How to Self-Host AzuraCast with Docker Compose

What Is AzuraCast?

AzuraCast is a self-hosted internet radio management suite. It provides everything you need to run one or more internet radio stations: automated playlists (AutoDJ), live DJ broadcasting, listener statistics, request systems, podcasting, and a public-facing station page. AzuraCast wraps Icecast/SHOUTcast and Liquidsoap into a polished web interface, making internet radio accessible without command-line audio server configuration.

Prerequisites

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04+ or Debian 12+ recommended)
Docker and Docker Compose installed (guide)
2 GB+ of free RAM (4 GB recommended for multiple stations)
Music files to upload or a live audio source
Ports 80, 443, and 8000-8999 available
A domain name (optional but recommended for public stations)

Docker Compose Configuration

AzuraCast provides an official Docker installer that generates the configuration. The recommended approach:

# Download and run the AzuraCast Docker installer
mkdir -p /opt/azuracast
cd /opt/azuracast
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AzuraCast/AzuraCast/main/docker.sh > docker.sh
chmod +x docker.sh
./docker.sh install

The installer creates a docker-compose.yml with all required services. For manual setup, here’s the core configuration:

services:
  web:
    image: ghcr.io/azuracast/azuracast:0.23.1
    container_name: azuracast
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "80:80"       # Web UI
      - "443:443"     # HTTPS
      - "2022:2022"   # SFTP for file uploads
      - "8000:8000"   # Icecast streaming (station 1)
      - "8010:8010"   # Icecast streaming (station 2)
      - "8005:8005"   # HLS streaming (station 1)
      - "8006:8006"   # Liquidsoap telnet (station 1)
    environment:
      AZURACAST_DC_REVISION: 15
      AZURACAST_VERSION: latest
      AZURACAST_SFTP_PORT: 2022
      LETSENCRYPT_HOST: radio.yourdomain.com  # CHANGE: Your domain (optional)
      LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL: [email protected] # CHANGE: Your email (optional)
    volumes:
      - azuracast-station-data:/var/azuracast/stations
      - azuracast-uploads:/var/azuracast/uploads
      - azuracast-backups:/var/azuracast/backups
      - azuracast-db-data:/var/lib/mysql
      - azuracast-acme:/var/azuracast/acme
      - azuracast-shoutcast2:/var/azuracast/servers/shoutcast2
      - azuracast-geolite:/var/azuracast/geoip
      - azuracast-sftpgo:/var/azuracast/sftpgo/persist
      - azuracast-tmp:/var/azuracast/www_tmp
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost/api/status"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 5

volumes:
  azuracast-station-data:
  azuracast-uploads:
  azuracast-backups:
  azuracast-db-data:
  azuracast-acme:
  azuracast-shoutcast2:
  azuracast-geolite:
  azuracast-sftpgo:
  azuracast-tmp:

Configuration notes:

AzuraCast is an all-in-one container — it includes Nginx, MariaDB, Redis, PHP, Icecast, Liquidsoap, and SHOUTcast in a single image.
Port 8000+ is for streaming. Each station gets its own port (8000, 8010, 8020, etc.).
SFTP (port 2022) allows uploading music files via SFTP clients — useful for bulk library management.
Let’s Encrypt is built-in. Set the domain and email variables for automatic SSL certificates.

Start the stack:

docker compose up -d

Initial Setup

Open http://your-server in your browser
The setup wizard walks you through:
- Create admin account: Set email and password
- Station setup: Create your first radio station
- Upload music: Upload tracks via the web interface or SFTP
Create a station:
- Name: Your station name (e.g., “My Radio”)
- Frontend: Icecast (recommended) or SHOUTcast
- Backend: Liquidsoap (recommended)
- Encoding: MP3 128kbps for compatibility, or AAC/OGG for better quality
Upload music to the station’s media library
Create a playlist and assign it to AutoDJ
Start the station — it begins broadcasting immediately

Configuration

AutoDJ Playlists

AutoDJ automatically plays music when no live DJ is connected:

Go to Station → Playlists → Add Playlist
Configure:
- Type: Default (weighted rotation), Once Per Hour, Scheduled, Advanced
- Weight: Higher = more frequent play (for default playlists)
- Schedule: Set specific time slots for scheduled playlists
Assign media files to the playlist
Enable AutoDJ in station settings

Playlist types:

Default: Continuous rotation with weight-based selection
Once Per X Songs: Play one track from this playlist every N songs
Once Per Hour: Play at a specific minute each hour (good for station IDs, jingles)
Scheduled: Active only during specific times (morning show playlist, night music)
Advanced: Custom Liquidsoap code for complex scheduling

Live Broadcasting

Allow DJs to broadcast live:

Go to Station → Streamers → Add Streamer
Set DJ username and password
The DJ connects using:
- Software: BUTT, Mixxx, OBS, or any Icecast-compatible encoder
- Server: Your server hostname
- Port: Station’s DJ port (shown in station settings)
- Mount/Password: As configured
When a live DJ connects, AutoDJ automatically pauses. When they disconnect, AutoDJ resumes.

