Broadcast Live On Myriad Cloud Using BUTT or Mixxx (PC, Linux & Mac)

Modified on Tue, 24 Sep at 12:56 PM

Please note that User Streams are only available as part of a Myriad Cloud (native) subscription.

Overview

All levels of Myriad Cloud subscription (Basic, Standard, Pro and Ultimate) include a free streaming mount point (called a User Stream) for each User setup in the Broadcast.Radio portal. User Streams can be used to contribute live streamed content from a remote location for inclusion in your main broadcast.

If you are a Windows user then the free Myriad Cloud Contributor application is the simplest way to send audio from your PC to your User Stream.

If you are a Mac or Linux user, or you want to use specific 3rd party applications that include the ability to send a stream to an Icecast server then this article will guide you through the process.

Please note that User Streams are only available to your Myriad Cloud system (or other Myriad Cloud systems if you contribute to more than one station). Myriad Cloud allows you to create Media Items that relay User Streams for inclusion in your broadcast.

There are hundreds of applications to choose from but in this article we will concentrate on two of the most common solutions (BUTT and Mixxx) that are available for all platforms.

Getting your User Stream connection details

No matter what software you use, your will need your User Stream connection details to configure the software to connect to your User Stream. The details you will need are:

Icecast Server Address
Icecast Port
Mount Point Name
Username (this is always Source)
Icecast Password

To find these details, follow these steps:

Go to https://my.broadcast.radio/
Login using your Email and Password
Click on your User Profile button in the top right hand corner.
From the drop down option list, select Private Stream Details.
You will find your User Stream details listed on the right hand side.
We recommend copying these into a text document to make pasting them into your application easier.

So in this example, the details you would need are:
1. Icecast Server Address: ingest.streaming.broadcast.radio
2. Icecast Port: 7000
3. Mount Point Name: s4576
4. Username: Source (this is always source)
5. Icecast Password: Click the button to reveal your password.

Once you have made a note of this detail, you can use it to configure 3rd party encoders or audio applications.

Using BUTT to send audio to your User Stream

BUTT is a popular audio encoder capable of encoding audio in a range of formats and sending them to Icecast services (like Broadcast.Radio). We will only cover the basics of BUTT in this article but more documentation can be found on the BUTT website.

To configure BUTT to connect to your User Stream, follow these steps:

Visit BUTT - broadcast using this tool (danielnoethen.de)
Scroll down to the Downloads section and select the correct download for your platform.
In this example, we will install BUTT on a PC. The installation process will differ on other platforms.
Run the installer and follow the onscreen instructions.
Once BUTT is running, click on the Settings button.
On the Main tab, click on the Add button in the Server Settings section.
Start by adding a suitable Name (like User Stream) and select Icecast from the Type section.

You can then add in the details you made a note of earlier (see Getting your User Stream connection details). Remember that the Username is source.

When you are finished, click on Add.
You may also want to set your Audio Input Device on the Audio tab.
To test your connection, click on the icon on the main window.
Once connected, the duration of the stream will be displayed in the top section.
If you stream fails to connect, go back to the Server Settings and check all the details are correct. Watch out for spaces in the fields and double check your password is correct.
BUTT also has advanced features like audio processing and recording but they are covered in the BUTT documentation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This just means that you are sending audio from your local PC to your User Stream. This audio will not be broadcast on your station unless Myriad Cloud is set to 'play' your User Stream via a Streaming Media Item.

Using Mixxx to send audio to your User Stream

Mixxx is a free, open source tool designed for DJ's to use for live sets. Whilst not ideal for radio, it can certainly be used as a great tool for playing content from your local PC or Mac. To use Mixxx to send audio to your User Stream, follow these steps.

Visit Mixxx - Download the Best Free DJ Mixing Software App and select the appropriate download for your platform.
Launch the installation file and follow the instructions to install (the process will be different on other platforms).
Once the installation is complete, launch the Mixxx application.
There is a lot to learn in Mixxx but you can access the documentation on their website (Mixxx 2.3 User Manual — Mixxx User Manual). For now, we will concentrate on configuring Mixxx to send the application audio output to your User Stream.
Click on the Options Menu and select Preferences.
Select Live Broadcasting from the list on the left hand side.
In the Settings for connection section, type or paste in the details you made a note of earlier - see Getting your User Stream connection details

Remember that the Username is source.
Click on OK to save the settings.
To test your connection, click on the ON AIR button in the top right hand corner.
Once successfully connection, the ON AIR button will turn green.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This just means that you are sending audio from your local PC to your User Stream. This audio will not be broadcast on your station unless Myriad Cloud is set to 'play' your User Stream via a Streaming Media Item.