How to use the Streams feature

[Jvreth]

Hi people,  I'm sorry I have a question about the Streams feature that I don't really know how to use it, can someone help me with that? 

[ijann]

Right, I also don't know how to use it, some tutorial where I say how to use the stream

[andrewilley]

First, you need to find the URLs (in the form "http://xxxxxx") of the Shoutcast or radio stream(s) that you want to use. Many radio stations publish these addresses publicly, or you can Google for various resources that exist online.

For example, my local UK BBC radio stations have the following URLs:

http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio1_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio1xtra_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio2_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio3_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio4fm_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio4lw_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio4extra_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio5live_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_6music_mf_p
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_lrwm_mf_p
http://bbcwssc.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcwssc_mp1_ws-eieuk

Then you have two choices:

1. For single streams, just go to Library > Streams and use the three-dots menu to 'Add URL' and just paste in the text for the Streaming URL that you want to store.
2. If you have a lot of streams that you'd like to see as a group, such as my BBC ones above, you can paste them as lines of plain text into a .M3U playlist file - mine is called BBC Radio Streams.m3u - and save that file somewhere that PA is allowed to scan for music - such as a Playlists folder in your device's music location for example. PA should pick it up automatically on its next rescan, or you can force it with Settings > Library > Rescan.

All of the URLs that you have created using either method can be seen and played from the Library > Streams category, or if you've made a playlist group then that can also be found in Library > Playlists.

Andre

[ijann]

@andrewilley  Your explanation is clear to me,
thank you very much

[samuelawachie]

Just gotta say, thanks for implementing this feature.. Amazing work! 

[Jp_NH]

Hey all - I would rather use Poweamp over VLC, but seem to be having an issue with adding a stream. Would like to use an VBR .m3u stream. Such as this: https://ia802509.us.archive.org/34/items/gd1978-04-24.sbd.miller.97543.sbeok.flac16/gd1978-04-24.sbd.miller.97543.sbeok.flac16_vbr.m3u

In VLC I'm able to add the url then add a Playlist from the URL with individual tracks. Which works fine. However when I add the stream URL to Poweramp it only recognizes it as one track. Then if I try to create a playlist it's still only one track. And the stream won't start. I just receive a message that says failed to load if I hit play. 

Am I doing something wrong? If it helps I'm on Android 10. 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide! 

Cheers! 

[andrewilley]

3 hours ago, Jp_NH said:

Would like to use an VBR .m3u stream.

The URLs that you add to Poweramp need to be the actual streams rather than an online M3U index file which contains a list of streams.

So just download that M3U file directly to one of the music folders your device (wherever you store Playlists) and PA will the detected them new playlist on its next scan and the contents will be streamable from the Playlists category. Or add the URLs contained within that M3U file to PA one at a time if you only want some of them.

Note: PA does not collect metadata from online MP3 tracks (only from shoutcast style streams) so it will just play the music by filename without any tag info.

Andre

[maxmp]

Alternatively, just “open” (downloaded/imported/shared/etc) m3u/m3u8 file from file manager (Open in... menu action or like that) and Poweramp automatically imports streams/starts playback.