Converting flac audio streams for internet radio use

[hygeia]

I am a recent convert to Minim and am getting reliable conversion from hls (input) to kpbs320 (output) for internet radios. I want to convert flac audiostreams in the same way. Is there a workaround for this?

[simoncn]

This is possible. To enable me to provide detailed instructions, please post a URL for a FLAC internet radio stream that you would like to play.

[hygeia]

Thanks for your response. The radio streams I'm trying to get working are located at:

https://www.hiresaudio.online/superstereo-1/

An example stream is located at:

http://198.204.228.202:8160/flac

[simoncn]

This is an Ogg/FLAC stream (FLAC wrapped in an Ogg container).

Some renderers should be able to play this stream directly when you put this URL in a .m3u playlist. If your renderer cannot do this, create a .m3u playlist containing these lines:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1,[SuperStereo1]
http://198.204.228.202:8160/flac

and put *:wav in the stream.transcode property. This uses MinimStreamer to transcode the stream losslessly from Ogg/FLAC to WAV.

[hygeia]

Thanks. My internet radios won't play m3u streams, so I need to convert these to mp3 kbps320 to have any chance of playing them. Obviously, wav extensions don’t work for internet radios. Is there a way round this?

[FakePlasticDunk]

Adding flac:mp3;320k to the stream.transcode line in the properties tab should do it, I think. Or if you want to transcode absolutely anything that comes through to mp3 at 320k then just one entry in the stream.transcode line *:mp3;320k should do it, I'd have thought.

[simoncn]

This stream is FLAC packaged in an ogg container, so a stream.transcode setting of flac:mp3;320k won't work. I have been able to transcode this stream by doing the following:

1) Change the .m3u playlist entry to the following:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1,[SuperStereo1;ogg]
http://198.204.228.202:8160/flac

2) Add the following to stream.transcode:

ogg:mp3;320k

Alternatively, using *:mp3:320k should work for this stream but it might have undesired consequences when applied to other radio streams.

[FakePlasticDunk]

Thanks for putting me right on that, Simon. Do you know why one would stream FLAC in an ogg wrapper? I've been told the Radio Paradise FLAC stream is done the same way. Are any FLAC streams just straight FLAC?

[simoncn]

Native FLAC is problematical for radio streams because it starts with a header block saying how many audio samples are to follow. If this is set to zero, many renderers will refuse to play the stream.

[FakePlasticDunk]

Interesting and helpful, thank you.