With LoudCity, you get to choose your own stream host. If you've
never done this before, it's actually quite easy. Here's what you'll
need to consider when choosing your stream host...
Factor 1 - Price
Free hosts aren't really free. They cover their
expenses by forcing listeners to tune in via their website, running
pre-roll ads, and in some cases, injecting ads into the stream.
Because of tune-in limitations forced on broadcasters, free hosts
are not compatible with LoudCity.
Factor 2 - Slots
Most hosts sell slots. A slot is a stream for one listener. So ask yourself this question: "what's the maximum
number of listeners I expect to be tuned in at once when I launch?"
- The answer is the number of "slots" you need
It takes time to build an audience. If you're new to internet radio,
start with 10-20 slots max (remember, a "slot" is one concurrent listener) because
it may be a while before you fill them.
Tip: Start small with LoudCity plans and hosting. You can always
expand when you need to.
Factor 3 - Bitrate & Format
The bitrate determines, to a large extent, how clean your audio will
sound to the listener. The higher the bitrate, the better the
clarity - but the more bandwidth that is needed to stream to that
listener, so the more it costs.
Normally, you send a SINGLE stream at your chosen bitrate to the
host. Listeners connect to the host to hear your station. This means
that the burden of supplying bandwidth to listeners is your host's
responsibility, not yours. All you have to do is send one clean feed
to the host. They do the rest.
Bitrate selection is very much a matter of personal preference.
Generally, AAC+ streams sound fairly good at bitrates of 48kbps or
higher. An MP3 stream, on the other hand, needs 64kbps or better to
sound decent.
The advantage of an MP3 stream, though, is that it is supported by
more players - including the built-in LoudCity player. If you want your station
to stream as soon as listeners visit the station page at LoudCity, be sure to
run at
least one MP3 stream for your station.
Next: Recommended Hosts
