WinAmp's dynamic station ID's
 

I searched the forum and found a few posts that tell about the station ID's changing frequently but they are pretty old posts.

I have a few stations listed on my website so users can click a link and listen to one of the stations while they browse the site but the links are constantly broken because the station ID's are always changing.

Is there any way to avoid broken links? When we visit websites we use DNS instead of the actual IP addresses. Is there a similar solution for WinAmp station ID's? I know this has been asked in the past but I would like to know if there are any solutions yet.

i assume you mean the SHOUTcast tune-in links when saying "Winamp station ID's" ?


there have been changes made to the SHOUTcast platform to help keep stations using the v1.x based DNAS server on the same stationid even if the IP changes (as long as things can be re-matched to the prior listing. though that is not 100% guaranteed and so things can change.

also when using a v1.x based DNAS server, you're not really able to provide details to use a DNS based link in the tune-in playlists, etc provided by the DNAS / YP.


the solution as such is to use a v2.2 based DNAS server as you generate an 'authash' for your stream(s) and that is then used to maintain the listing (as long as the bitrate / content type doesn't change - if so then it'll give a new stationid) since it acts as a fixed point of reference from your DNAS server for the YP to be able to maintain the correct listing.

using the v2.2 DNAS also allows for setting the 'destip' configuration option which then allows it to provide a DNS name to the YP which it will then use for the tune-in links provided which makes things easier for you and listeners and with the authhash aspect, barring any YP issues, the tune-in link should then stay the same (only caveat is it'd change if going from v1.x to v2.2 but that's something which can be changed on the YP side as needed).


so there is a solution to the issues you've mentioned and it does involve updating the DNAS server and some manual tweaking of things on the YP to maintain any existing listings.

Loooong day... Yes, I meant ShoutCast links.

Actually, I do not have a station of my own so I'm not providing any streams. I was referring to having links, on my website, that point to others ShoutCast streams.

Their station ID's keep changing so the links I have posted on my website keep breaking.

So it looks like there is still no fix for this???

even though you're not meant to be doing that, without examples of stations exhibiting this issue i cannot say what / why things keep breaking for them (and in-turn you).

though as i've tried to explain, there is a fix but unless the station is using the updated server software (i.e. a v2.x DNAS) then it can still change (irrespective of work that has been done to try to maintain listings against the same stationid when there's no fixed point of data to do so efficiently).