How to Live Stream with BUTT for Internet Radio

If you want to go on air straight from your computer without managing your own streaming server, BUTT is one of the simplest free tools for the job. This guide shows you how to live stream with BUTT, connecting it to your RadioCult streaming server for live broadcasting to your internet radio station.

Streaming this way puts your show in front of listeners wherever they are. Online listening is now where a large share of radio consumption happens: in the US, 13% of all AM/FM radio listening is via the stations' online streams (Edison Research, Share of Ear). A live encoder like BUTT is how independent stations get onto those platforms.

What is BUTT?

Broadcast Using This Tool (BUTT) is an easy-to-use, multi-OS broadcasting tool. Its primary purpose is to live stream audio from your computer's microphone or line input in real time. Unlike playout and DJ software, BUTT does not stream audio files on its own, so you pair it with whatever is producing sound on your machine.

The current version is 1.47.0, and it streams to Icecast, Shoutcast, and WebRTC servers. For Icecast it can encode in MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Opus, and Ogg FLAC. RadioCult's Broadcasting accepts live encoder connections over Icecast, so BUTT points at your station in a few steps.

Installing BUTT

BUTT is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Download the latest release for your system:

• Windows,
• macOS, and
• Linux.

Install it as you would any other application. Please refer to the manual for any details not covered below.

Connecting BUTT to your RadioCult station

Your username is the same as your RadioCult account login (your email address), and your password is a unique streaming password shown in the Connection details panel. This streaming password is separate from your account login password.

First, log in to RadioCult and stay on the Dashboard so you can copy the values from the Connection details panel. Each value has a Copy button to its right.

Then, in BUTT:

1. Click the Settings button.
2. On the Main tab, click Add to open the Add Server window.
3. Enter a Name for the server, then choose Icecast from the Type dropdown.
4. Enter your RadioCult connection details into the matching BUTT fields:
   • Address
   • Port
   • Mountpoint (BUTT calls this Icecast mountpoint)
   • Username (BUTT calls this Icecast user)
   • Password
5. Click Add to save the server.

Your radio station is now added to BUTT.

If your account is a DJ or a custom role restricted to assigned events, BUTT will connect only during your scheduled slot and auto-disconnect when it ends, handing back to your playlists or the next presenter. Station owners and admins can usually go live at any time. To set up slots, see how scheduling and recurring shows work.

Choosing your codec and bitrate

On the Stream tab you can set the codec and bitrate BUTT sends to RadioCult. MP3 is the most widely compatible choice and plays back everywhere, so it is the safest default. For a music show, 128 kbps is a solid baseline and 192 to 320 kbps gives higher fidelity if your upload bandwidth allows. Talk-only shows sound fine at lower bitrates.

RadioCult's Broadcasting accepts MP3 and AAC up to 320 kbps, so you have room to increase quality later without changing your setup. Higher bitrates need more upload bandwidth, so if you hear drops or buffering, step the bitrate down.

Setting your audio input

BUTT streams whatever it is listening to, so set the right input before you go live. Open Settings, go to the Audio tab, and select your microphone, USB interface, or mixer under the audio device list. Speak or play a track and watch BUTT's level meters move to confirm it is capturing the correct source. If the meters stay flat, you have the wrong device selected.

Because BUTT does not play files itself, route your music player, DJ software, or mixer into the same input so listeners hear both your voice and your tracks.

Going live

To start live broadcasting through BUTT, click the Play icon in the main window.

Once your broadcast has finished click the Stop icon, which is positioned to the left of the Play icon.

Common issues

A few problems come up often when connecting a live encoder:

• Connection refused or authentication failed. Double-check the Address, Port, Mountpoint, Username, and streaming Password against the Connection details panel. The streaming password is not your account login password.
• No sound on the stream. You are almost certainly on the wrong audio input. Revisit the Audio tab and confirm the level meters move.
• Dropouts or buffering. Lower your bitrate on the Stream tab, or check your upload speed.
• Cannot connect outside your slot. DJ and custom roles can be restricted to broadcast only during their assigned event. If that applies to your account, RadioCult accepts your connection only while that event is live, so confirm your show is scheduled and on air in the calendar. Station owners and admins are not usually restricted this way.

For other live tools, see our guides to streaming with Mixxx or streaming OBS to Icecast. New to all of this? Start with how to start an online radio station.

That is everything you need to broadcast live with BUTT. Once you are on air, there is a real audience to reach: online has become the leading way people tune in, and in the UK 77% of the population now listen to digital radio, including online streams, every week (RAJAR, Q1 2024). From here you can grow that audience with unlimited listeners on every plan.

Ready to put your show on air? Start your free RadioCult trial and point BUTT at your station today.