How to Preload Media for Every New Centova Cast Stream (Skeleton Folder)

Updated: 4 November 2026 · Applies to: Centova Cast v3 on Linux (3.3.4, from Centova documentation); file and permission commands tested on Debian 13 (coreutils 9.7)

Yes, if you have root access to the Centova Cast server. According to Centova, everything in the skeleton folder /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/ is copied into the folder of each new account (/usr/local/centovacast/var/vhosts/USERNAME/). Put the tracks in /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media/ and every stream created after that starts with those files in its media folder.

Who can do this

• Server owners with root access, for example on a Centova Cast dedicated server. The skeleton folder belongs to the whole server, so it affects every new account on it, whoever creates the account.
• Radio hosting and reseller customers (for example on our Shoutcast and Icecast hosting or Shoutcast reseller hosting) have no root access and share the server with other accounts, so you cannot change the skeleton folder. Upload media to each account with the File Manager or FTP instead (see uploading media to Centova Cast v3 and uploading MP3s over FTP). Reseller account templates preset settings for new accounts, not media files. For any server-side change, open a support ticket.

How to preload media for new accounts (root)

1. Log in to the server over SSH as root and create the media folder inside the skeleton:

   mkdir -p /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media

2. Copy your files into it. Subfolders are fine: the account owner sees them in the media library's folder view (Options > Browse by folders).

   cp -r /root/starter-pack/. /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media/

3. Make the files readable for everyone (folders 755, files 644):

   find /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media -type d -exec chmod 755 {} +
   find /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media -type f -exec chmod 644 {} +

   Centova Cast's services run as non-root users (centovacast and ccuser, according to Centova), and copied files keep their old permissions, so a file that was private (mode 600) in /root stays private in the skeleton. In our test a non-root user could not copy such a file:

   cp: cannot open '/usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/./var/spool/media/Jingles/intro.mp3' for reading: Permission denied

   After the two chmod commands the same copy worked, and the copies belonged to the user who made them. find also handled file names with spaces, such as Station ID 1.mp3.
4. Check how big the pack is:

   du -sh /usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media
   952K	/usr/local/centovacast/system/skel/var/spool/media

   Every new account gets its own copy, and according to Centova the disk quota covers all files in the account's folder. A 1 GB pack therefore uses 1 GB of each new account's quota and 1 GB of disk per account.
5. Create a test account (Accounts > Manage > New account in the admin area), log in to it and open AutoDJ > Media to check that the tracks are listed. On disk they are in /usr/local/centovacast/var/vhosts/USERNAME/var/spool/media/. If the library stays empty, see Update Media Library does not update the library. Delete the test account when you are done.

Things to know before you rely on it

• Only new accounts get the files. Existing accounts are not changed. To give an existing account the same pack, upload it through the File Manager or FTP, or copy it as root and hand the files to ccuser, which owns all client data according to Centova:

  mkdir -p /usr/local/centovacast/var/vhosts/USERNAME/var/spool/media/starter
  cp -r /root/starter-pack/. /usr/local/centovacast/var/vhosts/USERNAME/var/spool/media/starter/
  chown -R ccuser:ccuser /usr/local/centovacast/var/vhosts/USERNAME/var/spool/media/starter

  If an account later shows "Permission denied" errors, Centova's /usr/local/centovacast/sbin/fixperms script resets file permissions (see permissions problems in Centova Cast).
• Music rights. The pack is copied to every new station, so only include audio every station may use, such as your own jingles, station IDs or licensed royalty-free tracks.
• Keep the original pack. Keep a copy outside the Centova Cast folder (for example in /root/starter-pack), so you can put it back if an update or a reinstall replaces the skeleton folder.
• More than one hosting server. Centova's documentation does not say which server's skeleton folder is used in a multi-server setup, so put the same files on each server and test an account on each.
• Sharing instead of copying. If many stations should play the same large library, a bind mount lets them share one folder without using extra disk space. Centova explains this in Can multiple streams share the same server-side MP3s? Two warnings from Centova: unless you lock the shared files down with file permissions, every account with access can add, change or delete them, and an account with a bind mount cannot be deleted until you unmount it and remove it from /etc/fstab.

Official documentation: Centova: Can I customize the media that is preloaded for each stream?, Centova Cast account files and paths.