How to Configure PlayoutONE LiveStream: Getting Your Station on the Internet

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Everything you have configured so far — your audio library, your clocks, your rotations, your virtual audio routing — has been preparation. LiveStream is where your station crosses the finish line and reaches the internet.

LiveStream is the encoding bridge between PlayoutONE and your streaming server. It takes the audio arriving from your virtual cable, compresses it into a streaming format, and pushes it continuously to the server your listeners connect to. Get LiveStream right and your stream is stable, clean, and professional. Get it wrong and you will be chasing dropouts and audio quality problems indefinitely.

This guide is part of the Complete Guide to Building a 24/7 Internet Radio Station with PlayoutONE.

Before You Configure LiveStream

You need two things in place before configuring LiveStream:

  1. A streaming server account. LiveStream pushes audio to a server hosted by a streaming provider. You need your server credentials — address, port, mountpoint, username, and password — before you can complete this setup. If you do not have a streaming provider yet, see the Streaming Providers guide for what to look for and how to choose.
  2. Virtual audio routing configured. LiveStream receives audio from the CABLE Output of your VB-Audio Virtual Cable. If that is not set up yet, complete the Virtual Audio Routing guide first.

Opening LiveStream and Adding an Encoder

Launch LiveStream from the PlayoutONE suite. In LiveStream, each stream you send is configured as an encoder. You can add multiple encoders for different streams, bitrates, or backup servers.

Click Add New Encoder to begin. This opens the encoder configuration where you will enter your server details and audio settings in two tabs:

  • Server Details — your streaming server hostname, port, and password
  • Settings → Audio & Meta — your audio input source, encoding format, and metadata

Choosing Your Streaming Format

LiveStream supports the two most common internet radio streaming formats. Your choice here affects both audio quality and how compatible your stream is with different players and devices.

MP3

MP3 is the universal streaming format. Every device, every player, every browser, every internet radio aggregator supports MP3 without any configuration. If maximum compatibility is your priority, MP3 is the safe choice.

  • 128 kbps MP3 — Standard quality. Clear, clean audio that is indistinguishable from CD quality to most listeners. The right choice for the majority of stations.
  • 192 kbps MP3 — Noticeably higher quality, worth considering if your format (jazz, classical, hi-fi music) attracts listeners who care about audio fidelity.
  • 320 kbps MP3 — Maximum MP3 quality. Reserve this for audiophile-focused stations where your audience has specifically come for the sound quality. Significant bandwidth requirement.

AAC+ (HE-AAC)

AAC+ is a more efficient codec than MP3 — it delivers comparable quality at lower bitrates. This makes it excellent for mobile listeners on cellular connections who are bandwidth-conscious.

  • 64 kbps AAC+ — Remarkably good quality for the bitrate. Sounds as good as 128 kbps MP3 to most listeners. Ideal for stations targeting mobile audiences.
  • 96–128 kbps AAC+ — High quality that rivals much higher MP3 bitrates.

Which to choose? For most stations starting out, 128 kbps MP3 is the right default — it is universally compatible and delivers excellent audio quality. You can always add a secondary AAC+ stream later for mobile listeners.

Configuring Server Details and Audio

Inside your encoder configuration, work through two tabs:

Server Details tab

Enter the connection credentials your streaming provider supplied:

  • Hostname — your streaming server address (e.g. stream.yourprovider.com)
  • Port — typically 8000, 8080, or a custom port
  • Password — your encoder password (not your control panel login password)
  • Mount point (Icecast) — the stream path, e.g. /live
  • Stream type — Icecast or SHOUTcast, as specified by your provider

Settings → Audio & Meta tab

This tab controls both your audio source and metadata:

  • Audio input — select CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable). This is where PlayoutONE’s broadcast audio arrives.
  • Sample rate — match what you configured in VB-Audio (44100 Hz or 48000 Hz)
  • Channels — Stereo (or Mono for talk stations to save bandwidth)
  • Metadata — toggle ON to enable Now Playing metadata in your stream (see the Metadata guide for how this connects to PlayoutONE)

Watch the input level meters in LiveStream while PlayoutONE is playing. You should see consistent levels in a healthy range — not peaking into the red, not sitting too low. If meters show nothing, your virtual cable routing needs attention before proceeding.

Adding Audio Processing Plugins (Optional)

LiveStream supports VST2 plugins for audio processing before encoding — specifically 32-bit VST2 plugins only. 64-bit VST plugins and VST3 are not compatible. Popular options used by internet radio stations include:

  • Stereo Tool — professional-grade audio processing (loudness, limiting, stereo widening). Widely used in internet radio.
  • Sound Solution — another VST2 processor designed for broadcast use.

If you plan to use audio processing, install the 32-bit VST2 version of your chosen plugin, then load it in LiveStream’s plugin slot. See the Audio Processing guide for a full walkthrough.

Configuring Reconnection Settings

Network connections drop occasionally — even on reliable connections. LiveStream can be configured to automatically reconnect when the connection to your streaming server is lost.

Look for reconnection or auto-reconnect settings in LiveStream’s connection configuration:

  • Enable automatic reconnection
  • Set a reconnection interval — 10–30 seconds is typical
  • Set a retry limit, or set it to unlimited retries

With reconnection enabled, a brief network dropout causes a few seconds of stream interruption rather than requiring you to manually restart LiveStream. For an unattended 24/7 station, this setting is essential.

Connecting and Testing Your Stream

Once everything is configured, click Connect (or Start Streaming — exact labelling varies by version). LiveStream will attempt to connect to your streaming server.

A successful connection typically shows a green status indicator and starts displaying statistics — bit rate, connection duration, and possibly listener count if your server supports it.

Now test from a listener’s perspective:

  1. VLC: Open Network Stream (Ctrl+N) and enter your stream URL. This is the most reliable test because VLC supports every streaming format.
  2. Browser: Most modern browsers can play MP3 streams directly. Enter your stream URL in the address bar.
  3. Mobile device: Use a different internet connection (cellular, not your local Wi-Fi) to test as a real remote listener would experience it.

Verify three things: audio is playing, levels sound clean without distortion, and the stream stays stable for at least ten minutes without dropping.

Common LiveStream Problems

Connection refused / cannot connect to server

  • Double-check server address, port, and protocol (Icecast vs SHOUTcast)
  • Check whether your Windows Firewall is blocking the outbound connection on the configured port
  • Confirm your streaming account is active and the server is online

Connection succeeds but no audio in the stream

  • Check that LiveStream’s audio input is set to CABLE Output
  • Confirm audio is actually playing in PlayoutONE
  • Watch the input level meters in LiveStream — if they are not moving, the virtual cable routing is the problem

Audio is distorted or clipping

  • Lower the output level in PlayoutONE or in LiveStream’s input gain
  • Check whether audio processing (Stereo Tool or similar) is over-driving the signal

Stream keeps disconnecting

  • Check your internet connection stability — run a ping test to your streaming server for several minutes to see if you are losing packets
  • Confirm your ISP does not throttle or limit streaming connections
  • Check your router’s firewall settings for persistent connection limitations

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