I run a internet radio radio station Phat Beats Radio 165k track in the playlist streaming at 192kbs with Icecast. Take out compatibility issues which of these codes would you stream at to get the best out of a 192kbps stream AAC OGG or Opus??
Opus, you can safely drop bitrate to 128 kbit/s.
At 192kbps all three are transparent for 99.999% of music and listeners.
I have to agree with the previous person, you can safely drop to 128kbps and use either AAC or OPUS. Ogg is not competitive at this bitrate.
Google uses/encodes into/streams Opus at 160kbps though. Probably a nice middle ground.
With that high of a bitrate one can also consider setting up a MP3 stream, e.g., with Lame -V3 (about 170 kbps, VBR) or even Lame -V2 (about 190 kbps, VBR). The benefit of that would be that this stream can also be consumed by older internet radio appliances. For instance, I have a WiFi internet radio that can only consume MP3 and (of all things...) WMA.
For in-browser streams: I'd go with Opus (and 192 kbps would be overkill there, IMO. Opus is plenty fine at 128 kbps.).
edit: Here's a listening test with Opus, AAC, Vorbis and MP3. http://listening-test.coresv.net/results.htm
Vorbis is more than capable even at 128k q4. at q4.5 or 5 it would = or exceed top mp3 setting in my estimation and problem sample set.
192k (and also 160k) is a great bitrate not overkill and portable. I have run into buffering issues with 320 but never for 192 or lower.
Why not vorbis 160-192 and there are many aac streams too. opus is promising but I've never heard an opus radio station yet.
192k (and also 160k) is a great bitrate not overkill and portable. I have run into buffering issues with 320 but never for 192 or lower.
Why not vorbis 160-192 and there are many aac streams too. opus is promising but I've never heard an opus radio station yet.
I have never seen any other Opus internet radio station either I have seen 10 to 15 stations streaming in FLAC 750kpbs to 1500kbps that is 650gb to 1.3tb a month that is way overkill. Streaming at 192kbps that is only like 70gb to 100gb a month. My Icecast host and radio automation software both can do AAC OGG Opus I am just trying to get the best out of a 192kpbs stream. I also run Stereo Tool with good setting with my radio automation software.
Take out compatibility...
I am just trying to get the best out of a 192kpbs stream.
Then Opus is the answer. If you want to stick with 192kbps, so be it, especially if you have listeners that care about quality, but don't know much about codecs. To them, a lower bitrate may look like a compromise on quality. If you can communicate to them that this wouldn't be the case, then maybe you can go to 144kbps later, or from the start if that's not a concern. Advertising 192kbps, but using a lower bitrate is also an option, I guess.
I am now testing out 192kbs if you want to listen to the station PM me for like link to the web site with a radio player or the direct stream link.