Easy-to-use encoders, DJ tools and playout systems you can pair with your Wowzaradio station — compared side by side, with download links and honest notes on how each one connects.
Wowzaradio receives live audio over RTMP (OBS-style) or from the browser. Tools that only speak Icecast/Shoutcast work by sending their sound into OBS. You can also skip extra software entirely with our built-in AutoDJ and Website Broadcaster.
| Software | Best for | Cost / licence | Platforms | Our rating | Ease | With Wowzaradio | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBS Studio | Live encoder | Free GPL-2.0 (open source) | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4.8 | 4/5 | Publishes directly | Get it |
| BUTT (broadcast using this tool) | Live audio encoder | Free GPL-2.0 (open source) | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4.6 | 5/5 | Works through OBS | Get it |
| Mixxx | DJ software with Auto DJ | Free GPL-2.0 (open source) | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4.6 | 4/5 | Works through OBS | Get it |
| RadiT | Playout automation | Free Freeware (free, closed source) | Windows | 4.3 | 4/5 | Works through OBS | Get it |
| Liquidsoap | Scriptable automation engine | Free GPL-2.0 (open source) | Linux, macOS, Windows | 4.4 | 2/5 | Publishes directly | Get it |
| LibreTime | Web-based station automation | Free (self-hosted) AGPL-3.0 (open source) | Linux server | 4.2 | 3/5 | Separate self-hosted system | Get it |
| Rivendell | Professional broadcast automation | Free; paid support available GPL-2.0 (open source) | Linux | 4.1 | 2/5 | Works through OBS | Get it |
| AzuraCast | All-in-one self-hosted radio | Free (self-hosted) Apache-2.0 (open source) | Linux server (Docker) | 4.5 | 3/5 | Separate self-hosted system | Get it |
Ratings are Wowzaradio's editorial assessment, not collected user reviews. Software is provided by its own developers; we are not affiliated with them.
Live encoder · Free
How it connects: Publishes straight to our RTMP server — paste your server and stream key from Go On Air.
Strengths: Stable, huge community, audio filters and scenes.
Watch out for: Built for video, so audio-only setup takes a few minutes.
Live audio encoder · Free
How it connects: Streams to Icecast/Shoutcast servers. To go live on Wowzaradio, route its audio into OBS, or use our Website Broadcaster.
Strengths: Tiny, very easy, built-in recording.
Watch out for: No RTMP output, so it can't publish to us directly.
DJ software with Auto DJ · Free
How it connects: Mix live or run Auto DJ, then send the master output into OBS to publish to your station.
Strengths: Professional mixing, controller support, Auto DJ crates.
Watch out for: Its built-in broadcaster targets Icecast/Shoutcast only.
Playout automation · Free
How it connects: Schedule music, jingles and ads, then capture its output in OBS to broadcast on Wowzaradio.
Strengths: Full scheduling, cart walls, Spanish/English interface.
Watch out for: Windows only; free but not open source.
Scriptable automation engine · Free
How it connects: Can output RTMP through its FFmpeg encoder, so it can publish 24/7 to your station from a server.
Strengths: Extremely flexible, runs unattended.
Watch out for: Needs scripting knowledge.
Web-based station automation · Free (self-hosted)
How it connects: Runs on your own server with Icecast output. Our built-in AutoDJ already covers most of this without a server.
Strengths: Browser scheduling, podcasts, multi-user.
Watch out for: Requires a Linux server to maintain.
Professional broadcast automation · Free; paid support available
How it connects: Broadcast-grade playout for studios. Feed its audio output into OBS or an encoder to reach your station.
Strengths: Used by terrestrial stations, traffic and logging.
Watch out for: Steep learning curve, Linux only.
All-in-one self-hosted radio · Free (self-hosted)
How it connects: A complete station on your own server. Choose it if you want to run everything yourself; Wowzaradio is the managed alternative.
Strengths: AutoDJ, requests, stats, web player.
Watch out for: You maintain the server, updates and bandwidth.
Start a station, then use OBS or our Website Broadcaster — AutoDJ takes over when you're off air.