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What is Quikcast?
Quikcast is a server that sends live audio from an encoder (the software that captures your show) to many listeners (people with a player). If you have ever used Icecast or SHOUTcast, you already know the idea. Quikcast does the same job with a single small program and one configuration file.
The four words you need
You will see these everywhere in the docs. They are all there is to learn.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Source or encoder | The program that sends audio to Quikcast, such as BUTT or Liquidsoap. |
| Mount | One stream, identified by a URL path like /radio.mp3. An encoder feeds a mount; listeners play it. |
| Listener | Anyone playing a mount. |
| Relay | Quikcast pulling a stream from somewhere else and publishing it on one of your mounts. |
The full list is in the glossary.
What you get
- All the common formats. MP3, AAC, Opus, Vorbis (Ogg) and FLAC.
- Backups. If a source drops, new listeners can be sent to a backup mount automatically.
- Relays. Rebroadcast an Icecast, SHOUTcast or audio-only HLS stream, with backup upstreams if the first one fails.
- HLS. Serve the segmented streams that browsers and phone apps prefer.
- Access control. Allow or block listeners by IP, country or player, or use expiring links your own app signs.
- HTTPS. Built in, with certificate renewal on a config reload. Or put a proxy in front.
- A console and an API. A web console for live status, and a JSON API and Prometheus metrics for automation.
- Safe to operate. Memory use is bounded, a slow listener can never slow down others, and a bad config change is refused instead of half-applied.
What it does not do
Knowing the limits saves you time.
- It does not encode or mix audio. Quikcast forwards audio that is already encoded. Use BUTT, Liquidsoap or FFmpeg to produce it.
- It is not an auto-DJ. Scheduling, playlists and live-over-automation switching belong in a tool such as Liquidsoap, which then sends one stream to Quikcast.
- It does not store history. Listener statistics live in memory and reset on restart. Scrape the metrics if you want long-term graphs.
- It has no user accounts. Access is controlled by passwords, network rules and signed links that your own application issues.
How it fits with Icecast and Liquidsoap
If you are coming from Icecast, encoders connect the same way, so BUTT, Liquidsoap and FFmpeg settings carry over. Configuration is different: Quikcast uses TOML, and unknown or misspelled settings are rejected at startup instead of being silently ignored.
If you use Liquidsoap, keep it. Liquidsoap decides what plays (playlists, a live DJ taking over, jingles) and Quikcast delivers the result to your audience.