Why was the embedded feed function removed without notice?

[wpappas]

I was listening to my feed using the embedded player and it suddenly closed. When I tried to reopen it the message:
"The embed feed function has been deprecated for security reasons.

Please contact support@broadcastify.com."

was displayed. I have modified multiple webpages to use this feature and I am slightly put out that it was removed without any notice or any explanation as to what might replace it. I am all for security, but there has to be a better way to roll these kinds of changes out without disrupting end users.

 

[WaveJam]

Would like to know if a replacement player is on the horizon?

 

[scottct1]

Lindsey any update here?

 

[scottct1]

Figured out a work around. So the players at NewingtonWeather.COM are working again.

 

[wpappas]

Figured out a work around. So the players at NewingtonWeather.COM are working again.

Can you relay what your work around is? Did you embed the pop out player?

 

[scottct1]

I was not sure if we could setup a player and pull the audio from the audio server we send to here.

so i didn’t want to get in trouble here so I spun up my own icecast server and tried about 15 free html audio players until I found one I was happy with and am using that.

If Lindsey says it’s ok to pull the audio from here then I can switch over but it wasnt an issue for me to spin up the icecast server.

 

[w2lie]

Which HTML Player did you go with? I already have my own Icecast server.

 

[wpappas]

I was not sure if we could setup a player and pull the audio from the audio server we send to here.

so i didn’t want to get in trouble here so I spun up my own icecast server and tried about 15 free html audio players until I found one I was happy with and am using that.

If Lindsey says it’s ok to pull the audio from here then I can switch over but it wasnt an issue for me to spin up the icecast server.

Since Lindsey has not weighed yet we do not know the rationale or issues with the imbedded player that led to its unexpected removal, but I would think he would not want people bypassing Broadcastify as the solution since that would be counterintuitive to his business model. Clearly you have the right to stream your own content through any mechanism you choose, but if I was Broadcastify I would want to provide another branded solution before others follow in your footsteps for the places where they originally used the embedded player. Just my 2 cents.

 

[scottct1]

This is the one I am currently using.

Best HTML5 Player for SHOUTcast and Icecast | MP3 AAC OGG Guide

Compare the best HTML5 players for SHOUTcast and Icecast. Learn which players support MP3, AAC, and OGG for reliable online radio streaming.

www.shoutcheap.com

 

[blantonl]

Hey folks,

I know you're not going to want to hear this... but we've retired the embedded feed player: the function that let a Broadcastify feed be embedded in a third-party web page. If you had one on your site, it now displays a deprecation notice instead of playing audio.

This is permanent. There are too many security issues involved now with embedding Broadcastify feeds in third-party websites, and it isn't something we're able to keep supporting. I realize a lot of people have been doing this for a long time. What's been happening is that scrapers were using the embed functionality to reverse-engineer our products and services, and that introduced a number of highly critical security issues on our end. That's what forced the change.

Please do not attempt workarounds

To be direct about this: we do not want feed providers working around the retirement to keep embedding feeds on their own sites. If you are pulling from our master servers, you are exposing our mounts to scrapers and causing major security issues. If you are setting up your own Icecast server to relay from us, you will be blocked. We do not want you doing this.

The recommended approach

If you want a player on your own website, the best way to do it is to run your own Icecast server and have your software send a second stream to it, alongside the stream you send to us. You then serve that copy from your own server, on your own page, and it has nothing to do with our infrastructure at all. Most broadcast software can send to more than one destination, and standing up an Icecast server isn't especially difficult. This is the approach we recommend.

The difference matters: broadcasting your own audio to your own server is fine, and is what we want you doing. Pulling or relaying it from us is not, and that will cause us problems

Listening itself is unaffected. Every feed is still available on Broadcastify and the mobile apps, and site operators are welcome to link to a feed page or to their county's page instead:

Feed page: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/<feedId>
County page: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/<ctid>

We understand this is frustrating, and we're sorry for the disruption ... but it isn't something we're going to proceed with going forward. There is no replacement embed method.

Thanks for your understanding.

 

[scottct1]

Lindsey has been around as he replied to me in the RDP thread. But he hasn’t chimed in here.

it would be easier for me if I pulled the audio from Broadcastify then if I continued running my own Icecast server.

I thought about making the Broadcastify pop up playeran ifrane and using that but I didn’t know if that was allowed. And I also did not like that as it plays audio ads in it as well.

i just want to keep my feed going on my site but do it in a way that satisfies Lindsey and Broadcastify happy.

so I look forward to hearing to what he has to say and will work to honor his requests.

 

[wpappas]

Hey folks,

I know you're not going to want to hear this... but we've retired the embedded feed player: the function that let a Broadcastify feed be embedded in a third-party web page. If you had one on your site, it now displays a deprecation notice instead of playing audio.

This is permanent. There are too many security issues involved now with embedding Broadcastify feeds in third-party websites, and it isn't something we're able to keep supporting. I realize a lot of people have been doing this for a long time. What's been happening is that scrapers were using the embed functionality to reverse-engineer our products and services, and that introduced a number of highly critical security issues on our end. That's what forced the change.

Please do not attempt workarounds

To be direct about this: we do not want feed providers working around the retirement to keep embedding feeds on their own sites. If you are pulling from our master servers, you are exposing our mounts to scrapers and causing major security issues. If you are setting up your own Icecast server to relay from us, you will be blocked. We do not want you doing this.

