What this guide helps you do
Learn the difference between a station page, public stream URL, mount point and source connection so players use the right address. Streaming terminology can be confusing because several URLs exist at once. The public station page is a web interface; a mount point identifies a listener-facing stream; the source or streamer connection is used by a DJ or automation backend; API endpoints expose metadata. Publishing the wrong one can leak credentials or create a player that never starts. This guide is written for production-minded administrators and site owners: make a backup before material changes, keep credentials private, and prefer the controls supplied by your own hosting provider when its environment differs from a generic example.
Before you begin
Record the domain, server or station you are changing and the current working state. If the task touches DNS, SSH, firewall rules, databases, stream credentials or application configuration, make sure you have a recovery path first. Screens and menu names can vary between cPanel, AzuraCast, VDO Panel and Linux releases, so follow the purpose of each step rather than forcing an old screenshot onto a newer version.
Step 1: Open Mount Points and identify the enabled listener-facing mounts. Note codec and bitrate, and decide which one should be the default public stream.
Open Mount Points and identify the enabled listener-facing mounts. Note codec and bitrate, and decide which one should be the default public stream.
Step 2: Use the public listening URL shown by AzuraCast or the station API rather than constructing a source URL from memory. Test the address in a normal player and browser.
Use the public listening URL shown by AzuraCast or the station API rather than constructing a source URL from memory. Test the address in a normal player and browser.
Step 3: If you offer multiple quality levels, label them clearly on your website so listeners understand data usage. Keep a stable default URL for directories and apps where possible.
If you offer multiple quality levels, label them clearly on your website so listeners understand data usage. Keep a stable default URL for directories and apps where possible.
Step 4: When embedding a website player, use HTTPS endpoints on an HTTPS website to avoid mixed-content blocks. If a reverse proxy or custom domain is involved, validate the public certificate and headers.
When embedding a website player, use HTTPS endpoints on an HTTPS website to avoid mixed-content blocks. If a reverse proxy or custom domain is involved, validate the public certificate and headers.
Step 5: Do not publish streamer passwords, source ports or administrator API keys. Public Now Playing metadata can be read through endpoints intended for that purpose.
Do not publish streamer passwords, source ports or administrator API keys. Public Now Playing metadata can be read through endpoints intended for that purpose.
Verification checklist
Verify each public mount plays externally, HTTPS is trusted, the intended default mount is used by the site, no credentials appear in page source, and metadata comes from a public/safely scoped endpoint. Always test from the user side as well as the administrator side. A control panel saying “active” is useful evidence, but it is not the same as an external browser, player or SSH client proving that the full path works.
Troubleshooting method
When the result is not what you expected, avoid changing several unrelated settings at once. Identify the last known-good point, collect the exact error message and determine which layer is failing: DNS, network, authentication, service process, application configuration, web/stream delivery or browser/player. Check timestamps and logs around the failure. If you need to escalate to hosting support, include the affected hostname or station, the time of the test, what you expected, what happened instead and the checks you already completed. Do not include passwords, API keys or private stream keys in a public ticket or screenshot.
Keep the system maintainable
Document the final configuration after it works. Note the important URLs, service names, backup locations, renewal/expiry dependencies and any change that would surprise another administrator. Revisit the setup after major platform upgrades because defaults, supported runtimes and interface labels evolve. A reliable environment is not one that was configured once; it is one whose current state is understood, monitored and recoverable.
Where to go next
Use the related guides below to expand the setup rather than solving the same problem from scratch. If the platform has outgrown shared hosting or you need managed implementation, the service recommendation at the bottom of this guide links to the most relevant hosting, streaming, development or optimisation option on this site.
Interface labels and supported versions can change. Use the controls and documentation supplied with your current hosting environment, and keep a backup or recovery path before material changes.