AzuraCast Review, Pricing & Features

AzuraCast is a free, open-source, self-hosted platform for managing internet radio stations with Icecast, SHOUTcast, and Liquidsoap automation.

Category
Media & Audio/Video Tools
Pricing
Free (open source), from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2016
Free PlanWeb AppAPIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted

Overview

AzuraCast is a self-hosted, all-in-one web radio management suite. It packages the broadcast software stack — Icecast, SHOUTcast, and Liquidsoap — together with a browser-based control panel, so a station can be set up and streaming within minutes rather than requiring manual server configuration.

The project began life in 2012 as Ponyville Live before being rebuilt into AzuraCast in 2016. It is led by developer Buster "Silver Eagle" Neece and maintained by a volunteer community, distributed under the AGPL v3 open-source license.

Key Features

AzuraCast supports hosting multiple stations from a single installation, each with its own playlists, mount points, remote relays, and user permissions. Broadcasters can switch between Icecast and SHOUTcast streaming at any time, upload and organize media, and let listeners request specific songs through a public listener page or API.

Webhooks connect stations to Discord, Slack, TuneIn, and other third-party services, while built-in analytics track listener counts and each song's impact on audience retention. Media, recordings, and backups can be stored locally or on S3-compatible storage.

Pricing

AzuraCast is completely free and open source with no paid tiers, license fees, or hosted plan. Users are responsible for their own server or cloud hosting costs, since AzuraCast itself does not sell managed hosting.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source with no licensing fees
  • Docker-based installer simplifies deployment and updates
  • Supports hosting multiple radio stations from one install
  • Active community with frequent updates and third-party integrations

Cons

  • Requires self-hosting and some server administration knowledge
  • No official managed or hosted SaaS version
  • Support is community-driven rather than a paid help desk

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AzuraCast free to use?

Yes, AzuraCast is fully free and open source under the AGPL v3 license, with no paid tiers.

Do I need to host AzuraCast myself?

Yes, AzuraCast is self-hosted; you install it on your own server or cloud instance via Docker.

Which streaming protocols does AzuraCast support?

AzuraCast supports both Icecast 2.4 and SHOUTcast 2, and stations can switch between them.

Can AzuraCast host more than one radio station?

Yes, a single AzuraCast installation can host multiple independent stations with separate playlists and users.

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