Fix distorted or quiet SHOUTcast audio

Improve audio clarity and avoid clipping when streaming music or vocals.

Reviewed 9 October 2026 · Follow the instructions supplied with your own rental.

Before you start

Use a familiar loud passage and your normal speaking or singing volume. Have headphones and a separate listener ready, and check the input, mixer and encoder as separate stages.

Steps

Play a loud section of your music and speak into the microphone at your usual performance volume.
Check the microphone or audio interface first, then the mixer, then the broadcaster. Reduce gain wherever a clipping indicator appears; leave room for louder peaks.
If the stream is too quiet, check for muted channels, low source levels, or a mixer crossfader favouring the wrong input. Raise levels gradually while watching the meters.
In BUTT, use Mixer to balance the input devices. The main Gain slider also affects Master Gain; adding excessive gain can increase noise.
Use headphones to compare music and voice, then ask a listener to check the actual stream. Your headphone volume alone does not show the broadcast level.
If the problem remains, send TJ Lusch your software name, audio-device details, and a screenshot of the levels in a private Second Life message.

Check it worked

A listener hears clear music and speech without clipping, excessive noise or one source overwhelming the other. Your headphone volume is not the transmitted level.

If it does not work

Clipping indicator: reduce gain at that stage.
Quiet signal: look for mute controls, low source gain and crossfader position before boosting everything.
Voice is delayed or repeated: inspect the monitoring and routing path.
Distorted source: changing stream bitrate will not repair it.

Notes and references

Good to know: Changing the stream bitrate will not fix a distorted audio source. Correct the source or mixer levels before adjusting the encoder.

Further reading: BUTT: Audio mixer and gain · Mixxx: Levels and clipping