Audio software developer Rogue Amoeba LLC’s Shoutcast alternative, Nicecast, got a nice boost to v1.5 on Tuesday. The new release is available for download and is a free update for registered users.
Nicecast is used to broadcast audio from Mac OS X computers to the Internet. The software can be used in conjunction with your own iTunes music library, and can also work with many other audio sources on your Mac.
New to this release is support for Live365.com accounts, integration with the popular DJ utility Megaseg, and the ability to broadcast crossfades in iTunes. Icecast2 servers are supported now, and a new Nicecast Server Checker has been added. Other updates and bug fixes have also been integrated into this release.
In related news, Rogue Amoeba has opened a new directory service called MacStreams.com, a Nicecast streams tracker that provides a global listing of all public Internet radio streams created by Nicecast. MacStreams.com doesn’t require Nicecast or even a Mac in order to listen, all you need is any MP3 player capable of listening to streaming audio.
Nicecast costs US$40 to register. A free trial version is available for download.