If your listeners see "Unknown Artist" or a blank Now Playing line, your centova cast song titles metadata is probably not being sent or read correctly. The good news is that the fix is usually simple. In this guide we explain how song titles travel from your music files to your listeners, and walk you step by step through the most common problems.
You do not need to be a server expert. Most metadata issues come down to a few settings and some tidy file tags.
What Is Song Metadata and Why Does It Matter?
Metadata is the small piece of text that travels with your audio stream. It normally contains the artist name and the song title, such as "Artist - Song Name". Players, apps and websites read this text and show it as "Now Playing".
When metadata works, your station looks professional. When it breaks, listeners can't tell what they're hearing. They may also have a harder time finding songs they like, which can make your station less memorable.
Where the song title comes from
In Centova Cast, song titles usually come from one of two places:
- AutoDJ: The title is read from the ID3 tags inside your uploaded MP3 or other audio files.
- Live broadcasting: The title is sent by your encoder software on your computer while you are live.
Knowing which source is active helps you find the problem quickly.
Common Reasons Song Titles Go Missing
Before changing settings, look at the usual causes. Most broken centova cast song titles metadata comes from one of these:
- Empty or broken ID3 tags in your music files.
- The encoder is not sending metadata during a live show.
- The media library was not reindexed after you uploaded or edited files.
- Character encoding problems, which cause strange symbols instead of letters.
- Player or website caching, where the title is correct on the server but old on the page.
Fixing Metadata for AutoDJ Playlists
If AutoDJ plays your music and titles are missing, start with the files themselves.
Step 1: Check and edit your ID3 tags
Open your music files in a free tag editor on your computer. Make sure every file has at least the Artist and Title fields filled in. Many files downloaded or ripped years ago have empty tags or only a file name.
Tips for clean tags:
- Use the same spelling style for artist names across all files.
- Avoid extra text like "official audio" or website names in the title.
- Save tags as ID3v2 with UTF-8 when possible, especially for non-English titles.
Step 2: Re-upload and reindex
After fixing tags, upload the updated files to your Centova Cast media library. Then use the reindex or update media library option in your control panel. This tells the system to read the new tag information. If you skip it, the old empty data may still show.
Step 3: Restart the AutoDJ if needed
Sometimes the change appears only when the next track starts. If nothing updates after a few songs, stop and start the AutoDJ source from your panel.
Fixing Metadata for Live Broadcasts
When you go live, Centova Cast relies on your encoder to send the song title. If your AutoDJ titles work but live titles don't, the encoder is the place to look.
Turn on metadata in your encoder
Most broadcasting tools have an option like "Send metadata", "Update title" or "Stream title". Make sure it is enabled. Some tools read titles from the media player you use, so the player must be linked correctly.
Check server type and encoding
Make sure the encoder is set to the correct server type (SHOUTcast or Icecast) to match your stream. Wrong settings can let audio through while blocking titles. If you see odd symbols, change the encoder's character encoding to UTF-8.
Test with a manual title
Many encoders let you type a title by hand. Send a simple test like "Test - Hello" and check your public stream page. If it appears, the connection works and the issue is with how your player passes song info to the encoder.
When the Server Is Right but Players Are Wrong
Sometimes your centova cast song titles metadata is perfectly fine on the server, yet your website or app shows old or empty text. Here is what to check:
- Refresh time: Some players only update every 30 to 60 seconds.
- Browser cache: Try a private window or a different device.
- Correct stream URL: Make sure the player uses the right mount point or stream address.
- Now Playing source: Some widgets read from a status page or API rather than the stream itself. Confirm the address is right.
A quick way to confirm is to open your stream in a desktop player like VLC. If the title shows there, the problem is in your website or app, not the server.
Show Song Titles Everywhere: Websites and Apps
Once metadata is clean, you can show it beyond the basic player. Many station owners want live song titles on their website and in a mobile app so fans can follow along.
If you want a ready-made option, take a look at the Single Radio Android, iOS and Web Radio App with PHP Admin Panel, a complete live radio solution with native apps and a web player. If you'd like to build a directory with many stations, the WorldRadios Live FM and Online Radio Directory Script includes live song titles on a fast Laravel website.
Need streaming hosting too? Our hosting page lists radio plans such as SonicPanel Radio Lite, Pro and Max, along with regular web hosting for your station's website.
Quick Metadata Checklist
Keep this short list handy whenever titles disappear:
- Are the ID3 Artist and Title fields filled in?
- Did you reindex the media library after uploading?
- Is metadata enabled in your live encoder?
- Is encoding set to UTF-8?
- Does the title show in VLC but not on your site? Then check your player or widget.
Working through these in order solves most centova cast song titles metadata problems in minutes.
Get Help With Your Radio Setup
Clean metadata makes your station look polished and keeps listeners engaged. If you'd rather have experts handle installing a radio app or script, branding it, or keeping it running smoothly, our team can help. Get a free quote today and tell us what your station needs.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Centova Cast stream show 'Unknown' instead of the song title?
Usually the audio files have empty or broken ID3 tags, or your live encoder is not sending metadata. Fix the tags or turn on metadata in your encoder settings.
How long does it take for a new song title to appear?
Most players refresh every few seconds to about a minute. If the title never updates, check the encoder and the server status page.
Do I need to re-upload files after editing ID3 tags?
In most setups, yes. Edit the tags on your computer, re-upload the files, then reindex the media library in Centova Cast so it reads the new information.
Why do special characters look strange in my song titles?
This is usually a character encoding mismatch. Save tags in UTF-8 and make sure your encoder uses the same encoding.
Can my radio app or website show the same song titles?
Yes. Apps and websites read the now playing data from your stream, so once metadata is correct on the server it can show everywhere.
