Internet Radio Meta Data

[SailorBoy]

My renderer does not support HTTPS, so I use Minimstreamer to connect to internet HTTPS radio streams. I dont transcode the stream. Most internet radio providers are moving to use HTTPS now.

I think Minimstreamer is stripping out the meta data (song/track info) from the radio stream, the radio plays, but there is no song info communicated back to my control point (Jplay).

Is there an option to include the meta data for this use-case where there is no transcoding

Thanks

[simoncn]

If an internet radio stream provides song metadata, this would normally be embedded in the audio stream using the Icecast protocol. MinimStreamer removes this metadata in order to ensure the stream is playable on all renderers.

If you are only using MinimStreamer to provide HTTPS support, you could try using a reverse proxy on your local network instead of using MinimStreamer. Your renderer would play the stream from the reverse proxy using an HTTP local IP address and the reverse proxy would access the internet radio stream using an HTTPS URL.

[SailorBoy]

Thanks for that suggestion.
In my situation I use an antipodes streamer which can’t be modified to add a proxy server, I would need to add another hardware server to my network. However I am happy to continue the MinimStreamer subscription that gives me https functionality for internet radio.
Would you consider an enhancement request to add metadata back in for situations such as mine? I assume there would be other users in the same boat.

By the way I have encountered the bug you mentioned in another post where Jplay is not working from an iPad when playing internet radio through minimstreamer. Strangely I can get it to work from an iPhone but not an iPad! I have sent logs to the Jplay developers.

[simoncn]

Adding back metadata is problematical because this would require MinimStreamer to implement the full Icecast server protocol. Also, the metadata would be sent to the renderer and not by the control point (JPLAY) as you are expecting. As I only have an iPad and not an iPhone, I would not be able to test whether IceCast metadata is being received correctly by the JPLAY renderer. This limitation is clearly explained in the MinimStreamer user guide (Technical details for playing network streams).

I will be interested to hear what response you get from JPLAY regarding the iPad internet radio problem.

[SailorBoy]

Hi Simon
I have been working with Jplay on this issue the past week and have performed some further testing and would like to get your analysis on the following results.

When I play Internet Radio from Jplay via Minimstreamer using the iPhone or iPad and play the following URL (as it appears in Jplay following a re-sync):
http://192.168.50.157:9790/minimstreamer...xFM*20Jazz
there is no sound, it does not work.

Repeating the above test, but adding *:Wav24 to Minimstreamer properties, (followed by a resync etc), playing the following URL:
http://192.168.50.157:9790/minimstreamer...ode-24.wav
Everything works on both iPhone and iPad!

As you know I am using an HTTP renderer and using Minimstreamer to support HTTPS stations. Is a transcoding setting required in Minimstreamer to enable Minimstreamer to stream from an HTTPS station?

[simoncn]

Thanks for the update. Please post the .m3u playlist file you are using for these tests.

[SailorBoy]

I am travelling away from home at the moment and will post it at the end of this week.

[SailorBoy]

Hi Simon
Here is the contents of the m3u file. I tried to attach the actual file but the forum refused with the following message: "The type of file that you attached is not allowed. Please remove the attachment or choose a different type."

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1,[Venice Classic Radio - Auditorium] Venice Classic Radio - Auditorium
https://uk2.streamingpulse.com/ssl/vcr1
#EXTINF:-1,[RNZ Concert] Radio New Zealand - Concert
http://radionz-ice.streamguys.com/concert.mp3
#EXTINF:-1,[Radio Paradise - Mellow] Radio Paradise - Mellow Mix
http://stream.radioparadise.com/mellow-128
#EXTINF:-1,[NRK Jazz] NRK Jazz
https://lyd.nrk.no/nrk_radio_jazz_aac_h
#EXTINF:-1,[+FluxFM Jazz] FluxFM Jazz
http://fluxfm.streamabc.net/flx-jazzradi...28-4986317

I re-tested again just to be sure I wasn't fooling myself or had made an error with re-synch or something. I confirm that the FluxFM Jazz station as listed above will only play when I add *:Wav24 to Minimstreamer properties.

The file was an M3u8 file, updated and attached.
  Internet Radio Stations.m3u (Size: 502 bytes / Downloads: 3)

[simoncn]

Thanks for this. The file extension .m3u is valid for forum attachments. Does the file you tried to attach have some other extension (such as .m3u8)?

I will try this with JPLAY on my iPad and post back here.

[SailorBoy]

(26-06-2025 10:06)simoncn Wrote:  Thanks for this. The file extension .m3u is valid for forum attachments. Does the file you tried to attach have some other extension (such as .m3u8)?

I will try this with JPLAY on my iPad and post back here.

You were right Simon, the file was an .m3u8 file. I have attached it to the previous post.