The recommended approach

If you want a player on your own website, the best way to do it is to run your own Icecast server and have your software send a second stream to it, alongside the stream you send to us. You then serve that copy from your own server, on your own page, and it has nothing to do with our infrastructure at all. Most broadcast software can send to more than one destination, and standing up an Icecast server isn't especially difficult. This is the approach we recommend.

The difference matters: broadcasting your own audio to your own server is fine, and is what we want you doing. Pulling or relaying it from us is not, and that will cause us problems

Listening itself is unaffected. Every feed is still available on Broadcastify and the mobile apps, and site operators are welcome to link to a feed page or to their county's page instead:

Feed page: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/<feedId>
County page: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/<ctid>

We understand this is frustrating, and we're sorry for the disruption ... but it isn't something we're going to proceed with going forward. There is no replacement embed method.

Thanks for your understanding.

I understand why you went this route from a business and security standpoint. The thing that I find a little frustrating was the lack of a heads up since you have obviously been grappling with the issues associated with the embedded player for some time. If this was a day zero exploit that you were trying to get ahead of I could have understood the abruptness of it. I literally just put the embedded player on a bunch of internal pages last week and now I have to undo all those changes. First world problems, I know, but I am at a bit of a loss on why you did not make an announcement about this months ago to give people some runway to implement alternatives.

 

[blantonl]

I understand why you went this route from a business and security standpoint. The thing that I find a little frustrating was the lack of a heads up since you have obviously been grappling with the issues associated with the embedded player for some time. If this was a day zero exploit that you were trying to get ahead of I could have understood the abruptness of it. I literally just put the embedded player on a bunch of internal pages last week and now I have to undo all those changes. First world problems, I know, but I am at a bit of a loss on why you did not make an announcement about this months ago to give people some runway to implement alternatives.

It’s not that - we’re just moving on from supporting it. It’s not a zero day, it’s just not something in our portfolio that we want to continue to support because it leaves us open to stuff that we don’t have control over.

Plus, I don’t mean to dismiss the value it provided to some of you, but there are very very very few people using this… and those that are using it, we’ve had to provide a ton of support. I can’t get into any more specifics, but the reality is the client base that uses this demands a lot of our attention and care and feeding - not to mention the abuse of the entire thing by a number of nefarious actors.

I‘m sorry I don’t have more to provide you, and you’re welcome to criticize it how I’m handling it, I know everyone thinks I owe them a detailed explanation, and I understand, but it is what it is. This is where we are at and I don’t have anything more to offer you guys. Sorry..

 

[scottct1]

Lindsay,
Can I use a player on my page and pull the audio from my boardcast point? Or Is it ok to do what I am doing by sending audio to a seperate Icecast server and puling it from my page from there? I just don't want to violate any of your policies, while still providing my town the scanner feed they have been using for many many years.

You can see what I am doing at Newington, Connecticut USA - Home which is a site that has turned into a major hub for all things happening in the town.

BTW I am sorry for misspelling your name in the other messages above.

 

[TheAlmightyZach]

It’s not that - we’re just moving on from supporting it. It’s not a zero day, it’s just not something in our portfolio that we want to continue to support because it leaves us open to stuff that we don’t have control over.

Plus, I don’t mean to dismiss the value it provided to some of you, but there are very very very few people using this… and those that are using it, we’ve had to provide a ton of support. I can’t get into any more specifics, but the reality is the client base that uses this demands a lot of our attention and care and feeding - not to mention the abuse of the entire thing by a number of nefarious actors.

I‘m sorry I don’t have more to provide you, and you’re welcome to criticize it how I’m handling it, I know everyone thinks I owe them a detailed explanation, and I understand, but it is what it is. This is where we are at and I don’t have anything more to offer you guys. Sorry..

This is very frustrating to me. Removing a feature is.. fine I guess, but it was done seemingly without notice. Perhaps I missed something.. Either way, it kind of feels like a slap in the face. For those of us that have been providing feeds, sourcing the data for Broadcastify, I always thought it was great that I could in turn link to Broadcastify on my own website. Sure, I could setup my own Icecast, that wouldn't be hard to do, but I really never thought I'd have to.

 

[blantonl]

Lindsay,
Can I use a player on my page and pull the audio from my boardcast point? Or Is it ok to do what I am doing by sending audio to a seperate Icecast server and puling it from my page from there? I just don't want to violate any of your policies, while still providing my town the scanner feed they have been using for many many years.

You can see what I am doing at Newington, Connecticut USA - Home which is a site that has turned into a major hub for all things happening in the town.

BTW I am sorry for misspelling your name in the other messages above.

If you are using your own icecast server, it’s fine. It’s your feed. I wont and cannot restrict what you using for your feed, you just cannot use our infrastructure.

 

[blantonl]

This is very frustrating to me. Removing a feature is.. fine I guess, but it was done seemingly without notice. Perhaps I missed something.. Either way, it kind of feels like a slap in the face. For those of us that have been providing feeds, sourcing the data for Broadcastify, I always thought it was great that I could in turn link to Broadcastify on my own website. Sure, I could setup my own Icecast, that wouldn't be hard to do, but I really never thought I'd have to.

I hear you. I’m sorry.

 

[TheAlmightyZach]

I hear you. I’m sorry.

Is there any alternative, maybe using the Calls platform to implement feeds into our own websites?

 

[buddrousa]

I think post 16 answers your question.
If you are using your own icecast server, it’s fine. It’s your feed. I wont and cannot restrict what you using for your feed, you just cannot use our infrastructure.

 

[scottct1]

Update, I see his recommendations above which I did not see before, I dont know if he edited his post to add that, but it is appreciated.