Icecast vs SHOUTcast: Which Should You Choose?
The short answer: Icecast for 90% of stations. SHOUTcast if you have a specific reason to need it.
The long answer: Let's actually explain the difference, because most comparison articles are written by people who've never configured a streaming server.
What They Actually Are
Icecast
Open-source streaming server developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation. Free to use, no licensing costs, supports multiple audio formats. Originally designed for Ogg Vorbis but now handles MP3, AAC, and Opus too.
SHOUTcast
Commercial streaming server originally by Nullsoft (who made Winamp), later AOL, now owned by Radionomy. Widely recognized brand name. Requires licensing for commercial use.
The Actual Differences That Matter
Audio Format Support
Icecast:
- MP3 ✓
- AAC ✓
- Opus ✓ (modern, efficient)
- Vorbis ✓
SHOUTcast:
- MP3 ✓
- AAC ✓ (SHOUTcast v2 only)
- Opus ✗
- Vorbis ✗
Winner: Icecast. More formats = more flexibility. Opus especially is brilliant for low-bitrate streaming (talk radio at 64kbps sounds better than MP3).
Licensing Costs
Icecast: Free. Open source. Use it commercially, use it for profit, doesn't matter. No license fees.
SHOUTcast: Free for non-commercial use. Commercial stations technically need a license (though enforcement is... complicated). SHOUTcast DNAS (the server software) has licensing terms.
Winner: Icecast. No legal ambiguity.
Directory Listings
SHOUTcast: Automatic listing in SHOUTcast directory (if you want it). Historically this mattered.
Icecast: No automatic directory. You submit to TuneIn, Radio Garden, etc. manually.
Winner: Draw. The SHOUTcast directory isn't as relevant as it was 15 years ago. Most listeners find stations via TuneIn, Google, or social media now. Both servers can be listed on all major directories.
Mountpoints (Multiple Streams)
Icecast: Unlimited mountpoints. You can have /live at 320kbps for desktop listeners and /mobile at 64kbps for phones, all from one server.
SHOUTcast v1: One stream per server (limitation).
SHOUTcast v2: Multiple streams supported.
Winner: Icecast. More flexible out of the box.
Metadata (Now Playing Info)
Both handle metadata fine (artist, title display). Icecast has slightly more robust metadata handling for complex scenarios, but 99% of stations won't notice the difference.
Winner: Draw. Both work fine.
Player Compatibility
Both work with:
- VLC
- Winamp
- iTunes
- HTML5 web players
- Mobile apps
- Smart speakers (via directories)
Winner: Draw. Compatibility is identical in practice.
So When Would You Actually Choose SHOUTcast?
Real reasons to use SHOUTcast:
- Your automation software only supports SHOUTcast - Some older Windows software is SHOUTcast-only. Check your software's documentation.
- You're migrating from SHOUTcast and don't want to change URLs - If listeners have your SHOUTcast URL saved and you don't want to break that, fair enough.
- Your boss insists because they recognize the name - Brand recognition is a thing. "We use SHOUTcast" sounds official to non-technical people.
Bad reasons:
- "It's what everyone uses" - They don't. Icecast is massively popular.
- "It's better quality" - It isn't. Same audio quality as Icecast.
- "It's more professional" - Professional stations use both. We've configured Icecast for national broadcasters.
What We Actually Recommend
New station with no baggage? Icecast. More formats, no licensing concerns, equally reliable.
Migrating from SHOUTcast? Stick with SHOUTcast if you want, or switch to Icecast if you're changing URLs anyway.
Running specialist low-bitrate talk radio? Icecast + Opus codec. Seriously, try it - 64kbps Opus sounds better than 128kbps MP3 for speech.
Commercial station worried about licensing? Icecast removes one potential legal question mark (even if SHOUTcast licensing enforcement is minimal).
The Technical Truth
From a broadcast engineering perspective, they're both mature, reliable streaming servers. We've run thousands of streams on both. Uptime is identical. Reliability is identical. Audio quality is identical (that's determined by your bitrate/codec, not the server software).
The differences are around ecosystem (directories, software compatibility) and licensing. For most stations, Icecast's extra format support and lack of licensing concerns make it the sensible default.
Can I Switch Later?
Yes. It's not a marriage. If you start with Icecast and later need SHOUTcast (or vice versa), switching takes about 10 minutes. Your stream URL changes, but everything else stays the same.
We've migrated hundreds of stations between servers. It's not a big deal.
What We Support
Both. Every one of our stream hosting plans includes your choice of Icecast or SHOUTcast (v1 or v2). MediaCP control panel works with both. AutoDJ works with both. Support is identical.
We genuinely don't care which you pick. Choose based on your needs, not our preference (although we generally recommend Icecast).
View our stream hosting plans (Icecast or SHOUTcast) →
Still Not Sure?
Call us. +44 800 520 0073
We'll ask what you're broadcasting, what software you're using, and recommend whatever actually makes sense for your setup. No sales pitch, just engineering advice.
Last updated: November 2025
Written by broadcast engineers who've configured both servers hundreds of times and genuinely don't have a favorite.
