Difference between revisions of "Preparing releases from internet-based broadcasts"

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(Minimum Acceptable Bitrates)
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Internet Radios: Common rules, frequent mistakes and all about superior quality.
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__NOTOC__
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===Basic Considerations===
  
==Basic Internet Radio Selection Considerations==
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*You want to upload self-recorded DJ sets from Internet Radio broadcasts to the TMB tracker?? '''[[Internet Radios|Check the list of allowed radio stations and DJs first!]]''' This is necessary to prevent you from uploading 'bedroom DJs' from 'bedroom internet radios' to the tracker. Note that this will be enforced by admin!
  
* For [http://themixingbowl.org/ TheMixingBowl] of interest are ''only'' the stations offering DJ sets that you can't buy anywhere as that it is what TheMixingBowl is all about. [[:Category:Radio Stations|'''Radio stations meeting this requirement are listed here''']].  
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*Then check the '''[[Internet Radios|allowed quality for each radio station!]]'''. This is necessary to avoid the upload of low quality 'low bitrate' sets to the tracker. Do not record sets in lower quality although a higher quality stream would be available.  
* Only few Internet radio stations broadcasting DJ sets are suitable for TheMixingBowl.org as they do meet the minimum quality requirements to allow their sets being uploaded to TheMixingBowl. All other internet radio stations are broadcasting nuked sets of low quality (sets that would be available elsewhere in much higher quality). The above mentioned list of [[:Category:Radio Stations|Radio Stations]] can be considered to represent a Whitelist of suitable radio stations.
 
  
==Minimum Acceptable Bitrates==
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*But also do not record, encode and then upload DJ sets in 'higher' quality. Such a 'higher' quality (i.e. recording a set broadcasted in 192kbps and then encoding it in 256kbps) isn't possible, you just 'nuked' the broadcast and transcoded a high quality file into low quality crap - despite having a higher bitrate than before! '''Do never ever use so-called 'MP3-recorders'''' or other ''WAV to MP3 '' programs, these are just evil for recording from Internet Radios!
  
Minimum acceptable bitrates for internet broadcasts need to be taken into account. If you have a choice between different broadcasting formats, choose that one with the highest quality and that means that with the highest bitrate. One has to know that all digital formats used to broadcast music are lossy and do not contain all the original audio information. And low bitrates are extremely lossy and can easily sound very bad.  '''Do not upload internet broadcasts with ''low bitrates'' to [http://themixingbowl.org/ TheMixingBowl]'''.
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'''''The only way to properly record (rip) from Internet Radios are so called ''digital stream rips''. Here you get the HOWTO to do proper stream rips without any quality losses! '''''
  
The minimum requirements for a decent quality are:
 
* [[MP2]]: 144-160kbit/s,
 
* [[MP3]] and [[AAC]]: 128kbit/s [the AAC format (used by iTunes!) is not better than mp3],
 
* [[AAC|AAC+]]: 64-80kbit/s [check the file properties / file information - you will find strings containing AAC+, HE-AAC or AAC+ v2],
 
* [[Ogg Vorbis|OGG]]: 64-80kbit/s,
 
* [[Ogg Vorbis|OGG aoTuV]]: 48-64kbit/s [the best audio codec available].
 
Sometimes, for special opportunities (especially live broadcasts) it might be necessary to accept lower qualities though.
 
  
1.) Note, that the [[AAC]] and [[AAC|AAC+]] formats can be broadcasted in the RAW format (with the extension .aac) but can also be "hidden" in MP4 containers (these files have the extensions .m4a or .mp4). You have to be especially careful with .m4a and .mp4 files, these can contain other information as well (for example videos or picture stills or other audio files) together with the aac+ audio part. In any case, if you have .mp4 or .m4a files, check the file information first, whether or not it contains a suitable aac+ file and/or other (unsuitable) files.
 
  
2.) Also note, that it is almost impossible to distinguish between OGG and OGG-aoTuV as the available encoders do not save the necessary information to OGG files....
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===Installing and configuring a stream ripper===
  
Apart from the above-mentioned minimum quality requirements, try to avoid streams sounding "crispy" with lots of distortions at higher frequencies. Also, try to avoid [[WMA]] and [[RA]] broadcasts. These formats are usually very listener-unfriendly with very low bitrates and 'bitrate management' what means that your stream can jump between different bitrates during a set (down to very low bitrates). Do not use them!
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For proper internet recordings (stream rips) you will need only two programs:
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*[http://www.winamp.com the newest Winamp] and
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*[http://streamripper.sf.net the newest Winamp streamripper plugin].
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Follow the two links to get the two programs, then install them. Configure Winamp to always start the streamripper plugin together with the main Winamp program.
  
==Ripping Internet Streams==
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The black, small main window of the streamripper plugin is shown below. It shows the streamripper working....
  
- Suitable programs
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[[Image:SR0.gif]]
  
- Guide to use the programs
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Also shown are some streamripper configuration options (behind the 'OPTS' button) in the other two images. Important are especially the coloured rectangles and their content. Use them exactly as displayed and your chances to get a proper streamrip are very high!
  
