Port 80 streaming with Shoutcast
Reach a wider audience with port 80 streaming...
When a Shoutcast server is set up, it is set up on a specific port. This is normally port 8000 for anyone that runs their own dedicated server for just one stream, but with standard Shoutcast streaming accounts, this can be any number (usually above 8000). The nature of Shoutcast streaming means that people often find that they are unable to listen to a stream if they are behind a restrictive firewall - and this includes most workplaces, universities, colleges and schools as well as some ISPs block ports that are not used for web browsing to stop people from using their networks for nefarious purposes.
This has the unfortunate side effect of blocking many legitimate uses and restricting anyone behind the firewall to normal web browsing and email which can be frustrating, especially for anyone living in a university halls of residence or anyone in a similar situation.
MixStream was one of the very first stream hosts to offer port 80 streaming to all customers, always as part of the service. At the time, the handful of other hosts that offered port 80 streaming charged their customers extra - we have always included it for free.
Why port 80?
Port 80 is the port that is used for normal web browsing, so as long as someone can view web pages and download files they will be able to access the internet on port 80.
How does a port 80 stream work?
When signing up, you will be assigned a streaming port for your shoutcast server, this will normally be something above 8000. Our port 80 system acts as a proxy to redirect the stream from your normal port through port 80. This effectively tricks the user's firewall into thinking that the listener is downloading a normal file from a website and will therefore allow the stream to pass through and be played on the user's computer.
Will my station benefit from this?
Despite the now wideapread availablility of port 80 streaming due to control panels such as CastControl and CentovaCast including it, many stations don't actually use it. This means that they are mssing out on a significant number of listeners, especially those tuning in from work in the day. By including a port 80 link on your website, you can take advantage of this and catch those extra listeners that the others are missing out on.