Listener Statistics

AzuraCast tracks:

Current listener count (real-time)
Peak listeners (daily/weekly/monthly)
Listening time per track
Geographic distribution (with GeoIP database)
User agents (player/browser breakdown)

Access statistics from Station → Reports.

Request System

Let listeners request songs:

Enable song requests in Station → Settings
Set minimum time between requests per listener
The public station page shows a request form
Requested songs are queued and played by AutoDJ

Advanced Configuration (Optional)

Custom Mount Points

Create multiple mount points per station for different quality levels:

Station → Mount Points → Add Mount Point
Configure:
- /radio.mp3 — MP3 128kbps (widest compatibility)
- /radio-hd.mp3 — MP3 320kbps (high quality)
- /radio.ogg — Ogg Vorbis (open format)
- /radio.aac — AAC (best quality-to-size ratio)

HLS Streaming

Enable HTTP Live Streaming for adaptive bitrate:

Go to Station → Settings → HLS
Enable HLS output
Listeners can access the HLS stream at http://your-server:8005/listen/station_name/hls.m3u8

Podcasting

AzuraCast includes a built-in podcast hosting platform:

Go to Station → Podcasts → Create Podcast
Upload episodes
AzuraCast generates an RSS feed compatible with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories

Webhooks

Send notifications when events occur (song change, DJ connect, listener threshold):

Station → Webhooks → Add Webhook
Types: Discord, Telegram, generic HTTP, Twitter, TuneIn AIR
Configure triggers and templates

Reverse Proxy

AzuraCast includes its own Nginx and handles SSL via Let’s Encrypt. Running it behind another reverse proxy requires special configuration:

Set AZURACAST_HTTP_PORT and AZURACAST_HTTPS_PORT to non-standard ports
Configure your reverse proxy to forward both HTTP and streaming ports
Ensure your proxy passes the X-Forwarded-Proto header

For Nginx Proxy Manager, forward to the AzuraCast container’s HTTP port and add the streaming ports as separate stream entries.

See Reverse Proxy Setup for detailed instructions.

Backup

AzuraCast has built-in backup functionality:

# Create a backup
./docker.sh backup

# Restore from backup
./docker.sh restore

Backups include station configurations, playlists, user accounts, and optionally media files. Backup files are stored in the azuracast-backups volume.

For manual backup:

# Backup database
docker exec azuracast mysqldump -u azuracast azuracast > azuracast-backup.sql

# Backup station data (large — includes all uploaded media)
docker cp azuracast:/var/azuracast/stations ./stations-backup/

See Backup Strategy for a comprehensive backup approach.

Troubleshooting

Station won’t start

Symptom: Station shows as “offline” after clicking Start. Fix: Check the station’s logs in Station → Logs. Common issues:

Port conflict: another service is using the station’s streaming port
Icecast configuration error: check mount point settings
Liquidsoap error: often caused by invalid playlist configuration

No audio in stream

Symptom: Station is running but listeners hear silence. Fix: Verify that media files are uploaded and assigned to an active playlist. Check that AutoDJ is enabled. Verify the audio files are valid:

docker exec azuracast ffprobe /var/azuracast/stations/station_name/media/song.mp3

Can’t connect as live DJ

Symptom: DJ software shows connection refused or authentication failed. Fix: Verify the DJ port is exposed in docker-compose.yml. Check that the streamer credentials match. Ensure no firewall blocks the DJ port. Test with BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) — it’s the simplest DJ client.

High CPU usage

Symptom: Container uses 100% CPU with multiple stations. Fix: Each station runs its own Liquidsoap and Icecast process. Reduce the number of active stations, lower encoding bitrate, or upgrade to a more powerful server. AAC encoding is more CPU-efficient than MP3 at the same quality.

Resource Requirements

RAM: 1-2 GB for a single station. 4+ GB for multiple stations with many listeners.
CPU: 1-2 cores per station (encoding is CPU-intensive). More for high-quality streams.
Disk: Depends on music library size. 10 GB for a small station, 100+ GB for large libraries.
Network: 128kbps per listener for MP3 streams. 100 concurrent listeners = ~12.5 Mbps.

Verdict

AzuraCast is the best self-hosted internet radio solution. It wraps complex audio streaming software (Icecast, Liquidsoap) into an accessible web interface that handles everything: automated playlists, live DJs, listener stats, requests, podcasts, and multi-station management. The all-in-one Docker deployment makes getting started surprisingly easy for such a feature-rich platform.

If you want to run an internet radio station — whether for personal listening, a community station, or a small broadcaster — AzuraCast is the answer. There’s nothing else in the self-hosted space that comes close.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use AzuraCast for personal music streaming?

Technically yes, but it’s overkill. AzuraCast is designed for broadcasting to listeners, not personal library streaming. For personal music, use Navidrome or Koel. Use AzuraCast when you want a radio station.

How many listeners can AzuraCast handle?

Depends on your server and network bandwidth. A typical VPS with 2 cores and 100 Mbps can handle 500+ concurrent listeners at 128kbps MP3. Scale with a CDN (via Icecast relay) for larger audiences.

Does AzuraCast support Spotify or Apple Music content?

No. AzuraCast streams your own uploaded audio files. You cannot stream content from commercial streaming services — that would violate their terms of service and likely copyright law.