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Short answer: the right SHOUTcast hosting plan is the one whose listener limit covers your busiest hour at the bitrate you broadcast, with AutoDJ to keep you on air when nobody is live, an HTTPS stream link for your website player, and a control panel you are comfortable with. Start on a shared plan, and move to a VPS or dedicated server only when you run several stations, need any bitrate you like, or outgrow the listener limits. This guide shows how to size a station, what to compare and the questions to ask before you pay.
What SHOUTcast hosting is
SHOUTcast hosting is a streaming server, running the SHOUTcast DNAS software, that relays your audio to every listener. Your encoder sends one stream to the server and the server sends a copy to each listener, so your own internet connection only uploads once, however large the audience. According to the documentation bundled with SHOUTcast DNAS Server 2.6, one server can carry several streams, accepts both older 1.x and newer 2.x sources, and streams MP3 or AAC audio. If you are still choosing between the two common streaming servers, see the difference between SHOUTcast and Icecast.
A hosting plan adds the parts you would otherwise build yourself: a control panel, AutoDJ, storage for your music, listener statistics and a secure stream address.
Bitrate and listeners: size the station first
Every listener receives the whole stream at its bitrate for as long as they listen. The server’s outgoing speed is therefore bitrate times listeners, and monthly data is that speed times the hours on air. Most music stations sit between 96 and 128 kbps, and speech works well at 64 kbps.
| Bitrate | One listener, one hour | 100 listeners at once | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 kbps | 28.8 MB | 6.4 Mbps | Talk, sermons, podcasts |
| 128 kbps | 57.6 MB | 12.8 Mbps | Most music stations |
| 192 kbps | 86.4 MB | 19.2 Mbps | Higher quality music |
| 320 kbps | 144 MB | 32 Mbps | Highest MP3 quality |
Use your peak number of listeners at the same time for speed, and your average for monthly data. A station with 100 listeners at 128 kbps, on air 24 hours a day for 30 days, moves about 4.15 TB a month. Try your own numbers in our free radio bandwidth calculator.
Bandwidth: unmetered is not the same as unlimited
On shared SHOUTcast hosting, the listener limit is the real ceiling, so compare plans by listeners and bitrate rather than by gigabytes. On your own server, the limit is the network port: with an unmetered port there is no monthly data cap, but the port speed still caps how many people can listen at once. A thousand listeners at 128 kbps need roughly 128 Mbps of sustained outgoing capacity. Ask about the port speed, not just the data allowance.
If you run DNAS yourself, the software has limits too. According to its bundled documentation, the maxuser setting defaults to 512 listeners, and an operating system limit on open connections often shows up as a ceiling of around 300 listeners; on Linux the documentation recommends raising the limit with ulimit -n to at least four times maxuser.
AutoDJ: keep the station on air around the clock
AutoDJ plays your uploaded music and playlists when no presenter is connected. When a DJ goes live, AutoDJ steps aside, and it resumes when they disconnect. For SHOUTcast AutoDJ hosting, check three things: how much AutoDJ storage you get (at 128 kbps, 1 GB holds about 260 four-minute songs), whether you can schedule playlists by time of day, and whether presenters can have their own logins.
Control panels: Centova Cast, SonicPanel and AzuraCast
All three run a standard streaming server underneath, so your encoder and your listeners work the same way. The panel decides how you run the station day to day.
- Centova Cast suits stations that run mostly on AutoDJ and want a scheduler and detailed listener reports.
- SonicPanel suits stations that go live often: it can insert jingles and voice into the stream live and turn typed text into spoken announcements without stopping AutoDJ.
- AzuraCast is free and open source and runs on your own VPS or server, with Icecast by default and SHOUTcast as an option.
SSL streams: make the player work on your website
If your website uses HTTPS, the stream should too. According to MDN’s guide to mixed content, browsers automatically upgrade an http:// audio request on a secure page to https://, so the player fails unless the stream also answers over HTTPS, and they block the request outright when the stream address is a bare IP address. Ask for an HTTPS stream link on a hostname. Our guide How to Stream Shoutcast over HTTPS covers the options, including DNAS 2.6.1’s own SSL support.
