The codec determines how your audio signal is compressed. The bitrate sets how much data is transferred per second. Together, they decide the sound quality and how much data your listeners use.
The codecs in LexyCast
- Opus: a modern codec with very good sound even at low bitrates. Ideal for mobile listeners.
- AAC-HE v2: very efficient at low bitrates, good for speech and mobile connections.
- AAC-HE v1: a good compromise in the mid bitrate range.
- AAC-LC: clear sound at medium and high bitrates, supported by almost every player.
- MP3: the classic that really every device can play. It needs higher bitrates to sound good, though.
- FLAC: lossless, so no loss of quality at all. FLAC is available on selected plans and needs considerably more bandwidth.
Which bitrate makes sense?
As a rough guide:
- Talk and spoken word: low bitrates with Opus or AAC-HE are perfectly sufficient.
- Music radio: AAC-LC or MP3 at 128 to 192 kbit/s sounds very good to most listeners.
- High demands on sound: 256 to 320 kbit/s.
LexyCast plans allow up to 192, 256 or 320 kbit/s.
Tip: several channels
With LexyCast you can create several channels with different codecs and bitrates, for example an MP3 channel for maximum compatibility and an Opus channel for mobile listeners. You still only broadcast once.
HLS
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) splits the stream into small segments and is particularly well suited to browsers and mobile devices. HLS is available as an add-on at LexyHost.
