Quick clarification first: "Shoutcast" is both a streaming protocol and a paid hosting service at shoutcast.com (operated by Targetspot). CloudRadio supports the Shoutcast protocol natively. So the real question is whether to host with Shoutcast.com or with us. Here is the honest comparison.
SHOUTcast (the protocol) is a proprietary streaming format originally from Nullsoft, now owned by Targetspot. The protocol details were available through Nullsoft's own free tools and documentation, so it became a de facto standard: most encoders (SAM Broadcaster, BUTT, Mixxx, RadioBOSS, RadioDJ) and player apps speak it natively.
Shoutcast.com (the hosting service) is the official paid offering from Targetspot, managed in Shoutcast Radio Manager, with mandatory Targetspot pre-roll ads. It is the service this page compares against.
CloudRadio runs Classic Shoutcast hosting, Classic Icecast hosting, and CloudRadio One (HLS + ICY), so you can keep your existing encoder and upgrade at your own pace.
Shoutcast.com sells a single hosted plan ("Easy") plus a free self-hosted server and a custom Pro tier for stations with at least 2 million listening hours a month. CloudRadio sells two offerings: classic Shoutcast hosting from $5/mo and the all-in-one CloudRadio One at $39/mo.
|
Shoutcast.com Easy from €50/yr per station |
CloudRadio Classic from $5/mo (25 slots) |
CloudRadio One $39/mo |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Concurrent listeners | Not stated on the pricing page | 25–1,000 slots ($0.20/slot) | Unlimited |
| Bitrate | Not stated on the pricing page | Up to 320 kbps | 256 kbps AAC (HLS), 128 kbps MP3 (ICY) |
| Shoutcast | ✓ | ✓ | ICY output; encoders connect over Icecast |
| HLS streaming | Not listed | ✗ | ✓ (adaptive) |
| SSL / HTTPS streams | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AutoDJ + storage | Not listed on the pricing page | Add-on: $8/mo (150 GB) | ✓ (750 GB) |
| yp.shoutcast.com directory | Via Radio Manager authhash | Via authhash (contact us) | ✓ (paste your authhash; kept online for you) |
| Control panel | Shoutcast Radio Manager | CloudRadio Studio | CloudRadio Studio |
| Ad injection | Mandatory pre-roll; revenue from mid-roll | None | None |
Bottom line: Shoutcast.com Easy is inexpensive at €50 a year, but pre-roll ads are mandatory: Targetspot inserts them into your stream, and you earn only from mid-roll ads. If you want no platform ads, a modern panel, AutoDJ, and HLS, CloudRadio One at $39/mo replaces the entire stack. CloudRadio Classic sits in between for stations that need only Shoutcast hosting without forced ads.
Shoutcast.com Easy focuses on simplicity and established workflows. Some broadcasters prefer the familiar Shoutcast Radio Manager interface and appreciate the integration with Targetspot's monetization platform.
CloudRadio offers independent infrastructure and direct support from the team managing your servers. If your stream needs attention, you communicate directly with the operations team.
The Shoutcast.com Easy pages do not mention Icecast or HLS output. For desktop players a classic Shoutcast stream is fine. For modern web players, mobile apps, smart TVs, and CarPlay, HLS is the format that "just works" without plugins.
CloudRadio One emits HLS (adaptive bitrate AAC at 64/128/256 kbps) and an ICY/Icecast endpoint simultaneously, and accepts Icecast as the ingest source when you go live. You point your encoder at us using the Icecast protocol, and listeners get HLS or ICY depending on their player.
Shoutcast.com Easy is positioned around live broadcasting. Its pricing page does not list an AutoDJ, so many stations pair it with their own playout (SAM Broadcaster, RadioBOSS, RadioDJ) running on a separate machine. That works but requires you to keep that machine online 24/7.
CloudRadio One includes a full AutoDJ with 750 GB of music storage, playlist rotation rules, and scheduled programming. Your station runs 24/7 from the cloud whether your studio machine is on or not. If you prefer to run your own playout, the classic Shoutcast hosting plan gives you the endpoint without the AutoDJ.
Shoutcast.com Easy starts at €50/year per station, about $4 to $5 a month depending on the exchange rate. That is genuinely cheap for a hosted endpoint, if you accept the mandatory pre-roll ads.
CloudRadio Classic Shoutcast hosting starts at $5/mo for 25 listener slots and scales at $0.20 per slot per month. For 50 listeners that is $10/mo, for 100 listeners it is $20/mo. So if your station regularly carries more than ~25 simultaneous listeners, Shoutcast.com Easy is cheaper on raw price.
CloudRadio One at $39/mo replaces that whole comparison: unlimited listeners, AutoDJ, storage, modern protocols, and an actively maintained panel. The right answer depends on whether you want a cheap endpoint or a complete radio platform.
Yes, on Classic Shoutcast hosting. Point your existing SAM Broadcaster, BUTT, Mixxx, RadioBOSS, or RadioDJ at a Classic Shoutcast server using your standard credentials and it works. CloudRadio One uses Icecast as its ingest protocol instead, so if you are moving to One you will switch your encoder to the Icecast/ICY connection settings.
Your listeners will need to update their stream URL from shoutcast.com's hostname to your new CloudRadio Shoutcast endpoint (or, on CloudRadio One, your HLS/Icecast URL). Most embedded players, mobile apps, and smart speakers let you swap the URL without losing the listener. Plan a transition window where both endpoints run in parallel.
Yes, with an authhash. Create your station on the free plan in Shoutcast Radio Manager and copy its authhash. On CloudRadio One, paste it on your station's Directories page and CloudRadio keeps your listing online with your current song and listener count. CloudRadio Classic also supports authhash-based directory listing; contact us and we can walk you through the process. For broader discovery, the same Directories page covers TuneIn, Radio Browser, the Icecast directory and more.
Shoutcast Basic is the free DNAS server software you download and run on your own machine. It is not a hosted service. It is free (but not open-source) software that many hosts, including CloudRadio's classic Shoutcast plan, build their offerings on top of.
Targetspot is the programmatic audio ad network bundled into Shoutcast.com Easy hosting. Pre-roll ads are mandatory on the Easy plan, and your ad revenue comes only from mid-roll ads, so what you earn depends on your audience size. CloudRadio does not insert ads into your stream. If you run your own ads, you keep 100% of the revenue.
Run Shoutcast on a modern host. Classic Shoutcast hosting from $5/mo, or jump to CloudRadio One at $39/mo for unlimited listeners, AutoDJ, and HLS.