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Wavestreaming

STREAM HOSTING
Reviewed By on Jul 18 2013
Wavestreaming is an online radio provider, specialising in easy to use broadcasting tools since 2004. Since their launch they have provided global media delivery solutions to thousands of radio stations, media companies, DJs, bands, musicians, churches & religious organisations, businesses, spor

The Good

The Bad

Overall

An excellent backend panel, which makes advanced features easy to understand and use. Many extra features such as Twitter integration and now playing scripts for your website directly from the backend panel.

Wavestreaming is ideal for streamers in any category whether they are new or experienced.

Full Review

Let's get serious about streaming, you're an internet radio entrepreneur looking for a stream host to handle your 1500 listener base mostly located in the US, you have a website with 40,000 monthly viewers, so you'd like to display as much info to them as possible, you're also plastered all over social media (Twitter, Facebook etc...). 

You view Wavestreaming's services and find that they offer US servers (less buffering, minimal lag for your listeners) with 1500 listeners in their Lifestyle packages, your social media aspects are handled (Twitter integration, but no Facebook sadly) and plenty of scripts to use on your website (although you are not aware of what those scripts are until AFTER you purchase).

Wavestreaming mean business. Especially if you're after advanced features and maximum compatibility. After all, the guys who run Wavestreaming have been doing it since 2004 (10 years since this review was written). They have central offices located in Manchester, UK and they gladly welcome appointments to discuss your needs. Something you usually don't find in online businesses! 

In 2012, they joined forces with the gods of Online Radio, SHOUTcast (then owned and operated by AOL). This brought a spot on the SHOUTcast website where newbies could follow through to Wavestreaming's website to get an easy introduction to the world of SHOUTcast.

Support & Control Panel

Speaking of introductions, Wavestreaming was very open-armed when it came to Broadcasting World signing up for a server to test on. 3 clicks to find the packages I wanted, a few button presses and I had a new spunky SHOUTcast Server and Cloud DJ service to play with. Very easy!

After setup and the very welcoming emails I received in my inbox minutes later, I was on my way exploring the full world of Wavestreaming. Wavepanel (their version of Centovacast media panel) was visually pleasing on my Macbook Pro running Chrome, but on my Microsoft Surface Pro running Internet Explorer (where I mainly broadcast from), it was having trouble registering my inputs with touch and mouse, plus buttons were not appearing (such as the on/off buttons for server controls. Apart from that, the panel had a wide variety of options for my SHOUTcast server.


I found my favorite dashboard for a streaming server, ever. How visually appealing and neat is this dashboard? Awesome.

I explored more and found the promised features of Twitter integration (which worked very flawlessly!) and other integration tools such as Now Playing scripts and a free Flash Player with a large amount of skinning options. Can I also make a point that Wavestreaming doesn't advertise their logo or name on the player itself (apart from when right clicking). That's the way it should be.

We tested out the support that Wavestreaming offered by trialing the Cloud DJ system (see below for full details and our experience). An error message was thrown our way that wasn't very helpful. After browsing support topics and tutorials, we were unable to rectify the issue, so we opened a support ticket. Surely enough, under half an hour later, we received a detailed response from Aaron who fixed it up no worries! Excellent support offering.

Location & Streaming

Wavestreaming offers servers located in the US and UK which gives customers some choice when it comes to where they prefer to stream from. They seem very generous with their package offerings. $29p/m USD will get you 500 listeners and 500GB bandwidth, the $100p/m USD package really boosts it up to 1500 listeners and 2500GB bandwidth. Unfortunately all packages offer only up to 128kbps, from what we understand, you need to contact support to possibly pay extra for the better bitrate.


We streamed audio (in Australia) for an hour with no dropouts or buffering from streamers located in the USA and the UK. We tested a 128kbps SHOUTcast V2 stream (woo!) with a maximum of 500 listeners given to us (which we clearly couldn't fill!). Perfect stream quality and no lag/drop outs from our end. 

