Nimble Streamer can be leveraged as an audio streaming server. When being utilized as an audio streaming solution Nimble supports various audio codecs and can process audio streams from Icecast and SHOUTcast. The product also supports the transmuxing of multiple protocols into Icecast, and includes a full support of Icecast metadata, SSL for Icecast output, failover and fallback options.
Audio streaming codecs in Nimble Streamer
Nimble Streamer supports the following audio codecs:
- AAC input and output is supported via all protocols
- MP3 input and output via all protocols
- AC3 and E-AC3 input via MPEG-TS, SRT and RTSP, output via MPEG-TS, SRT, RTSP and HLS
- Speex input and output via RTMP
- Opus input via WebRTC WHIP and output via WebRTC WHEP and SLDP
You can play SLDP with Opus audio on iPhone in audio-only mode.
Learn more on Nimble codecs digest page.
Icecast and SHOUTcast processing
Icecast or SHOUTcast may be taken as input for further transmuxing.
- Icecast can be published to Nimble Streamer.
- Icecast streams may be made via public HTTP URL.
- Multiple pulled Icecast streams can also be used as a fallback providing robust streaming.
- Failover for published Icecast streams can be set using hot swap.
Output protocols are Icecast, SRT, NDI, RTMP, RTSP, MPEG-TS, HLS and MPEG-DASH.
Multiple protocols can be transmuxed into Icecast.
- Transmux RTMP to Icecast getting published and pulled RTMP
- Transmux RTSP to Icecast getting announced (pushed) and pulled RTSP
- Transmux MPEG-TS to Icecast getting MPEG-TS via HTTP and UDP
- Convert pulled HLS to Icecast
- Use SRT as input for Icecast
- Process NDI input into all supported protocols including Icecast.
- WebRTC WHIP ingest of Opus can be transcoded into Icecast output.
- ID3 tags are recorded into DVR if the Icecast or HLS source has them.
Other existing Softvelum features and products can be applied for Icecast.
- SSL is supported for Icecast output.
- Set up streams emergency substitution and failover fallback using seamless hot swap.
- Icecast playlists may be used for initial setup
- CDN-friendly streaming setup is available for outgoing audio streams.
- WMSPanel provides wide set of reporting features for Icecast so you could learn more about your audience.
Icecast metadata
Icecast metadata is fully supported in Nimble Streamer and Live Transcoder
- Icecast metadata can be appended to any outgoing Icecast stream.
- Metadata tags passthrough is supported for incoming streams.
- Metadata passthrough for Live Transcoder is supported.
- RTMP Icecast metadata can be generated into Icecast as well as forwarded via Live Transcoder.
- Ingest Icecast metadata into RTMP real-time via Nimble native API for further delivery and processing.
Audio live transcoding
Nimble Streamer Transcoder supports various scenarios for audio transformation.
Those include transrating to lower bitrate, re-sampling, voice-over, volume control and others.
Icecast can be used as an input for transcoding among other protocols.
Supported input formats are AAC, MP3, AC-3, MP2, Speex and PCM G.711 (a-law, μ-law). Outputs are AAC and MP3.
Server-Side Ads Insertion to Icecast
Nimble Advertizer framework allows performing dynamic ads insertion into your live audio streams.
- Pre-roll and mid-roll ads
- SCTE-35 markers ads insertion
- Custom business logic and Personalized ads
Icecast server paywall capabilities
Nimble Streamer supports a variety of features for building paywalls for Icecast streaming. This includes Icecast hotlinking protection feature set as well as pay-per-view framework, geo-location restriction and more.
API and control
Icecast streaming can be controlled in a few other ways besides WMSPanel web UI settings.
- Stream availability push API allows getting notifications about Icecast streams.
- Set of WMSPanel APIs allows controlling Icecast settings.
- Set of Nimble native APIs allows getting Icecast streams’ status and performing some control activities.
Icecasting mobile playback
Icecast produced by Nimble Streamer can be played in any Icecast player. In addition, Softvelum mobile Larix Player provides Icecast playback on Android and iOS.
Users can also buy our SDK to build their own mobile Icecast playback solutions.