New to internet radio? Our glossary breaks down the most common industry terms and technical jargon to help you master your station in no time.
- AutoDJ
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An automated server-side system that plays your uploaded music 24/7 without needing your computer to be turned on. It handles transitions, playlists, and schedules automatically.
- Bandwidth
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The total amount of data transferred from your server to your listeners. High listener counts and high audio quality (bitrate) consume more bandwidth.
- Bitrate
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The quality of your audio stream, measured in kilobits per second (kbps). 128kbps is standard for CD-quality sound, while 64kbps is common for mobile-friendly or talk radio streams.
- Crossfade
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A professional transition where the end of one song fades out while the next song fades in simultaneously, eliminating silence between tracks.
- Encoder
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Software (like BUTT or SAM Broadcaster) that takes audio from your computer and "packages" it to be sent to the CastHost servers for broadcasting.
- Icecast / Shoutcast
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The two primary streaming protocols used to deliver audio over the internet. Icecast is known for its flexibility with "Mount Points," while Shoutcast is a long-standing industry standard.
- Mount Point
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Exclusive to Icecast, a mount point (e.g.,
/stream) is like a channel on your server. You can have multiple mount points for different bitrates or formats (MP3 vs AAC). - Metadata
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The digital information embedded in your audio files that tells listeners the Artist Name and Song Title on their players.
- Source Password
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The main password used by your encoder to connect to the server. Note that this is different from your Dashboard login password.
Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F on Mac) to quickly find a specific term on this page.
