Shoutcast 2.6 has been recently released and introduces some controversial changes, introducing “Freemium” and “Premium” versions.

By default, without a Premium license, Shoutcast v2.6 limits streaming to ONLY MP3 with a maximum bitrate of 128Kbps. This is a significant change as many customers are used to freely using Shoutcast with both MP3 and AAC at any bitrate.