Posted By Paul Kafasis on June 28th, 2018

Today, we’ve got a big (and free!) update to our popular audio recording utility Audio Hijack. Audio Hijack 3.5 is all about internet radio streaming, with a brand new Broadcast output block that makes it possible to send any audio to Shoutcast and Icecast servers. It’s perfect for running livecasts of podcast recordings, as well as live streaming DJ sets, and powering all types of internet radio streams.

Broadcasting In Action

If you’re already using Audio Hijack to record audio, broadcasting will be a snap as well. Adding a Broadcast block to your audio chain makes it possible to take what Audio Hijack is pulling in, and send it to an MP3 or AAC streaming server, allowing listeners around the world to tune in. Have a look:

This simple chain is pulling audio from iTunes and a microphone, recording it, then passing it out to an external server. It’s simple, straight-forward, and tremendously powerful. Of course, the new Broadcast block offers plenty of features for broadcasting experts to appreciate. Let’s go to the bullet-point list!

Multiple Server Types

Stream to Shoutcast 2, Shoutcast 1, and Icecast 2 streaming audio servers. Broadcast can even automatically detect your server type.

MP3 and AAC Streaming

With Broadcast, you can stream in either the popular MP3 streaming format, or the more modern AAC streaming format.

Intelligent AAC+ (HE-AAC) Streaming

If you’re streaming AAC, Broadcast will automatically work to achieve the best quality for a given bitrate by switching to the superior-sounding HE-AAC when possible.

Powerful Track Titles

The Broadcast block can be configured to automatically read track titles from supported sources, then embed them in your stream for listeners to see. It’s also possible to manually add and update track titles, as you broadcast.

Multi-Broadcast Support

Using multiple Broadcast blocks in one session, you can stream a high and a low quality broadcast, or in multiple audio formats. You can even easily copy server settings between blocks, with Audio Hijack’s powerful Presets feature.

We’ve also created a new Template to help get you started with an Internet Radio broadcast. You can find the “Internet Radio” template in Audio Hijack’s Template Chooser. Just click “New Session” to select the template (or any of our other templates), and start experimenting!

The new Broadcast block will open up many additional uses for Audio Hijack, and we can’t wait to see (and hear) how folks make use of it!

Another New Block

As a result of beta tester feedback, we’ve also added a second new block to Audio Hijack 3.5: the Input Switch block. With an Input Switch, you can toggle from input A to input B (and back) with one click. This can be useful for broadcasting, but it’s also handy for easily testing audio effects, and more.

Input Switch in action

In the setup above, introductory music for a livestream is being played from iTunes, while the mics are not yet heard. Switching between sources is just a matter of clicking the switch. The source will fade from A to B, and the co-host’s microphone audio will be heard, while iTunes is not.

Get Audio Hijack 3.5 Today

Audio Hijack 3.5 is a free update for all current owners of Audio Hijack 3. Just select “Check for Update” from the Audio Hijack menu to move up to the latest.

While Audio Hijack 3 originally shipped way back in 2015, users of any older version of Audio Hijack or Audio Hijack Pro are still eligible for a discounted upgrade to version 3!

And if you’re entirely new to Audio Hijack, there’s no time like the present to see what you’ve been missing. Visit the Audio Hijack page to learn more, and download the free trial.

A Note for Nicecast Users

Current and former users of our now-retired broadcasting tool Nicecast should make sure to read this secondary post. It’s full of a wealth of additional information on broadcasting in 2018 and beyond, as well as tips on moving your broadcasting setup to Audio Hijack, and an exclusive discount.