AIM, ICQ and IRC are older station contact fields that you may see in SHOUTcast-compatible software or server statistics. They are separate from the host, port and password used to send your programme to VosCast.
What the names mean
| Field | Meaning | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| AIM | AOL Instant Messenger | Leave this contact field empty. AOL discontinued AIM in December 2017. |
| ICQ | An instant-messaging service whose name sounds like “I seek you” | Leave this contact field empty. The ICQ service has stopped working. |
| IRC | Internet Relay Chat, a text-chat protocol | Enter a public IRC network/channel only if your station uses one and the software offers a suitable contact field. Otherwise leave it empty. |
These names describe contact information. An IRC field does not create a chat room or add chat to your website, and an old AIM or ICQ label does not mean you need an account with either service.
Do I need to fill them in to broadcast?
You do not need these contact details for your VosCast source login. If your encoder displays the fields and permits them to be blank, leave unused fields empty. Do not put a made-up messaging handle or your Broadcast password into them.
Use Overview → Live broadcasting in your VosCast account for the actual connection details. The host, source port, Broadcast password, server type, and any Icecast username/mount belong in their own connection fields. Follow the setup guide for your broadcasting software.
Where should listeners find current contact details?
Use your station website for the contact methods you actively maintain. Where your encoder offers station name, genre and website fields, supply accurate public information for those fields. Different players and server pages display different subsets of station metadata.
Older SHOUTcast statistics can still contain AIM, ICQ or IRC labels. Their presence alone does not indicate a connection problem. If your encoder will not connect, use our connection troubleshooting guide and its actual error message.