Frequently asked questions

There are two big issues when trying to play live audio streaming from Icecast2 or Shoutcast inside a web browser.
Those issues are:

1. Memory consumption:
   Both (Icecast2 and Shoutcast) delivers live audio by simulating the delivery of an infinite length audio file. This allows any browser to play live audio as any other audio file, but has the downside: The browser will try to keep that file in memory just in case the user tries to rewind or replay that file.
   That's why, to avoid memory consumption Muses uses a really simple strategy: It disconnect and reconnect from the streaming audio every hour or half and hour. This means you may notice one or two seconds of silence when it does that, but ensures that the user's computer won't lose performance when listening to your station.
    
2. Cached audio:
   Typically, web browsers and intermediate network proxies, stores copies of recent downloaded files (images, audios, html, js, css, etc) in a local cache to speed-up the download time the next time someone tries to access the same site again.
   But sometimes, this caching strategy, ends up storing pieces of old live streamed audio, causing an issue to users who ends up listening the same piece of old audio over and over again when they try to listen to your station.
   So, to avoid this issue with cache, Muses Radio Player alters the streaming URL adding some GET parameters computed from the computer local time, and this makes the streaming URL different every time the player ask for it.