How to stream ZaraRadio?

[RichPowers]

I’ve been away from the game awhile, now giving it another go. Another Rangemaster is in-route and should be here shortly. In the meantime I’ve been getting the feel of Zara Radio… (I like it, and the price).
However, for the past 2 days I’ve been going around in circles trying to figure out how to get it to stream my station online.

First I had ZaraRadio version 1.6 (?), later changed to version 1.4 after experiencing some problems..
Also reverted to earlier versions of Winamp and Shoutcast…
I could go on with the details of my trial and errors, but the bottom line is I can’t figure out how use Zara to stream my station to the internet.

Apparently there are a lot of Part15 broadcasters using Zara Radio, since so many seem to praise it. But I’ve been unable to find much info on making it stream…

Would appreciate any input on this from anyone familiar with Zara.

Thanks for any help,

Rich

[tbone903]

Rich-

Not sure if Zara supports any streaming plugins.

The way I do it: I use a different, dedicated PC, utilizing the Nullsoft shoutcast plugin / server for Winamp.

I have a seperate mixer, to feed other sources (mic, tape deck) to the input of the Shoutcast server, as well.

[mram1500]

The older versions of ZaraRadio (pre v1.6) will allow plugins although that has some quirks too.

I am using ShoutCast plugin along with the ShoutCast server program (both free) to stream from Zara. One problem I found is that unless you make sure all files are the same bitrate, some of your streamed files will sound like Alvin and the Chipmonks even though they sound fine from your local speakers. To fix that problem, in the ShoutCast plugin setup, don’t use the recommended “WinAmp” source. Instead use the “soundcard input”.

Also, the “fade between tracks” causes an annoying clicking sound as the combination of ZaraRadio and ShoutCast can’t play more than one audio file at a time.

If you are not hosting the stream from you own computer you won’t need the ShoutCast server program. The plugin will simply send the stream to a streaming host provider like Listen2MyRadio.com or others.

I’ve never tried using ShoutCast without WinAmp already installed on my computer so I’m not sure if you need WinAmp on your computer for it to work.

If you are hosting your stream and you have a router/firewall, you’ll need to open whatever port you are using so ShoutCast.com can “see” your PC in order to list you on their search engine.

P.S. – I’m assuming you figured out how to add and activate plugins in ZaraRadio.

[rock95seven]

Zararadio can send mp3 tags to a shoutcast type server.
What i was able to do was grab a copy of Oddsock Edcast V3 which i use to encode mp3s for streaming to a personal Steamcast server here at the home and to the Wunderground.com streaming NOAA Wx Radio.

I had a Live365 account i also used Zararadio to stream to that server as well. Most paid shoutcast host’s require that you provide the song title and artist names as part of your agreement to stream on their server.

Zararadio will not send mp3 id’s to the servers on its own, however it does have a plain text called CurrentSong.txt which contains the name of the song Zara is currently playing, in Edcast you have three or more options for sending mp3 id tags to a server, i chose the File option and pointed it to the CurrentSong.txt file in C:Program FilesZaraSoftZararadioCurrentSong.txt that way Edcast will send the mp3 id tags (metadata) to the servers and satisfy the stream host.

I am not sure if you can still find Oddsock V3 Edcast anywhere else since the creator stopped developing new software. If i can find it on my station computer then I will gladly add a link here for folks to download.
This is how i have been using Zararadio to stream my station online.
There are much easier ways of doing things but i like a challenge and the idea of having full control of my own servers here at home.

Seasons Greetings and as always Keep On Rockin”

Update: Found the Standalone Edcast which is what i use here.
http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.php (edcast)
http://www.musicgoal.com/download/broadcaster-tools/ (lame.dll/acc.dll)
http://forum.internet-radio.org.uk/guides/62-configuring-edcast-shout
cast-servers.html (configuration of edcast for use on shoutcast servers)

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that there is a Edcast plugin for Winamp so if it works well in Winamp it should work for Zararadio v1.4.4 as well. http://www.winamp.com

[RichPowers]

Thanks for all the input, I experimented further with shoutcast and edcast, and did get things ‘kinda-working’- but there were problems..
Right now I’ve just been using my laptop, and it only has one soundcard.. and I kept running into the problem of seeing the music playing, but not being able to hear anything

But you Zara uses might be interested in what I did do using just my laptop..

