The CastHost Dashboard is your central command center, providing a real-time overview of your radio station's health, audience metrics, and connection details. Mastering the dashboard allows you to manage your broadcast efficiently and troubleshoot issues at a glance.
1. Real-Time Station Metrics
Monitoring your station's performance is critical for growth. The top panel provides three essential data points:
- Station Name: Displays the public name of your radio station. You can update this in the Profile settings.
- Listener Capacity: Shows how many people are currently tuned in versus your plan's maximum limit. If you consistently hit your limit, consider upgrading to a larger listener slot plan.
- Storage Usage: Indicates the disk space occupied by your uploaded music and media. Keeping an eye on this ensures your AutoDJ never stops due to a full drive.
2. Stream Controls & Server Status
The sidebar contains the "heart" of your station. The Server Status indicator will show "Online" in green or "Offline" in red. Use these controls to manage your live environment:
- Restart: Click this to refresh your station settings or restart the AutoDJ service.
- Stop: This will completely halt the broadcast. Use this only when performing significant maintenance.
3. "Now Playing" & Live Information
The Station Information panel updates in real-time as your music plays. It features:
- Track Title & Artist: High-accuracy metadata from your audio files.
- Active Playlist: Shows which specific playlist the AutoDJ is pulling from (e.g., "Heavy Rotation" or "Night Mix").
- Live Source: When a DJ connects live via an encoder, this panel will update to reflect the live connection.
4. Your Broadcasting Credentials (Encoder Setup)
If you prefer to broadcast live using software like Mixxx, SAM Broadcaster, or Butts, you will need your unique credentials found in the Station Details section:
- Server Address: The hostname for your stream server.
- Port: Your assigned broadcasting port.
- Mount Name: Typically
/streamunless customized. - Username & Password: Your secure DJ authentication details.
Pro Tip: Use the "Copy" icons next to each field to ensure you paste the exact values into your encoder software.
5. Public Stream Links
To get your station into the ears of your listeners, use the Streams panel. This area provides:
- Listen URL: The direct link to share with your audience for browser listening.
- Player Files (PLS/M3U): Downloadable files that allow listeners to open your stream in players like VLC, Winamp, or iTunes.
Need more help? Check out our Technical Setup section for deep-dives into encoder configurations.
