Organizations working with online audio often distribute their content using Icecast, a widely adopted protocol for internet radio. However, the increasing adoption of WebRTC and its standardized WHEP (WebRTC-HTTP Egress Protocol) approach brings new opportunities for delivering streams with low latency and browser-native playback. Nimble Streamer provides the tools needed to bridge Icecast delivery into modern WHEP streaming.
Benefits of conversion
Icecast remains popular for radio stations and continuous audio delivery. Many workflows rely on Icecast to push MP3 or AAC streams into distribution networks. These streams are efficient for traditional media players but do not offer direct compatibility with WebRTC environments.
WHEP is part of the WebRTC ecosystem, designed to standardize real-time media egress. It enables efficient audio and video streaming directly to browsers and compatible applications without the need for plugins. For audio publishers, WHEP represents a path to expand reach with low-latency delivery.
Adopting WHEP as an output format for Icecast-originated streams provides several tangible benefits:
- Browser-native playback: WHEP delivers audio directly into modern web browsers without requiring special plugins. This reduces user friction, simplifies access, and makes the audio available to any listener with a standard browser.
- Operational efficiency: Using Nimble Streamer as a single intermediary allows organizations to unify legacy Icecast workflows with modern delivery requirements, reducing the need for multiple parallel streaming systems.
- Future-proofing infrastructure: Many media services are transitioning toward WebRTC-based distribution as it is actively maintained and widely supported. Moving streams into WHEP ensures compatibility with evolving standards and avoids dependence on legacy formats.
Step-by-step configuration
Nimble Streamer acts as an intermediary, ingesting Icecast streams and making them available via WebRTC output using WHEP.
What you’ll need:
- Icecast source: a stream from your online radio production system.
- Nimble Streamer, installed and running.
- Nimble Live Transcoder, installed and activated by purchasing the license.
- Softvelum WHEP player, a ready-to-use WebRTC player for testing and embedding.
Here are the steps you follow to set the pipeline.
Icecast input setup
Configure Nimble Streamer to receive the Icecast stream. This typically involves setting up a pull from the Icecast server or defining the stream as an input source within Nimble.
Follow this instruction to get the stream into Nimble Streamer. Also, watch our video tutorial about Icecast setup to see it in action.
WHEP output setup
Follow WHEP WebRTC low latency playback setup article to set up Nimble for generating WHEP output and delivering the WebRTC stream properly. Notice that if your source has audio with some codec different than Opus (like AAC), you need to transcode that audio into Opus. The setup article has the details needed for that.
That article also covers how you can use our Softvelum WHEP Player on your web site and what streaming URL you need to use for it. We also host the player on our playback testing page where you can try your WHEP stream before proceeding with the player installation. You can also watch our tutorial video about WHEP setup.
That’s it. Feel free to try this setup in testing environment and selected users, and then give it to your customer base for real-life usage.
Converting Icecast audio delivery into WHEP streams with Nimble Streamer allows organizations to preserve their existing broadcasting infrastructure while embracing modern real-time streaming technologies. This workflow enables broader accessibility, reduces latency, and positions audio services for long-term scalability.
Let us know of your feedback on Icecast and WHEP streaming via Nimble Streamer.