[4] Created in 1998,[5] Shoutcast's streaming protocol uses metadata tags and responses that all start with ICY, which stands for "I Can Yell."

On January 14, 2014, AOL sold Nullsoft to Belgian online radio aggregator Radionomy Group; no financial details were publicly announced.

[citation needed] The Shoutcast software uses a client–server model, with each component communicating via a network protocol that intermingles audio or video data with metadata such as song titles and the station name.

[needs update] The output format is supported by multiple clients, including Nullsoft's own Winamp as well as Amarok, Exaile, foobar2000, iTunes, Songbird, Totem, XMMS, and Zinf.

Site visitors can pick a station to listen to and download a playlist file for use in their own Shoutcast-capable media player.