Shared, reseller, VPS or dedicated?
| Option | Best for | What you control |
|---|---|---|
| Shared SHOUTcast hosting | One station, new and community stations | Your station’s panel, a fixed bitrate and listener limit |
| SHOUTcast reseller | Selling stations to your own clients | A block of stations, listeners and storage to divide up, under your brand |
| Radio VPS | Growing stations and small networks | Full root access, any bitrate, as many stations as the server can carry |
| Dedicated server | Large audiences, many stations, hosting businesses | A whole machine and its network port |
Most stations should start on shared hosting: it costs least and there is nothing to administer. Our guide Do You Need a VPS or Dedicated Server for Online Radio Hosting? explains when it is time to move up.
Cheap SHOUTcast hosting: questions to ask and red flags
- How many listeners, at what bitrate? “Unlimited listeners” on shared hosting always has a fair-use or shared usage cap somewhere. Ask what it is.
- Is AutoDJ included, and how much storage?
- Is there an HTTPS stream link, or will your website player break?
- Where is the server? A server near your audience gives a quicker start when listeners press play.
- What does the renewal cost, and is there a refund window if it does not suit you?
- Who answers when the stream goes silent? Check how support is reached and what it covers.
Be wary of free SHOUTcast hosting with ads inserted into your stream, no AutoDJ, very low listener limits or no way to export your library. And remember that hosting does not include a music licence: if you broadcast music you do not own, arranging the licence is your responsibility.
Where Ucartz fits
Here is an honest summary of what we offer, from our live pages.
| Listeners | Bitrate (Centova Cast / SonicPanel) | Price a month |
|---|---|---|
| 160 | 64 kbps | $3 |
| 260 | 128 kbps | $6 |
| 400 | 256 kbps / 192 kbps | $10 |
| 999 | 320 kbps | $12 |
| No fixed limit (shared usage cap) | 320 kbps | $20 |
- Shared SHOUTcast hosting with your choice of Centova Cast or SonicPanel at the same price, AutoDJ with unlimited AutoDJ space, a free HTTPS stream link, unmetered bandwidth and no Ucartz branding your listeners can see. Paying yearly costs ten months’ price, and there is no setup fee. Your station is created automatically once payment is received. On Centova Cast plans you pick France, Canada or the USA at checkout; France and Canada include DDoS protection.
- Resellers: Centova Cast reseller hosting and SonicPanel reseller plans start at $7 a month, white label.
- Your own server: an AzuraCast VPS from $35 a month with full root access, or a radio dedicated server from $66.99 a month with the panel installed and an unmetered 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps port (Centova Cast from $83.99 and SonicPanel from $88.99, licence included). Dedicated servers are usually ready within 2 to 46 business hours, depending on the location and server type, and DDoS protection is available on selected servers.
- Support: every plan includes Free Basic Managed Support for quick tasks such as stream and port checks and encoder connection help. For bigger jobs, such as moving a station from another host, our engineers work on demand from $8 per 15 minutes or $28 an hour.
There is no free trial, but your first purchase of a shared or reseller hosting service has a 30-day money-back guarantee (dedicated servers are excluded). Prices are in US dollars, and the current price is always the one in our store.
FAQ
How much is a SHOUTcast server for an online radio station?
For one station on shared hosting, the price depends on listeners and bitrate: with us, from $3 a month for 160 listeners at 64 kbps to $20 a month with no fixed listener limit. Your own dedicated server for many stations starts at $66.99 a month.
What is the best hosting for internet radio?
The one that matches your audience: enough listener slots at your bitrate for your busiest hour, AutoDJ, an HTTPS stream and support you can reach. For a single new station, shared SHOUTcast hosting is usually the right start.
Is there free SHOUTcast hosting?
We do not offer a free plan or trial; our paid plans start at $3 a month with a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first shared or reseller order. If you consider a free stream elsewhere, check it against the red flags above, especially ads in your stream and listener limits.
What is SHOUTcast AutoDJ hosting?
A SHOUTcast plan with an AutoDJ that plays your uploaded music and playlists automatically, so the station stays on air 24/7 and live presenters can take over whenever they connect.
How does a SHOUTcast reseller plan work?
You buy a block of streaming resources and create stations for your own customers, each with its own bitrate, storage, listener limit and panel login. You set the packages and prices; the host runs the servers underneath.
Which broadcasting software works with SHOUTcast hosting?
Any SHOUTcast-compatible encoder, including BUTT, Mixxx, SAM Broadcaster, RadioBOSS and the Winamp DSP plug-in. You connect with the server address, port and password shown in your panel.
Ready to go on air? Compare the listener limits on our SHOUTcast hosting page, or work out what your audience needs with the radio bandwidth calculator first.
