[Icecast] Https Meta data

HGAlt hgalt at gmx.net
Mon Oct 25 17:57:56 UTC 2021


Hi Philipp,

I am using MP3, but the meta data will provided by mairlist.
Mairlist sends the stream to Icecast and it works fine http but not with https.

My understanding is, that this information is not part of MP3, because mairlist only sends the audio data and not the MP3. The meta data will be send separate to Icecast. But with https VLC doesn't show them!

Hi Marvin,

Do you know any player that show the meta data foe https?
Maybe VLC and Icecast should communicate directly the solve this problem.
What do you think?

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Icecast [mailto:icecast-bounces at xiph.org] Im Auftrag von Philipp Schafft
Gesendet: Montag, 25. Oktober 2021 19:34
An: Icecast streaming server user discussions
Betreff: Re: [Icecast] Https Meta data

Good evening,

On Mon, 2021-10-25 at 19:20 +0200, HGAlt wrote:
> I have a problem with https streaming. In VLC no meta data will be
> displayed.
> This seems to be an known problem! If you search in the internet, you
> will find a comment from VLC, that the problem is created by Icecast.
>
> Is there any possibility to solve this problem?

let me do a wild guess here: You are using MP3, or AAC.

MP3, as well as AAC do not support metadata (unlike modern streaming
formats) by themself. So they require the use of ICY as a transport.
ICY is a workaround protocol by former Nullsoft that was meant only for letting Winamp talk with shoutcast. However Icecast has full emulation of that. TLS or not. To Icecast it is "all the same".

And here is the big but:

As Nullsoft decided that it is a "good" idea to use the "http" URI scheme for their protocol now players must check when the user enters a "http" URL if that is actually HTTP or ICY. So the player does magic here. And as this is dirty black magic nobody likes it. Therefore players have never implemented it for "https". As "https" always meant "https" not "icys". And for reasons of not confusing things even more that is very good.

However there is also no correct scheme as there never was one registered. So there is no standard way of telling a player to use "icys". Meaning, metadata will only work if not used with a legacy codec.

Some players accept URLs with "icys", "icyxs", or "xicys",... But that really depends on the player.

Icecast itself (all versions!) are happy to send those metadata if a player asks for them. So on the Icecast side there is nothing to do.

My suggestion is migration to e.g. Opus for streaming which is basically "THE" state of the art codec. With Opus metadata just works.

I hope this was helpful, both for you and everyone else reading.

With best regards,

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Philipp Schafft (CEO/Geschäftsführer)
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