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[[Image:SR_rip_to_separate_files.gif]]
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[[Image:SR_user_agent.gif]]
  
==Editing Ripped Internet Streams==
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Note that streamripper with these options will save two (!) MP3 files for each broadcast to disk so for a 2h broadcast at 192kbps you will need disk space of at least 350MB. That is necessary to avoid losses in case of incorrect and/or changing stream metadata - one of the two files is metadata independent, the other not. A proper user agent is also quite important: some radio stations are very picky among the allowed players and rippers on your side - always use the string "StreamripperMPEG/X.XX" with X.XX being the version number of the main Winamp program (for example use 'StreamripperMPEG/5.30' for 'Winamp 5.3' or 'StreamripperMPEG/5.24' for 'Winamp 5.24'.
  
- Suitable programs
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That's it more or less, other Winamp or Streamripper configuration options are not really important.
  
- Rules for editing digital music files
 
  
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===Recording Internet Radios to disk===
  
==Preparation Finish==
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Okay, now you are set to rip your first internet radio stream. You can rip and record in almost any streaming format that Winamp can pull from the internet and play (MP3, OGG, AAC+). For streamripper there is no difference among them.
 
 
- Preparing uploads...
 
  
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1.) Note, that the [[AAC]] and [[AAC|AAC+]] formats can be broadcasted in the RAW format (with the extension .aac) but can also be "hidden" in MP4 containers (these files have the extensions .m4a or .mp4). You have to be especially careful with .m4a and .mp4 files, these can contain other information as well (for example videos or picture stills or other audio files) together with the aac+ audio part. In any case, if you have .mp4 or .m4a files, check the file information first, whether or not it contains a suitable aac+ file and/or other (unsuitable) files.
 
[[Category:Uploading Own Recordings]]
 
[[Category:Uploading Own Recordings]]

Revision as of 00:41, 1 February 2007

Basic Considerations

  • You want to upload self-recorded DJ sets from Internet Radio broadcasts to the TMB tracker?? Check the list of allowed radio stations and DJs first! This is necessary to prevent you from uploading 'bedroom DJs' from 'bedroom internet radios' to the tracker. Note that this will be enforced by admin!
  • Then check the allowed quality for each radio station!. This is necessary to avoid the upload of low quality 'low bitrate' sets to the tracker. Do not record sets in lower quality although a higher quality stream would be available.
  • But also do not record, encode and then upload DJ sets in 'higher' quality. Such a 'higher' quality (i.e. recording a set broadcasted in 192kbps and then encoding it in 256kbps) isn't possible, you just 'nuked' the broadcast and transcoded a high quality file into low quality crap - despite having a higher bitrate than before! Do never ever use so-called 'MP3-recorders' or other WAV to MP3 programs, these are just evil for recording from Internet Radios!

The only way to properly record (rip) from Internet Radios are so called digital stream rips. Here you get the HOWTO to do proper stream rips without any quality losses!


Installing and configuring a stream ripper

For proper internet recordings (stream rips) you will need only two programs:

Follow the two links to get the two programs, then install them. Configure Winamp to always start the streamripper plugin together with the main Winamp program.

The black, small main window of the streamripper plugin is shown below. It shows the streamripper working....

SR0.gif

Also shown are some streamripper configuration options (behind the 'OPTS' button) in the other two images. Important are especially the coloured rectangles and their content. Use them exactly as displayed and your chances to get a proper streamrip are very high!

SR rip to separate files.gif SR user agent.gif

Note that streamripper with these options will save two (!) MP3 files for each broadcast to disk so for a 2h broadcast at 192kbps you will need disk space of at least 350MB. That is necessary to avoid losses in case of incorrect and/or changing stream metadata - one of the two files is metadata independent, the other not. A proper user agent is also quite important: some radio stations are very picky among the allowed players and rippers on your side - always use the string "StreamripperMPEG/X.XX" with X.XX being the version number of the main Winamp program (for example use 'StreamripperMPEG/5.30' for 'Winamp 5.3' or 'StreamripperMPEG/5.24' for 'Winamp 5.24'.

That's it more or less, other Winamp or Streamripper configuration options are not really important.


Recording Internet Radios to disk

Okay, now you are set to rip your first internet radio stream. You can rip and record in almost any streaming format that Winamp can pull from the internet and play (MP3, OGG, AAC+). For streamripper there is no difference among them.

1.) Note, that the AAC and AAC+ formats can be broadcasted in the RAW format (with the extension .aac) but can also be "hidden" in MP4 containers (these files have the extensions .m4a or .mp4). You have to be especially careful with .m4a and .mp4 files, these can contain other information as well (for example videos or picture stills or other audio files) together with the aac+ audio part. In any case, if you have .mp4 or .m4a files, check the file information first, whether or not it contains a suitable aac+ file and/or other (unsuitable) files.