How Can I Extract Track Metadata from an AOL Audio Stream Using PHP?

Pulling Track Info from an Audio Stream via PHP

Extracting track metadata from an audio stream using PHP is indeed possible. While exploring potential options, stream_get_transports emerged as a potential candidate, but its dependency on fsockopen() for HTTP transports may require further investigation.

For the specific case of retrieving artist and track details from an AOL stream, a more direct approach is necessary. Here's how to accomplish it:

1. Establish Direct Server Connection:
Establish a direct connection to the server using fsockopen() instead of relying on HTTP. Most AOL-hosted SHOUTcast streams operate on port 80, so you can utilize that.

2. Send Metadata Request:
Craft a request similar to the one a client would make, but add the "Icy-MetaData:1" header to indicate your desire for metadata. Terminate the request with a pair of carriage returns and line feeds.

3. Read Meta Interval:
In the server's response headers, locate the "icy-metaint" header. Its value, usually 8192, represents the meta interval. This value will determine the interval between metadata chunks.

4. Process Binary Metadata:
Discard 8192 bytes of MP3 data and grab the subsequent byte. Multiply its value by 16 to ascertain the metadata length. Read that number of bytes to obtain the metadata.

5. Trim and Parse Metadata:
Trim the retrieved metadata string to eliminate any trailing null characters. You'll be left with a string containing metadata information, such as 'Stream

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