Connecting Your Audio Stream
Your stream is the heart of your station — it's what plays when visitors hit the play button. This guide shows you how to connect it and make sure the now-playing track info appears.
Where to add your stream
Go to Settings in your dashboard and find the Stream section. You'll enter:
- Stream URL — the web address of your live audio stream.
- Stream type — leave on auto-detect, or pick your server type if you know it.
- Now-playing source (optional) — where we read the current track title and artist from, if it isn't included in the stream itself.
After entering your details, use the Test button to confirm we can reach the stream and read its metadata before you save.
Supported stream providers
RadioSiteMaker works with the common broadcasting platforms, including:
- Icecast and Shoutcast (v1 and v2)
- AzuraCast
- caster.fm
- Citrus3, Live365, AIIR, laut.fm
If your provider gives you a public stream URL, it will almost certainly work. Choose auto-detect for the type unless you have a reason to be specific.
Making sure now-playing works
The player can show the current song's title, artist and artwork. There are a few ways this information reaches us:
- Built into the stream — many servers (Icecast, AzuraCast, etc.) broadcast the current track automatically. Auto-detect usually finds it.
- A now-playing source — if your platform publishes track info at a separate address, paste it into the now-playing field.
- Artwork fallback — when a track has no artwork, we look it up automatically and, if nothing is found, show a clean fallback so the player always looks tidy.
If you'd rather not show track details for certain shows (for example, live talk shows), you can hide metadata per show or per schedule slot.
Use a secure (https) stream
Your website is served over https, and browsers block insecure (http) audio on secure pages, so RadioSiteMaker's player needs an https stream address. Most hosts offer one: look for an https listen URL in your host's dashboard, or ask them to enable it. You can check any address with the stream tester.
Frequently Asked Questions
The player won't play — what should I check first?
Confirm the Stream URL is correct and that the stream is actually broadcasting. Use the Test button in Settings. If the test fails, re-copy the URL from your streaming provider's dashboard.
Why isn't the song title showing?
Either your stream doesn't broadcast track info, or it's published at a separate address. Add that address in the now-playing source field, then test again. Some live shows intentionally hide metadata.
Can I hide the track name during live talk shows?
Yes. You can hide metadata for a specific show or schedule slot, so the player shows your show name instead of a song title.
Do I need an https stream?
Yes. Browsers block insecure (http) audio on secure websites, so the player only plays https streams. Ask your stream host for an https listen URL.