage a Shoutcast web radio.
Kimsufi is an unmanaged service: you administer this software. Finally, remember licensing: broadcasting copyrighted music requires authorization from SACEM, or the equivalent organization in your country.
What is a web radio?
A radio station broadcast over the internet as a continuous audio stream, played in a browser or a web radio client, without an FM transmitter.
Icecast web radio or Shoutcast web radio: what is the difference?
Icecast is free and open source software, compatible with MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis and Opus. Shoutcast is a proprietary solution. Both run on a Linux server.
What is the best web radio software?
AzuraCast is the easiest all-in-one solution to install; Icecast with Liquidsoap offers more flexibility; LibreTime suits stations that manage a program schedule.
How do you create an online radio station for free?
You can create an online radio station with free tools: AzuraCast, LibreTime or Icecast. You then need a machine that runs around the clock and the broadcasting rights.
Do you need to pay royalties to broadcast music?
Yes, as soon as you broadcast copyrighted music: in France through SACEM, elsewhere through the equivalent organization.