I download Virtual audio cable,
http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm (free)
And BroadWave Streaming Audio Server –
http://www.nch.com.au/streaming/index.html (free if you link to them)

By piping Zara Radio outputs through Virtual audio cable into Broadwave Audio Server, I was able to eliminate theshoutcast problem of the distortions that happen when one song fades into another. I did not have this problem with Broadwave, and I was able to hear the output on my laptop.
It seems to work great, and it was so very simple to set up.

I have not however actually set up a website to stream it to yet (my old one is long gone).

I still want to experiment with edcast a bit more, but I’m going to wait until my transmitter actually gets here and I get my other equipment unpacked and set up (it’s been sitting in storage a couple years now). I was trying to get familiar with streaming on the web, so I could simulcast the broadcast when I get it up and going. But I think I was getting ahead of myself – When I set the studio up I’ll have multiple computers to dedicate to the station for both on air and web.

Soon enough I’ll be back in the game..

By the way everyone, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

[Carl Blare]

Welcome back in the game, Rich Powers, you will never be able to quit because of fun.

[ArtisanRadio]

I use Virtual Audio Cable to connect Zara to Oddcast standalone (Edcast is the later version, I believe). I then stream using Icecast on my own server. Works very well indeed. And as you state, you can set up Oddcast (Edcast) to use CurrentSong.txt to stream the MP3 song titles that audio players such as Winamp will display.

[mighty1650]

Hey Folks,
I need to figure out how to get Zara to spit out the Artist.
I’ve discovered that it only sends out the song name, Why is this?

[ArtisanRadio]

I believe currentsong.txt uses the filename. I always ensure that the names of the files I play are in a fixed format, which includes artist and song name.

[Jo Batson]

Hi everyone.

I’ve been trying to start an online radio station and I ended up on YouTube watching lots of lovely people say how easy it is and explaining how.  They were all different and made me nuts.  Finally I have managed to set up a Listen2MyRadio account and get it to work, yay! Then I even got BUTT to work as well, wow! Now if only I could get ZaraRadio to work as well I’d be all set.  Somehow I’ve got to get it to connect to BUTT I think. I’ve followed lots of advice and ended up downloading things like Winamp, RadioDJ, Shoutcast and other things.  Thankfully they are all free, but I’m still not broadcasting.

I really need step-by-step instructions on how to sort this out.  I’m old and slow and like things for Dummies.  If someone would please help me with this I’d be really grateful.

Thanks,

Jo

[Mark]

Besides the ones you tried try Play IT. It’s a free automated program too and that’s what I use as with Zara the silence detector never seemed to work.
I don’t stream online but 2 here that can help you with that, that do stream are Part 15 Engineer and Thelegacy. They can tell you how they do it. I think Part 15 Engineer uses Radio DJ.

[Thelegacy]

To be honest the free software that allows you to stream is clunky and sometimes glitchy that’s why it’s free. You’re not going to like what I have to say but I’m going to say it.

I use NextKast Pro which has the automation and the encoders built-in. It even allows you to talk on your stream and on air. It allows for two sound cards to be used one for streaming and one for transmitting part 15 I use AM on 1640 Khz.

Now as far as a server goes for broadcasting and a service.  Listen2myRadio is only good for learning and maybe having 325 listeners at the most which might be your best friends but as far as trying to get on radio directories like TuneIn it won’t work because they’re free service you have to use their web player.

Now as a teaching tool they have 3 different ways to broadcast but they’re shoutcast version 1 works best with their player.

So you want to install the listen to my radio server called shoutcast version one. With next cast it is easy to broadcast to the shop cast or even ice cast server. For shoutcast one in your in Kotor section you will scroll the drop-down arrow to shoutcast one. Then you will put in the IP address given to you by listen2my radio.  You will use the broadcast password you set up and you will also use the station name that you chose.

