Download Streamers for Mac - Automates recording audio streams off the `net. MacUpdate Mac Software Downloads

Streamers automates the process of recording streams, using Ambrosia Software's WireTap, and converting them to .m4a or .mp3 in iTunes. You can build a list of streams to record immediately or to schedule for later recording. The program also lets you maintain a library of shows that can be recorded on a weekly, monthly, or daily basis. (Streamers uses iCal for scheduling.) The source is included, and others are encourage to tinker - and especially to try their hands at adding .wma and QuickTime support.

As a practical matter, I use this to maintain the latest of various NPR shows on my ipod. Some of these are included in the Library by default.

Version 2.8:

Fixed Streamers to work with RealPlayer 10's new Applescript syntax.
Modified iTunes import to address issues with non-English localizations. (I need feedback on how this works!)

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ANONYMOUS The way I packaged up the latest version might lead to problems. In order for iCal to find Streamers (and so for scheduled recordings to work), Streamers (the app itself - not the folder containing the app) needs to be dragged to the Applications folder. So when you download, open the folder containing the version of Streamers you want (for RealPlayer 10 or RealPlayer 9) and drag the Streamers app to your Applications folder. I'll probably package the next version differently to avoid this wrinkle.
(Version 28)

AM Great utility and script.

Question: How can I set the recorded file to be mp3 rather than AIFF that seems to be the default? Is this in Wiretap? I did not find an option.

Replies:

Jul 26 2004

ANONYMOUS The answer is in the "help" file:

Why does WireTap record to AIFF files? What about .mp3 support?

WireTap records to AIFF files because the fixed compression methods used for AIFF files are quick to compress, and the file format is license-free. Licensing MP3 encoding is not free; any program that creates .mp3 files either is paying a $15,000/year minimum licensing fee, or it is doing the encoding illegally. If we came out with a "Pro" version of WireTap that we charged for, we could look into licensing .mp3 encoding.

Additionally, encoding to VBR formats like .mp3 and AAC can't always be done in real time (that is, it takes longer to encode the sound than the duration of the sound), depending on your machine's speed.

The idea behind WireTap was simplicity: give people a means to record the audio their computer is generating. If you wish to convert the AIFF files that WireTap creates to .mp3 or AAC, you'll need to use another program (such as iTunes). The same goes for editing the resulting sound files: you'll need to import them into another program to edit them.
(Version 26)

Aug 14 2004

ANONYMOUS It doesn't matter that wiretap records a .aiff file, because Streamers imports into iTunes the recording001.aiff file that wiretap generates, and then converts that file using whatever encoding you have selected in iTunes (by default now it's 128kbps aac, but you may select mp3 as well).

If at the end of a Task List you don't find your recordings in the Streamers playlist in iTunes (all converted to aac or mp3) and the aiff files in the Trash, then something is wrong.
(Version 26)

CHRISTIAN TURNER One user helpfully emailed me concerning problems with the Car Talk Library item. It indeed does not work. You can download (and the Import into Streamers) a data file from

http://homepage.mac.com/christianturner/Streamers25.data

that contains a working Car Talk item, as well as some French radio items with which I have been helping another user. The Car Talk item now opens the stream through the browser first, rather than directly in RealOne Player - which is for several reasons less desirable.

By the way, I'd love for people to post or to send to me their Libraries - I'll post them for others to download and Import. Just post or send the Streamers25.data file located in your ~/Library/Preferences directory.
(Version 26)

ANONYMOUS Two important points:

1. Make sure you've downloaded version 26. Safari seems to maintain prior downloads in cache. If you're having difficulty, resetting Safari will permit you to download the proper version - as will using some other browser.

2. Version 26 of Streamers adds the ability to record streams that play in QuickTime Player, iTunes, and Windows Media Player. In order to this, Streamers has to be able to quit (or stop) the player when the recording reaches an end. Else, the stream would continue to play. To accomplish this, Streamers tells these apps to qut at the end of a recording. However, because Streamers does this, Streamers won't work unless these programs are installed. And so... Streamers now requires Windows Media Player to be installed in order to work. Of course, you need never use wmp, but it has to be there. Anyone know a way around this?
(Version 26)

CHRISTIAN TURNER Note that by default iCal will open Streamers two minutes before a recording is set to begin. (You don't need to have iCal or Streamers running for this to occur.) Two minutes later, Streamers will load the scheduled Task List and begin your recording. Drop me a line (christianturner@mac.com), if you have any problems or comments.
(Version 21)