Recording streaming audio 4931

Alan Searle

I have the same objectives as the OP, i.e. to record streaming audio from the internet using a Linux box. I have no trouble doing this with most sources for which I have a URL (e.g. http or rtsp); realcap, MPlayer, and Streamtuner generally handle these. But I haven't succeeded with "direct stream recording", i.e. situations where I don't have a URL.

For example, I'd like to be able to record some on-demand audio programs from the BBC (what they call "listen again") which can only be accessed via their "Radio Player" which uses the RealPlayer embedded in the browser as a plug-in, i.e. not as a stand-alone player. In this situation, one can't ascertain a URL that a recorder could connect to, and the only option would be to capture the audio stream directly from the soundcard.

In any case, here are the programs that I have explored:

1. realcap (using vsound), e.g.

realcap -c 45 -m 48 -a NPR -t Knuth -d rtsp:--real.npr.na-central.speedera.net:80-real.npr.na-central-me-20050314me06.rm

2. MPlayer, e.g.

mplayer -noframedrop -dumpfile out.rm -dumpstream rtsp:--real.npr.na-central.speedera.net:80-real.npr.na-central-me-20050314me06.rm

3. Streamtuner, an internet audio stream directory browser This program (with GUI) allows you to access thousands of internet radio stations-programs and other sound sources. It has a "record" option that will capture the audio stream you're listening to in mp3 format.

4. Streamripper, a utility that rips online audio streams to separated mp3 files I haven't tested this as yet.

5. rawrec-rawplay, a buffered raw audio recorder-player I played around with this for an hour but couldn't get it to work. It looks good though, and I'll try again.

6. Audacity, a full-fledged audio editor This program has a complex interface which I certainly haven't mastered. It has a "record" button which presumably allows you to capture in raw audio format whatever audio goes through the soundcard. In fiddling around with this program, I did manage once to accomplish just that although the recording was horribly distorted, and I just don't remember how I got there.

Robert