Cloud DJ (AutoDJ)

I don't know what it is with AutoDJ systems, maybe it's how Centovacast handles it (and stream hosts rarely improve on it sadly), but I hate them. Unreliable, not flexible and just a pain to keep updated with content. Sure, some stations find it useful loading up shows, but when it comes to music, crossfading is painful, uploading new tracks is painful, it's just.. ergh.

Then there is Wavestreaming's offering called Cloud DJ. We had a bit of a hiccup to start off with where it threw a 401 error at us when we uploaded a file. What's a 401 error? I don't know, but Aaron in support (who we contacted and received a reply from within the hour) explained it as...

"Your Cloud DJ was not initialised. I have done this for you. You will need to change your station name..."

...Which we did, and we were on our way to Cloud DJ fame! As mentioned above, I hate AutoDJ services. But this offering from Wavestreaming was different. The dashboard was clean just like the SHOUTcast dashboard, it was familiar. There were a few extra features I really appreciate such as a scheduler, tags, and apps.


Apps? In AutoDJ? Why? Well, this is where it gets awesome. Wavestreaming have three apps on offer with Cloud DJ, Live, Requests and Live DJs. 

Live allows you to connect live to Cloud DJ on demand, this means that regular automated shows can be playing and you can interrupt the broadcast with a live stream without having to disconnect Cloud DJ, once you stop streaming Cloud DJ will fade back into whatever was playing before the live broadcast.

Requests allows your listeners to send in requests to Cloud DJ and they will automatically be queued based on your configuration, this is done by embedding a widget on your site.

Live DJs allows you to invite up to 5 DJs to be a part of your station, you will then be able to schedule live slots for each DJ.

These apps all work amazingly and really add to the experience, that experience being, you shouldn't have to log in to your AutoDJ every single day turning it on and off (yes, I love the Live app).

Apart from that, we scheduled a few tracks, Wavestreaming's panel found album artwork for some of the tracks and it all tied in to our SHOUTcast server nicely.

Conclusion

Wavestreaming are really leading the way in Streaming technology, their offerings and updates with the latest (SHOUTcast V2) all give them a boost.

If you've been waiting for a stream host with advanced features to surface, don't wait. You will be extremely happy with what Wavestreaming offers.

If you're confused about where to start, Wavestreaming have some awesome support staff and handy tutorials, videos and guides to get you started, even before you purchase a server.

We are thoroughly pleased with what Wavestreaming offers. Their streaming technologies and auto dj options are second-to-none, backed by the best support staff in the industry, we openly recommend Wavestreaming to any broadcaster.


User Reviews

5
gianpietro thinks...

Pros:
Tools, features and support!! thanks and congratulations!


Cons:
Agility to incorporate even more features for a global market would make them better than they are today (multi-language for requests widget, requests widget alignment with playlists, multiple quality streams for a single audio source, etc)


Overall:
Wavestreaming is the best shoutcast streaming solution.

1
andhow thinks...

Pros:
I can't recall any of my experiences with this company being "The Good".


Cons:
*see below*


Overall:
These guys do not have the up-time that they claim in their ads. When I complained about it, they were quite rude and very unhelpful. Not to mention that they were charging inflated prices for their services. They would also restart servers a few times in a week with no change control and then would try to blame it on my internet connection. All of my dealing & communications with them gave me the impression that they to be quite full of themselves.

5
Dilyar thinks...

Pros:
Wavestreaming is very affordable for me and many others. The variety of choices you have make it excellent for all levels of broadcasters. When I first started using this service, I was able to easily set up and broadcast. The tools for me for easily accessible for me and were simple yet powerful! The servers it self are up at least 99% of the time, as in I had never had a down time however I know that nothing is perfect!


Cons:
-Terrible customer service (Aside from James, the community manager, he was awesome) -Bundle packages were not available straight up. For example, I own every feature they have to offer including the amazing player suit, flash player, and cloud Dj, it would be nice if they had an option for bundle sales. -Faster customer service would be much nicer, and more professional and caring representatives as I had issues way too often with them. -Needed a better way of using mic and broadcasting as WINAMP is a terrible way. If they can create their own player it would be a HUGE BENEFIT for the company. Now I do not have to worry about it because I got cloud DJ and spent 6 hours setting my station with another program (virtual cable).


