Encoder and output
Format, bitrate, sample rate and channels — and where they are set.
MAWCast Studio is not released yet. This page describes how it will work; until then, connect your own encoder (see Connect your software).
Encoder settings live in Settings → Streaming output and apply to Studio as a whole, not to one server. They are used from the next time you go live, and kept through reconnections. Settings save themselves as you change them; Save changes only saves at once.
| Setting | Choices | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Format | MP3, AAC, OGG / Vorbis, Opus, FLAC, WAV / PCM | MP3 |
| Bitrate | 128, 160, 192, 224, 256, 320 kbps (not for FLAC or WAV) | 320 kbps |
| Sample rate | 44,100 or 48,000 Hz (Opus: 48,000 only) | 44,100 Hz |
| Channels | Stereo or mono | Stereo |
Format
MAWCast stations carry MP3: it is the format to send them, and the one every listener's player plays. The other formats are for Icecast or SHOUTcast servers of your own that accept them. MP3 is sent at a constant bitrate.
Bitrate
128 kbps is the floor, for every format. For music, 192 kbps and up is comfortable; 320 kbps is the top of what MP3 does.
For a MAWCast station, Studio shows what listeners hear — "listeners hear up to … kbps" — and MAWCast delivers your live show at your plan's quality whatever you send. Sending more does not raise it. See Plans.
Sample rate
Unless you have a reason, use 44.1 kHz: it is what music is mastered at, and resampling costs quality for nothing. Opus works at 48 kHz only.
Mono or stereo
Stereo for music. Mono for a talk show on a tight connection, where it carries speech with less data for the same perceived quality.
If a high bitrate does not sound better than a low one, the problem is upstream of the encoder: a resampled source, a clipped input, or a capture mode picking up something other than what you think.
Fields Studio does not ask for
Genre, website and public-directory listing are not here. They are directory metadata, not settings that change what your listeners hear, and a broadcast window is not the place to fill in a form.
Still need help? Write to contact@mawcast.com.