Streaming is part of the system, not the last button in the chain
An internet radio station can play music perfectly well locally and still be completely unavailable to listeners if the encoder or the connection to the server is not working. That is why On Air Studio treats streaming as an integral part of the workflow, not as an external add-on that has to be started and monitored separately.
The main application prepares the master programme signal, and a separate encoder process takes it, encodes it and sends it to the configured server. This separation gives streaming its own operation and diagnostics, and protects local playback from problems on the network side.
SHOUTcast and Icecast
The encoder works with SHOUTcast and Icecast servers. You configure the host, port, credentials and stream/SID or mount point, depending on the server type. Set up the server once and monitor the connection status from the application. Profiles can be enabled, edited and restarted independently.
MP3, AAC, AAC+ and AAC++
MP3 is supported through the appropriate encoder, and the AAC family uses FDK AAC when it is available. The encoder distinguishes between AAC-LC, HE-AAC v1 (AAC+) and HE-AAC v2 (AAC++) and checks whether a given profile and bitrate can actually be produced.
This matters because “AAC+” must not be just a label in a menu behind which a different format is sent. The encoder offers only what the specific installation really supports.
Bitrate and quality
Codec profiles have different characteristics and supported bitrate combinations. You choose a profile according to the station’s needs and the server’s capacity: a higher bitrate means more bandwidth per listener, while a more efficient codec can deliver acceptable quality at a lower bitrate — provided both the server and the listeners’ players support it.
Reconnection
Network connections are not always stable. After an unexpected drop, the streaming service tries to reconnect on its own, with gradually longer intervals between attempts. A broken stream connection does not stop local playback of the programme.
Metadata
The title of what is on air is sent to the server as metadata, so a compatible web player or directory shows the artist and song title instead of the generic stream name. The application logs the result of every update, which makes diagnostics easier when the server rejects the information or does not display it.
Input modes and backup source
The encoder has the input modes MAIN, AUTODJ and AUTO_FAILOVER, with settings for how long to wait before switching over when the main signal disappears and when it comes back. This way, streaming does not have to depend on a single signal source.
What you get
- streaming in the same working environment;
- connection to SHOUTcast and Icecast;
- codec profiles checked against the components actually available;
- metadata updates;
- automatic reconnection;
- network problems kept separate from local playback;
- a basis for multiple sources and a backup (failover) mode;
- clearer connection diagnostics.
Not every server in the world supports every codec and every bitrate combination. The availability of AAC profiles depends on the encoder components in the installation and on the server — On Air Studio checks the real capabilities instead of falsely marking a format as active.