Winamp allows anyone to DJ a program that can be broadcast over the Internet.
The Internet has shaped the way we interact with audio in a number of different ways. One of the most noticeable is the introduction of Internet radio. This form of broadcasting allows traditional radio stations to reach audiences beyond the boundaries of their broadcast license, and also allows small broadcasters to offer programming to their own audience. One of the easiest ways to take advantage of this form of Internet audio and to be the DJ of your own radio station is to use the Winamp media player.
Instructions
Installing Shoutcast in Winamp
1. Download the latest version of the Shoutcast DSP from shoutcast.com and install the plugin on your computer. The Shoutcast plugin is made specifically for Winamp and will add itself to your Winamp media player as part of the installation process.
2. Open the Winamp media player on your computer. The player stores and plays any of the audio or video files on your computer, and resembles any jukebox software.
3. Activate the Shoutcast plugin. Click the "Options" navigation menu, then select "Preferences." From there, look under the "Plugins" section for an area entitled "DSP/Effect." Select "Nullsoft Shoutcast" as the DSP option, then close the preferences window.
4. Go to the Shoutcast window. When Shoutcast is selected as the DSP, a Shoutcast window will open behind Winamp. Either minimize Winamp or press Alt+Tab to navigate to the Shoutcast DSP. Having Shoutcast installed allows you to broadcast any audio that is played through your Winamp player.
Configuring Shoutcast for Winamp
5. Open the "Input Device" menu. Select "Sound card" as the device, instructing Shoutcast to broadcast any audio that is carried by the sound card. Double check to make sure the setting is at 44100 Hertz, which is stereo quality sound.
6. Click the button labeled "Open Mixer." Two windows will open; one for "Play Control" and one for "Recording Control."
7. Open the "Play Control" window. Check the "Play Control," "Wave" and "Microphone" settings to make sure that none is muted. If any is muted, simply click the check box to turn off the mute function. If none of the items is on mute, close the "Play Control" window.
8. Open the "Recording Control" window. Inspect the window to make sure the "What You Hear" box is checked. In some versions of Shoutcast, this box says "Stereo Mix." If the button is not checked, Click "Options" then "Properties," and turn on the stereo mix feature. Close the "Recording Control" window when complete.
9. Click the "Output" tab in the Shoutcast DSP. If you have a hosting account with a Shoutcast host, enter the IP address and log in information of your account. If you are hosting the stream directly, place your own IP address and port number in the fields.
Use Winamp to DJ Your Radio Show
10. Import all of your media files to Winamp. Click "File" then click "Add Media to Library." Select all songs that you wish to use during your broadcast. Organize the files into a play list that represents the order you intend to play them in.
11. Connect your hardware to the computer. At the very least, you will want to plug a computer microphone into the microphone input jack. If you desire a more professional quality sound, you can opt to plug a USB mixer into the computer, then plug multiple professional quality microphones into the mixer.
12. Begin playing your files. Winamp will use the Shoutcast plugin to automatically open a channel to the designated IP address any time it is open. Any media file played through Winamp, including live commentary via the computer's microphone, will be available to those who are listening to the broadcast.
13. Click an hold the "Talk" button in Shoutcast whenever you want your microphone to be active. Releasing the button will take the microphone offline so that only music can be heard by listeners. If you are using a mixer with multiple microphones, you can choose to lock the "Talk" button on, then use the mixer to mute/unmute the microphones.
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