On March 30, 2021, SHOUTcast conducted a server wide maintenance update to its "streaming" infrastructure so they can roll out their plan of indefinite "Premium Media Streaming Subscriptions." We all have received that email around mid March 2021, giving us a heads up that they (SHOUTcast) would be conducting this maintenance on all resources, YP, API & Radio Manager. They did tell us that "some streams" those paid streams that they are hosting would experience a service outage. What they did not tell us that this so called update to their infrastructure was actually an entire upgrade that would further cement their legacy of taking a once open source software & turning it to a full blown monopoly as they turn a corner where their services would extend into a realm of commercial streaming as they are now touting their latest acquisition with their big named partners on their website.

So what does this mean? it means: If you are paying for services from a third party, you would have to jump ship and join their ranks to reap the prized benefits of monetization, YP placement & or commercial streaming placements. Or if you're self hosted, you would have to use their new software (in my opinion is rigged). Flat out, its join them or get left behind and be stuck with unsupported technology (that still works great BTW). Funny thing about it: when they were doing their maintenance, all of their payed customers experienced an outage while our (limitless freebie) stream remain working. it was funny for me until I realized when it was all said and done, their streams were all listed in the new SHOUTcast  directory while my stream is still receiving a 503 YP maintenance error.

while surfing the web, I stumbled across a post from a very wise man. he told this guy who was freaking out over not being listed: "Why pay for something that has limits & is up and down like a roller coaster, when you have your own server that is "limitless" it works fine, it supports the latest protocols." he then told the guy to simply submit his stream to as many directories that still accept submissions. You must act fast because streaming is the new wave & you need to cement your legacy while the gates are open. because once they close, all will be a lost cause & or loss of money. What ever you do, don't be upset & lose sleep because you are no longer listed in one of the largest streaming directories on the web. What is "one directory" when you can be listed in several? with the way things are going, you will soon end up in the right place.