Setting Up Your First Stream with MediaCP

MediaCP is the dashboard you use to manage your Icecast or SHOUTcast stream. Think of it as WordPress for radio - visual interface, no command-line nonsense, just click buttons and upload music.

This guide walks you through your first stream setup, from login to "holy crap, I'm actually broadcasting".

What You'll Need

• Your MediaCP login details (we email these when you sign up)
• Some music files (MP3 format is easiest)
• 10 minutes

Step 1: Log Into MediaCP

Your welcome email includes:

• MediaCP URL (looks like: https://streamX.hippynet.co.uk)
• Username
• Password

Visit the URL, log in. You'll see the dashboard showing your stream status (currently offline, because you haven't set it up yet).

Step 2: Upload Some Music

Click: AutoDJ → File Manager

This is your music library. Either:

• Drag and drop files from your computer (modern browsers)
• Click "Upload" and select files manually
• Use FTP if you have hundreds of tracks (details in MediaCP under "FTP Access")

Formats supported: MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC (it'll convert if needed)

How much to upload? Start with 20-30 tracks minimum. Enough for a few hours of non-repeating content. You can add more later.

Step 3: Create a Playlist

Click: AutoDJ → Playlists → Create New Playlist

1. Give it a name (e.g., "General Rotation")
2. Click "Add Tracks"
3. Select all your uploaded music (or filter by genre/artist)
4. Click "Add Selected"
5. Save playlist

Playlist settings:

• Shuffle: ON (prevents same order every loop)
• Weight: 100 (if it's your only playlist, doesn't matter)

Step 4: Configure AutoDJ Settings

Click: AutoDJ → Settings

Key settings to check:

Bitrate: 128 kbps (safe default) or 192 kbps (better quality)
Format: MP3 (works everywhere)
Crossfade: 2-3 seconds (smooth transitions between tracks)
Auto-start: ON (stream starts automatically if stopped)

Leave everything else as default for now. You can tweak later.

Step 5: Start Your Stream

Click: AutoDJ → Start AutoDJ

It'll take 5-10 seconds to start, then you'll see:

• Stream status: Online
• Now Playing: (current track)
• Listeners: 0 (until someone tunes in)

Congratulations. You're broadcasting.

Step 6: Test It Actually Works

Get your stream URL from MediaCP dashboard. It'll look like:

http://stream1.hippynet.co.uk:8000/yourstation

Test in VLC (or any media player):

1. Open VLC
2. Media → Open Network Stream
3. Paste your stream URL
4. Click Play

You should hear your music playing. If you do, it works. If you don't, check:

• Is AutoDJ actually started? (Green "Online" status in MediaCP)
• Did you copy the URL correctly? (Easy to miss the port number)
• Is your firewall blocking it? (Try on phone using mobile data to rule out network blocks)

Step 7: Get It On Your Website

Click: Quick Links → Embed Code

MediaCP generates HTML code for a player. Copy it, paste into your website's HTML where you want the player to appear.

If you're using WordPress:

1. Edit page/post
2. Switch to "HTML" or "Code" view
3. Paste embed code
4. Save

Your stream now plays on your site.

Going Live (Optional)

AutoDJ is great, but eventually you'll want to broadcast live. MediaCP makes this simple:

1. Get your encoder details from MediaCP (Server, Port, Password)
2. Configure BUTT (or your encoder) with these details
3. Click "Connect" in your encoder
4. AutoDJ automatically stops, your live audio takes over
5. When you disconnect, AutoDJ automatically resumes

See our BUTT Setup Guide for encoder configuration.

Common First-Time Issues

"I started AutoDJ but hear nothing"

Check: Did you actually add tracks to the playlist? Empty playlist = silence. MediaCP should show "Now Playing: [Track Name]" if working.

"Stream says online but keeps cutting out"

Cause: Usually source files with issues (corrupted MP3s, wrong format). Try uploading different tracks.

"Can't upload music - file size limit"

Solution: Use FTP for large uploads or lots of files. MediaCP → FTP Access for details. Or upload in smaller batches.

"Listeners hear old tracks, not current playlist"

Fix: Stop AutoDJ, clear queue, restart AutoDJ. It'll pick up the new playlist.

What to Do Next

Once your basic stream is running:

1. Add more music - Build library to 100+ tracks minimum
2. Create multiple playlists - Morning, afternoon, overnight rotations
3. Set up scheduling - Different playlists at different times
4. Configure live broadcasting - Set up your encoder for presenter shows
5. Submit to TuneIn - Get listed in directories
6. Monitor statistics - See who's listening and when

Stuck?

MediaCP has built-in help (click the ? icons throughout the interface).

Can't figure it out? Message us. Seriously. We're engineers, we like solving problems. support@hippynet.co.uk or call +44 800 520 0073.

We've set up thousands of streams. We can definitely help you with your first one.

Not a Hippynet customer yet? Stream hosting from £9.99/month - includes MediaCP, AutoDJ, and 24/7 engineer support.

Last updated: November 2025