First, let me say that I think Xiph is a great initiative. Before I go into how we’re different, it’s important to understand how we are similar. The core technology used to deliver the stream (ie. Icecast) is essentially the same. The Xiph site you referenced is basically a directory of Icecast broadcasters, most of them commercial but a few individuals as well, it seems.

This is where our advantage begins. On the streamer side, we are essentially “Icecast for Dummies”. For example, I’m pretty tech savvy but I would have difficulty properly setting up and configuring my own Icecast stream. The Mediazoic software for streamers just makes this process dramatically simpler, and allows basically anyone who can click ‘Play’ on their iTunes to become a broadcaster.

On the listener side, ours is a much richer experience than what you see on Xiph. Those streams are primarily limited to audio. Mediazoic supplements the audio stream with rich content specifically related to the audio stream. So, if you’re listening to a standard Icecast stream, you might hear a song you like and want to know more information about the artist, hear the “deejay’s” opinion of it, or you might want to buy the track. Mediazoic takes these typical responses by music lovers and integrates them in our “stage”, dramatically enriching the real time music sharing space offered by a service such as Icecast.

Feel free to sign up for our private beta list and try it for yourself!

Greg

Thanks

AJ