Centova Cast is a powerful web-tool that helps to automate and manage online radio stations.


In this tutorial we will cover:

Complete User Manual


Centova Cast is a third-party automation tool with their own support guides and community. The following article provides a complete usage guide and reference information for the features and capabilities of the Centova Cast software:


Centova Cast panel

In the beginning, you need to log into your SoundStack Client Area, then access the Product/Service tab, and click the Login to Centova Cast button.




Once you log in, your Centova Cast panel will look similar to this:



How to live stream using SHOUTcast/IceCast

In order to start a live broadcast, you need the following streaming details added to your encoder's broadcast settings:

  • Hostname
  • Port
  • Source password
  • Mount point (only required for Icecast)


1. From the Centova Cast panel, retrieve the data we mentioned above from the General/Quick Links menu:


2. Scroll down to the Live Source Connections section:


3. Copy the hostname, port, and mount (only used for Icecast) and then paste them to your encoder's settings. 


4. Navigate to Configuration/Settings -> Stream and click the source password reveal icon to display and copy it:

Once all the details mentioned above have been obtained, you can start broadcasting live by connecting with your favorite software.


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How to use AutoDJ


Enabling AutoDJ

First off, you will need to enable the AutoDJ feature on your account.

This action requires stopping the server from the left pane. After that, navigate to the Configuration -> Settings menu. Under the settings menu, you will see the AutoDJ Status drop-down menu. Once here, change the Auto DJ Status to Permitted and enabled.


Uploading your files

There are two methods of uploading audio files to Centova Cast:

  • Using File manager
  • Using FTP


Using File manager

To use the File Manager, access the Files tab under the AutoDJ menu.



You are then presented with the Folder Browser page that provides an overview of the folders in your station's media library. The File Browser provides a list of the files and sub-folders within a selected folder of your media library.

       folder_-_file_browser-jpg.773


Within the Folder Browser, you are able to expand or collapse any of your folders. To do this just double-click on a folder on the list. To view any files within a folder, click on the folder within the browser list. Any files that are contained within this folder will then be displayed in the 'File Browser' in the right window.


Along the bottom of the 'File Manager' window is a toolbar that provides several options to carry out the common file operations.    

These operations include: 


Copy – This copies any selected files to the clipboard so that they can then be copied into another folder.

Cut - This cuts any selected files to the clipboard so that they can then be moved into another folder.

Paste – This allows you to paste any files from the clipboard that have been cut or copied (as above) into a selected folder.

Delete – This permanently deletes any files.

Rename – This allows you to rename any selected file or folder.

New Folder - Creates another folder

Upload – This will launch the 'File Uploader' interface. With this, you can upload your audio files to your selected folders.



Using FTP

The information for your FTP account will be provided in the Welcome Email. If you have not received this, please contact us.


We recommend using a dedicated FTP application such as FileZilla. Use the information provided in the email and enter it into your FTP program. This information will include a server, username, password, and port. The default port is always 21.


If you are unable to get the FTP method to work, then we suggest you refer to the previous section regarding uploading media through Centova Cast.



Managing playlists

Once you have uploaded your music files into AutoDJ's media library. next, you need to create at least one playlist in order to start the AutoDJ feature.


To set up your playlists, navigate to the Playlists menu option under AutoDJ from the navigation menu on the left.



By default, your account AutoDJ feature has 5 playlists all set up and ready to go automatically. You have three 'General Rotation' playlists, one 'Interval' playlist, and one 'Scheduled' playlist.



  • General Rotation playlists are the most common type of playlist, these are used to play a random selection of music from your media library when no other playlists are set to be played. You must have at least one General Rotation playlist active in order to be able to start the AutoDJ feature, and thus your server. If at least one General Rotation playlist has not been created (or is not active), then the control panel will give you an error message when you try to start the server and it will not start.
  • Scheduled playlists are used for scheduled broadcasts, such as daily countdowns, "Top 10" lists, pre-recorded shows, and other similar content.
  • Interval playlists are used for station identification, advertisements, and other similar repeating content that needs to be played every few minutes or after every few tracks.
  • Immediate playlists allow tracks to be queued for immediate playback and are useful for on-the-fly content such as song requests or special announcements.



Adding files to your playlist


In order to add your uploaded music files into one of your playlists, navigate to the Media tab under AutoDJ from the navigation menu on the left-hand side of your control panels 'Overview' page.



On the top right side of the window select Options -> Browse by folders:



To add these files into one of your playlists, you can simply drag and drop your files across accordingly. All you need to do is click on one of the artist names and, while still holding down the mouse button, drag this artist into your chosen playlist on the left-hand side of the media library interface. This will then add all of the tracks by the selected artist into that playlist.


If you wish to add all of your uploaded music files into just one playlist in one go, you can hold the CTRL key on your keyboard and select multiple artists all at once, and then drag them all into a playlist at the same time.


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DJ Management


If you have more than one live DJ that performs on your station, you may wish to only assign limited access to the control panel for each of your DJs. In your Configuration interface on the left-hand side, select the DJs link. This will then take you to the DJ Management system.



To create a DJ account you next need to click on the Create DJ Account button on the right side of the page. 

When creating the account, you will be asked to enter the DJ's username, a unique login password for that DJ, the DJ's real name, and a status for the DJ's account to be either Enabled or Disabled. There are also several assignable privilege options available, and any combination of privileges can be appointed to each DJ. 

In order to set these privileges, under the Permissions menu you just need to hold CTRL on your keyboard and then simply select any permissions that you wish to assign for that DJ. Login Restrictions allow you to set the permitted login times and days of the week for the DJ. Finally, just click Save to create the DJ account.


If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact our Support Team through the ticket submission form or by emailing us at support@soundstack.com.