Icecast

Infobox Software
name = Icecast



caption =
developer = Xiph.org Foundation
latest_release_version = 2.3.2
latest_release_date = June 2, 2008
operating_system = Unix-like and Microsoft Windows
genre = streaming media server
license = GPL
website = [http://www.icecast.org/ www.icecast.org]

Icecast is a free streaming media project maintained by the Xiph.org Foundation. It also refers specifically to the server program which is part of the project. Icecast was created in December 1998/January 1999 by Jack Moffitt and Barath Raghavan to provide an open source audio streaming server that anyone could modify, use, and tinker with. [ [http://www.linux.com/feature/2407 Jack Moffitt: Everything but a private eye] ] Version 2 was started in 2001, a ground-up rewrite aimed at multi-format support (initially targeting Ogg Vorbis) and scalability.

Technical details

The Icecast server is capable of streaming content as Vorbis over standard HTTP, Theora over HTTP, MP3 over the protocol used by SHOUTcast, AAC, and NSV over the SHOUTcast protocol. (Theora, AAC, and NSV are only supported in version 2.2.0 and newer.) It uses external programs, called "source clients", to originate the streams, and the Icecast project includes a source client program known as "IceS". The source runs typically in the place where the audio is generated (e. g. a studio) and the Icecast server in a place where a lot of bandwidth is available (e. g., a colocation).

It has similar functionality to the proprietary media server program SHOUTcast, by Nullsoft.

ee also

*SHOUTcast
*PeerCast
*Peercasting

References

External links

* [http://www.icecast.org/ Icecast's Official Website]
* [http://dir.xiph.org/ Directory of Icecast streams]
* [http://freshmeat.net/projects/icecast Freshmeat's Icecast Site]
* [http://www.gnuware.com/icecast/ Icecast Installation and Management Site] (no longer active)
* [http://www.linuxnetmag.com/en/issue4/m4icecast1.html Linux NetMag's Icecast Introduction Article] (outdated)