Overall:
Over all, as long as you stay away from their customer representatives except James, the community manager you will be fine! Their service is easy to use and affordable with your own price range. The powerful equipment is a huge plus especially if your a beginner (there are videos that can help.)

4
Liberty Radio London thinks...

Pros:
The way to set-up it is straight forward and the connection is more reliable of many other streaming out there.


Cons:
As all streaming solutions it has those annoying problems that only the support can help us. And opposite to some users here I had an excellent support I guess they change radically their system support.


Overall:
My experience with them was really Good because I had an live event that was going live about 2 hours before my contact with support and Josh even call me on my phone to help me. After some minutes I had my streaming up and running for the success of the event I was streaming.

4
jabarig thinks...

Pros:
i think wavestreaming is pretty cool so far...im pretty new to this so starting from the ground up..the interface is easy on the eyes and very intuitive.


Cons:
Detroit's city council...but i have not witnessed the bad so far...customer service has been great Josh helped me out alot when i did have an issue he worked with me...i kind of wish there was a call in number or a chat option to speed things up..but all in all my problem was solved at the end of the day.


Overall:
overall...i guess that is remain to be seen but i like it and im eager to tell folks about it.

5
radioperu.pe thinks...

Pros:
Modern features and constant evolution, tools and support.


Cons:
It would be nice to perceive a more 'globalized' product, specifically foreign language support for certain tools (requests widget, for example). It would also be nice to have visibility of other user's requests for features and more agility in implementing features that would take WS to another level, for example: requests widget alignment with multiple playlists and multiple quality streams for a single source.


Overall:
Despite the pending wishlist, we still consider it to be the best Internet Radio Streaming solution.

4
ROTRadio thinks...

Pros:
They offer a great set of features for new and experienced broadcasters at an excellent price. When I needed assistance with changing some account details the support person, Josh, was very helpful and responsive.


Cons:
Nothing so far...


Overall:
It fits my needs and budget, offers a decent suite of tools/features, and most importantly it works.

4
thebluegrassjamboree thinks...

Pros:
I'm very thankful to have reached Josh the second time when contacting support twice for the same issue. He asked questions and looked into the issue until it was resolved. When someone takes the extra step to ensure satisfaction, he/she needs to commended! Josh, Thank you!!!!


Cons:
The situation wasn't resolved when I originally requested support. Instead I was given a link, which I had tried prior to contacting support.


Overall:
Satisfied with a solid stream and exceptional support!

5
IEFUN.com Radio thinks...

Pros:
Wavestreaming is a solid product, easy to configure and easy for everyday use in operating my station. The Cloud DJ is an excellent interface and with their recent website update I can discard the generic file uploader program I was using and just 'drag-and-drop' mp3s to their file area. I like it. Easy to use and powerful. Wavestreaming is also leading the way with video help files. That's a lifesaver for me. :-) Also I have had to make a few adjustments to my account and they have been very responsive and helpful.


Cons:
One minor annoyance with re-syncing uploads that I used to encounter they seemed to have fixed.


Overall:
Great product. It's always up. Price is reasonable. Great customer service.

4
rgijzen thinks...

Pros:
I run into an error when trying to update a player with new new streaming settings. Josh from support not only made the changes for me but also explained what went wrong in the first place. Problems solved same day!


Cons:
None


Overall:
Great player / Great support!

4
rgijzen thinks...

Pros:
I run into an error when trying to update a player with new new streaming settings. Josh from support not only made the changes for me but also explained what went wrong in the first place. Problems solved same day!


Cons:
None


Overall:
Great player / Great support!

5
Munro thinks...

Pros:
Quick and easy set up, great support from Josh. Tries to simplify and not bog you down with Tech speak too much. Great for 'Radio' people.


Cons:
Slightly unnecessary need to navigate between 'Wavestreamer' and 'Wavepanel' sites. I'm sure this'll be sorted ;)


Overall:
A really brilliant service with good communication and intuitive workflow.

4
newliferadio thinks...

