Streaming with Altacast

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Streaming with Altacast

Thank you for using Canstream Internet Radio. The following guide will help you get up and running using the AltaCast encoding
software for Windows.

Step 1 - Download and Install AltaCast Standalone version.

AltaCast is an application that can encode your audio into various formats (MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, and so on) and sends it to our IceCast server cluster for further distribution.

Download AltaCast via this website and start the installation procedure. If you want to be streaming MP3 (most of our users do) then you must also select and install the 'Lame Encoder'.

Make a note of your folder you will be downloading it to. It will be needed at a later stage if you wish to stream MP3. If you are using the AltaCast standalone application the default path might be: C:\Program Files\AltaCast.

For legal reasons AltaCast and the Lame MP3 encoder cannot be distributed together. Lame Encoder (called lame_enc.dll) is available or you download this by clicking this link here or following the instructions on the Altacast website.

Once downloaded open the Lame Folder and copy 'lame_enc.dll'.

Then paste 'lame_enc.dll' into the AltaCast folder through C:\Program Files\AltaCast or whereever you have saved the AltaCast.

Step 2 - Configuring AltaCast

Launch AltaCast by clicking on the installed entry in your Start menu.

In AltaCast you will need to create a new encoder instance. This is done by selecting 'Add Encoder', and right click the 'New
encoder' and select 'configure'. This will open up the 'configuration' page. Here you will be able to input all the necessary
information to allow your computer to connect to our streaming server cluster. The user specific details such as 'Mount Point'
and 'Password' have been sent out to you via email when you signed up for our service. If you have misplaced the email, please
contact us. An example set-up would read as follows:

Bitrate: 32 (Step 3 covers bitrates in more detail)

Quality: N/A (only used for Ogg Vorbis)

Samplerate: 22050

Channels 1: (1 = Mono, 2 = Stereo)

Encoder Type: MP3 Lame

Server Type: Icecast 2

Server IP: Supplied via e-mail

Server Port: Supplied via e-mail

Encoder Password: Supplied via e-mail

Mount Point: Supplied via e-mail

Reconnect: 10s (optional)

Please note - Windows Vista /7/8/ users: you need to run AltaCast as "Administrator" to enable you to save settings. To do this, right click the AltaCast icon on your desktop and select "Run as Administrator" on the menu which appears.

Under the "YP Setting", you will need to input your station's information: this information will be displayed in your listeners' media players.

Step 3 - Select your audio source or input source

AltaCast provides support for a number of audio input types: what appears in the list may vary depending on what

devices you have available in your streaming PC. If you have multiple sound devices you may also select which one
to use.

If you don't select an input source then there will be a red cross over the microphone symbol. A common set-up
would be to take an audio feed from a mixer into the computers sound card 'Line In' port, all you need to do is select this input accordingly.

(Example below)

Now your settings have been configured and your audio source selected, you are now ready to connect. This is done by right-clicking the new encoder you have set-up and selecting connect. If you do have audio going through your set-up you will be able to see activity in the AltaCast peak meter (image below).

When you connect successfully you will see below 'Transfer rate' your streaming bitrate and your mountpoint's name i.e Transfer rate 128 kbps (/mountpoint.mp3) If you see this information then you are webcasting.

Step 4 - Create a link for your listeners

Now you are webcasting you will need to create a link on your website to enable people to connect and listen. There are many
ways to make this link, but the simplest is to use a standard hyperlink.
Point your "Listen Live" link to the following URL: http://example.canstream.co.uk:8000/yourmountpoint.mp3.m3u

This will be sufficient to create the webcast link. To read more about linking to MP3 streams please follow this link here.
If you have any difficulties connecting to our stream using the supplied link, please copy and paste the following url into your
favourite media player: http://serveraddress:port/your_mountpoint.mp3

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