Now when you broadcast you should hear yourself on the website.  You can give the website out which is your stream URL to your friends to listen to you but remember you’re not going to get 20 30 80 listeners on a free service like that to get the listeners you will need something like live365 which again cost money and it pays for your music licensing.

After you figure out how to use BextKast and Listen2myRadio you will then be ready to think about using live365 and then you’ll be able to post your station up on radio directories NBA real broadcaster.

The software I’m talking about is almost $300 but it is worth it and less glitchy and easier to set up with an easy learning curve as opposed to all of these free pieces of software which requires complicated setups like a separate database or a separate encoder which often requires virtual cables so on and so forth. NextKast is an all-in-one solution install it set up your categories I set up categories which has a four-year segment where all the artists and songs are within that time frame. I mix up my time frames and I use the rotations like a good album-oriented rock station wood. You can set up IDs even psa’s to run which they run like a commercial category would.

Trust me buying the software will save you a lot of headache I have tried the free pieces of software even the ones that you can download on BitTorrent and again NextKast is a savior if you’re serious about streaming and broadcasting part 15 at the same time one and done software solution with built-in audio processing for your stream as well.

http://NextKast.com

Search for The Legacy on live365 as A-1 Audio Legacy FM we are the home of one month of no repeat Rock unless otherwise requested requested songs are played once in 24 hours unless a technical issue occurs where the backup Auto DJ takes over. You can only have such a large catalog on a worthy piece of software that can handle it and the radio station software I talked about we’ll handle it effortless and without complicated setup.

[DJboutit]

Zararadio is nice if you have a smaller playlist and do not play to stream over the internet with it.  The old version allows for Winamp DSP plugins so you can run shoutcast but it is buggy has hell if you have 4k+ track or bigger playlast.  All version the scheduler function sucks.  If you can afford it go with Radioboss it is really nice and you can broadcast to multiple streams.  Radiodj is free but it kinda a pain to install and setup then it takes a while to learn how to use and it does not work with my 100k track playlist.  I would like to move away from Radioboss if I can find a nice free radio automation program that is close to Radioboss that will stream over the internet and load a 100k track playlist

I have tried all these radio automation program

Nextkast will not load my playlist I could not even test it

OtsAV Radio Webcaster sucks scheduler is crap

Radiodj I am not going to install mysql again and it is kinda hard to learn how to use all the functions

Playitlive you have to download a plugin to stream over the internet and the plugin to use a microphone is not free and  it would not load my large playlist

Virtual DJ does not have a scheduler

Lunarcaster would not load my big playlist could not even test it

[Jo Batson]

Wow, thanks for the replies.  You’ve given me a lot to think about now.  I think I ought to explain a few things first.

I live in the UK at the moment. Another thing is I’m very happy if there aren’t too many listeners coz then I don’t have to pay more for the licences.  Of course I realise that I can’t control who listens but keeping it low would be great for me.  Plus I only have about 9 1/2 thousand tracks so it won’t take long to go through that.

I don’t mind buying a decent software package but with no monthly fees. I checked out NextKast and Stationplaylist which I used in university, and Myriad which I used in hospital radio. Still looking.

Thanks again.

Jo

[RichPowers]

Not sure why DJboutit implies that Zara can’t handle large playlist.. that’s simply not true, I’m pretty sure it can handle any size, or at least a three or four thousand library of songs. I have streamed on the internet before using Zara during a test run years ago, but did not answer your question because I kind of forgot the specifics on the method I had used, but do know that I simply followed the instructions of a tutorial or video I had seen using Butt and Edcast or something to a Shoutcast server, it wasn’t particularly difficult to accomplish.

There are others using Zara to stream (I think Mram does, or did, and I know there were others).  I’m surprise no one has stepped up to provide step by step instructions yet, but now days there’s so few streaming anymore because of the insane cost of royalties.

[Author]

Posts