Pros:
Stable, cheap, iOS App and great support


Cons:
The knowledge base is a bit small (which is why we tend to contact customer support a lot), the website can be confusing (it's very stylish but style and big data don't go together very well), the billing system can be more flexible (a quick look on GoDaddy.com can help fix all of these)


Overall:
Satisfied

4
SarahMorrissey thinks...

Pros:
I decided to set up my own radio station and knew NOTHING about radio or streaming over the internet. Wavestreaming support and videos has helped me through the entire process. If I hit a snag I contact support and always get a response. Overall the experience has been great!


Cons:
Nothing bad really. There's a few system features that I think could be added and the guys seem open to these suggestions.


Overall:
Really good!

5
Jackcr thinks...

Pros:
Constant development, is the best cloud automated radio system brodcast + the features available


Cons:
not at all


Overall:
Satisfied

5
markholland8 thinks...

Pros:
Very Helpfull, Totally reliable and great customer service. As well as this they lead the market when it comes to development of services for the online radio industry.


Cons:
Nothing Bad to say they have been great since day 1


Overall:
Awesome

5
Sick World Radio thinks...

Pros:
Great customer service and extremly reliable...


Overall:
I highly recomend..you wont be dissapointed.

5
petermixt thinks...

Pros:
Clean, support timely response.


Cons:
Some buffering issues


Overall:
Working good

2
osagastume thinks...

Pros:
Good Sound


Cons:
No support for Android! What!


Overall:
Need to change since there is no support for Android. They don't answer with solutions, only: No we can't, No we cannot do that-

4
Broadcaster123 thinks...

Pros:
Great customer support, easy to set up


Cons:
Poor statistics, Cloud DJ needs a few more features


Overall:
Now that we've used Wavestreaming for a few consecutive months now, I thought I would offer my quick review on Wavestreaming as well as a few suggested upgrades that would take the service over the top. Overall, Wavestreaming is very easy to set up and reliable. The customer service is definitely more responsive than than the monthly cost would warrant - whenever I've had to submit a ticket, an answer has always been waiting within an hour or two. That said, there are a few shortfalls that I feel are keeping Wavestreaming from reaching it's true potential for 'semi-pro' broadcasting: 1. Statistics - beyond the real-time stats on the dashboard, the listener stats on the Wavepanel seem to be extremely unreliable (always showing lower aggregate listenership than our real-time stats indicate). Also, the stats aren't very comprehensive, which would keep me from attempting to grow a revenue-generating business from it. 2. Cloud DJ tags / rules - having worked with real automation software, the cloud DJ is almost too simple in its operation - especially when it comes to setting up automated playlists. For example, to create a better sounding broadcast, I'd need the ability to ensure some degree of artist separation (so we don't play 3 AC/DC songs in a row or even in the same day...) as well as tempo rules perhaps. Even better would be the ability to tie two soundclips together (ie. when the playlist schedules an AC/DC song, it automatically ads the correct AC/DC intro audio - which would be a separate file). 3. Better logging / reporting - Current logging only keeps the last 24 hours, meaning that I'm constantly grabbing a copy / paste of the log for my files. I'd love to be able to auto-export or atleast export multiple days worth of logs. Similarly, in order to generate revenue from the stream, at the most simplistic level, it would be necessary to have listenership numbers logged next to audio elements so that I can tell CLIENT ABC that 267 listeners heard their ad this week. 4. Simple audio processing - at minimum, Cloud DJ should have some sort of compressor options so that audio volume isn't all over the place from file to file. I hope these don't come across as sharp criticisms. I love the tool and it is great for how we use it but in order to really consider using it for semi-professional broadcast, there would need to be some basic improvements on these fronts to help us craft better programming (without having to manually schedule it all). Hopefully a couple of these ideas may find their way into their product roadmap in the future. Until then - stream on!

5
BillyBamford thinks...

Pros:
Truly remarkable services with a dedicated team developing new and more exciting features as time goes by. Support is excellent as they get back to me super fast and fix my problems in a flash.


Cons:
My station went down, so there could be room for improvement there. Pricing could be cheaper.


Overall:
I would highly recommend Wavestreaming as they offer an outstanding service. Can't wait to see what the next few years holds for these guys! :D


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