Well met, Taotics.

For as long as I’ve got this server here, I’ve had an icecast server running on it, which I just used sporadically. Remembering that, I’d like to offer part of it for free to the greater OSC community.

But V, what would I do with an icecast server?

Icecast ist a software to provide streaming audio. That means, whenever you want to broadcast something in real time to several listeners, your home internet connection will probably not suffice. Instead, you typically stream your audio to a streaming server, which in turn passes it on to a multitude of listeners who open the stream. Icecast is, next to shoutcast, the most popular streaming server, and, contrary to shoutcast, is free software.

That sounds great! How do I do that?

In order to use the server, you will need a streaming software. Icecast itself lists several applications for all major operating systems that can broadcast and/or receive audio streams. (In addition to that, the SL viewer itself can easily receive audio streams, either through parcel media, or media-on-a-prim.) In order to log into the free slot on OSC, you will need the following credentials:

  • Icecast version: 2.3.2
  • Server adress: opensim-creations.com
  • Port: 8800
  • Mount Point: /osc.mp3
  • Account name: opensim (no username, see update below!)
  • Password: creations

That’s awefully nice! Are there any limitations?

The above slot is an open server, so anyone can connect to it. Typically, your broadcast will be disconnected if someone else logs in to broadcast after you. While I don’t expect this to happen too often (since we’re a pretty small community), it’s best to treat this slot as a test server for playing around with non-essential stuff.

Butbutbut… what if I really NEED to stream?

That’s the point of this post: If you need a private stream for an event, please contact me (or send me a pm) and I’ll set one up for you. That way, the stream will be yours and yours alone for whatever event you might need it.

Aww. So why are you doing this? Where’s the catch?

There’s no real catch. The idea here is to create a nice, chaotic, opensim-related radio stream that anyone can broadcast on, and in addition to that give people who need a stream only every once in a while (for events, classes, performances, etc.) a simple and free solution. While I don’t want to restrict the use of this server, I would like to ask you to keep it opensim/SL related. (I.E. using it as a DJ/musician/teacher/whatnot for inworld events, broadcasting OpenSim/SL community news, etc.)

So, how can I listen to the stream?

The stream URL is http://opensim-creations:8800/osc.mp3. You can probably open it with your mp3-player of choice, put it into your parcel media in-world and listen to it through the viewer, or use the handy player in the sidebar!

Did you just break all of Maria’s rules for press releases?

I don’t know. All of them?

Update: You know what? The bloody stream doesn’t work!

After a few people got a stream and tried it on various applications, I have to conclude that there seems to be a problem with wheter or not the mount point uses a username/password combination, or just a password. From what I could find, the “only password” login was used in Icecast v1, and Icecast v2 introduced a username/password system, but still supports only password, but not for the same mount point! Likewise, some client applications don’t support usernames at all, and the login will fail if they’re required, and some client apps DO support usernames, and the login will fail if the server doesn’t require usernames. It’s a bloody mess.

THUS: I’ll set up streams according to the v2 specifications, i.e. with username/password. If that doesn’t work for you, just give me a hint, and I’ll change it back to just password; that worked so far in every case. For the open stream I reverted to also reverted to a “just password” login, because it seems a lot of clients don’t support the username.