How to setup Shoutcast on a Windows XP machine

Requirements:

1. Shoutcast Server (allows users to host broadcasts)
2. Winamp (for playing mp3's and using the plug-in)
3. Shoutcast plug-in for Winamp (the client that connects to the server to broadcast music)

Shoutcast Server
More information on these settings can be read inside the configuration file, or from here

When you install Shoutcast with the default settings (just keep hitting next without changing anything until it finishes), all files will be placed under C:\Program Files\SHOUTcast.
Before you can use Shoutcast, you have to configure it for your needs. Shoutcast is configured by editing a text file named sc_serv.ini. If you make any changes to the configuration file while Shoutcast is running, you must close and restart Shoutcast for the changes to take effect. The configuration file for the current version 1.9.5 is formatted for Unix so DO NOT USE NOTEPAD to open it. Use wordpad instead.

- Setup
When you open the sc_serv.ini file you'll notice some lines starts with a semicolon (;). This is used as a comment indicator, so any line with that is ignored by Shoutcast.
You'll have to change:
MaxUser=
Password= (this used for the broadcaster to logon to Shoutcast and be able to broadcast)
PortBase=

If your computer is behind a firewall or router, you have to specify a PORT RANGE before Shoutcast can be used over the Internet. Shoutcast uses TWO PORTS. It's set to 8000, but you need to specify 8000 and 8001 in your firewall and/or router configuration, otherwise it won't work. If you need to use different ports, always remember it's the port you selected, plus 1. Example, if you opted to use 1650, you need to configure 1650 and 1651 to be forwarded for Shoutcast use. Read your firewall and or Router documentation on how to configure this.
- Windows SP2
Windows XP with service pack 2 comes with a built in firewall. You have to create an exception entry in the firewall settings via the Security Center (reachable via control panel).
Open the Security Center, go to the Exceptions Tab, click add program, hit the browse button, enter C:\Program Files\SHOUTcast\sc_serv.exe and hit OK, and OK once again.
 - Relay
If you plan to setup Shoutcast in order to relay your favorite station's program, you have enter that station's information where it says:

RelayPort=
RelayServer=

First remove the semicolons to make it active, then enter the stations information after the equal sign. Example, to relay the stream located at http://www.wcks.org/ look at the link for the stream.
The Hi-Fi stream is http://148.61.66.201:8020/listen.pls. The server and port is separated by a colon, so the entry in your configuration file should be:

RelayPort=8020
RelaySever=148.61.66.201

If you are relaying, you don't need to open Winamp since the Shoutcast will make a connection to the other server and relay the broadcast without any help.
- Admin Password
Change the admin password. This allows you to administer the Shoutcast server by seeing who's connected by IP address, and kicking them off if you need to.
- Public
Always change your PublicServer=default setting to PublicServer=never. Otherwise your station will be listed on the Shoutcast mainpage and you may see more traffic than intended.

Winamp
Install any current version of Winamp.

Shoutcast Plug-in for Winamp
This is a plug-in for Winamp that gives users the ability to broadcast anything they're playing through a SHOUTcast server. To enable this, press CTRL+P with Winamp running, and select
Plug-ins
           --- DSP/EFFECT

  1. On the right side, select "Nullsoft SHOUTCAST Source DSP", and you'll see the plugin activate. Hit close on the winamp preferences screen.
  2. Select the Output Tab.
  3. If you are broadcasting to someone else's server, enter their IP information, port, and password.
  4. If your're setting this up on the same computer as your Shoutcast Server, simply change the port and password to what you configured in the Shoutcast configuration file (Password=, and PortBase=).
  5. Select the Encoder tab, and select a bit rate for broadcasting.
  6. Press CONNECT on the Output Tab
  7. The YELLOWPAGES button allows you to name your broadcast and other optional information.
  8. If you are broadcasting from another source other than Winamp, select the input device (such as Line In), and make sure your levels aren't too high.

- Notes on the plug-in
You'll notice the plug-in is capable of broadcasting with 5 different encoders. If you want to setup multiple streams, such as a high and low bit rate, you'll have to run a separate server with it's own configuration file.
Each server needs to have it's own PortBase and configuration file. In order to run two configuration files at the same time, you can name the file whatever you want, with an .ini extension. When you run the server, you'll have to specify what file it is, otherwise it will just run from the sc_serv.ini.

For example, if you had a hifi.ini and lofi.ini, in Start-->run you would enter:
C:\Program Files\SHOUTcast\sc_serv.exe hifi.ini (then hit enter)
and again with
C:\Program Files\SHOUTcast\sc_serv.exe lofi.ini (then hit enter)

If you know your ip address, the shoutcast server can be accessed by putting a colon and portbase base after it. For example: http://148.61.66.201:8020.
If you don't know your ip address, this page should tell you (it's automatically displayed when you load it).

Future additions to this document will include setting up a Dynamic Domain Name, and an explanation of routers, firewalls, and forwarding.


Any questions, comments, suggestions, and possible praise please email me.