Whisperings PureStream:
Common Questions and Answers...


The Top Ten Questions Asked...
These questions cover about 95% of all support inquiries to us about Whisperings PureStream.

1) How do I log into Whisperings PureStream? read answer here.
2) I haven't received my login information... read answer here.
3) It won't take my password... read answer here.
4) I lost my login info...  read answer here.
5) I still hear the commercials... read answer here.
6) How can I set PureStream up with my device? read answer here. This question is in reference to Soundbridge/Squeezebox/Sonos/iPhone and other devices we support.
7) I try to connect to the stream but nothing happens... read answer here.
8) The Stream is buffering, stopping, skipping... read answer here.
9) How do I cancel my account? read answer here.
10) How do I change my password? read answer here.

Don't see your question here? Those are just the top ten. We have more! Check these.



Question: How Do I Log Into Whispering PureStream?
There are two ways to login. First, you can login through the Whisperings web site, and secondly, you can login direct from your media player.

To login from our web site, visit our home page at www.solopianoradio.com and click on the "Login & Listen" link right beside where it says "PureStream". That will take you to the login page.

To login direct from your media player, follow these instructions:

How to Login Directly From iTunes...
1) Start up iTunes, go to the Advanced/Open Stream menu.
2) When prompted for the stream URL, insert http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.m3u and click on OK. Make sure you don't have any trailing spaces on that URL link.
3) You should then be prompted for your username and password. Enter that and you're in.
From that point on, you should see "Whisperings PureStream: Solo Piano Radio" bookmarked in your iTunes library (under Library/Music) and you can just click on that in the future to log in. If you *don't* see a bookmark for it, go to the File/Add File to Library... menu in iTunes. On the browse dialog box that comes up, insert the stream URL and then click on "Open." The link will show up in your Library as "secure." Once you click on that and log in, the link should be automatically renamed "Whisperings PureStream: Solo Piano Radio"

How to Login Directly From Windows Media Player...
1) Start up the program, go to the File/Open URL menu, and then insert the following URL: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.asx . Make sure you don't have any trailing spaces on that URL link. 
2) Click on OK and you should be prompted for your login information.

How to Login Directly From Other Players...
For WinAmp, go to the "File/Play URL" menu, insert the following URL:
http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.m3u
You should then be prompted for your login.

For RealPlayer, go to the "File/Open" menu, insert the following URL:
http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.m3u
You should then be prompted for your login.
 

Question: I Haven't Received My Login Information...
If you signed up via PayPal, your login information was be sent to you immediately by an automated process. If you haven't received that, check your spam folder to see if the "welcome" email got caught by your spam filters. If you still don't see it, just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get that for you.

If you signed up using a credit card, your login information will be emailed to you as soon as your account is set up. Please allow 24 hours for that. If, after 24 hours, you haven't received your login information, check your spam folder to see if the "welcome" email got caught by your spam filters. If you still don't see it, just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get that for you.




Question: It Won't Take My Password - The Login Screen Keeps Coming Back
If you are entering your login information and the login screen keeps coming back (or comes back twice before erroring out), it means one of four things...

1) You're not matching upper/lower case on your username/password. Your username and password are CaSE SeNSiTiVE. If you don't match the upper/lower case on the username/password sent to you, the login prompt will just keep coming back (it will error out after three attempts on Windows Media Player).

2) You're not entering your login information correctly. Your username is (in most cases) the email address you signed up with. Your password will vary, depending on how you signed up. In either case, your login information is sent to you via email as soon as your account is set up. If you haven't received that, check your spam folder. If you need it resent to you, email David Nevue directly at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll resend that to you.

3) You're account has expired or was canceled. You should receive a notification a week prior to your account expiring to let you know your term is up. If you need to verify this, email David Nevue directly at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll check into that for you. If you know your account as expired or was previously canceled and you want to renew, just sign up for a new account. You can do that here.

4) Your account isn't setup yet. If you signed up using a credit card, we have to manually set up your account. In most cases, that will happen within a few hours (during business hours, 8am-4pm PST.) If you place your order after business hours or on the weekend, please allow extra time. If you don't receive your login info within 24 hours, email David Nevue directly at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll resend that to you. Thank you for your patience.




Question: I Lost and/or Forgot My Password!
Just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get that for you. Be sure to include your phone number in case our emails don't get through to do due to email filtering. Note that if you've been successfully tuning in for awhile and now you simply can't, it might be because your account has expired. David can check on that for you, too.




Question: I Signed Up for Whisperings PureStream, but I Still Hear the Commercials!
If you are hearing the commercials, that means you're tuning into the free stream, not Whisperings PureStream. You need to login to Whisperings PureStream to get our commercial free stream. See the answer to How to Login to Whisperings PureStream.




Question: Will PureStream Work with My Device?
It might, if your device's software can open a custom URL. PureStream has been shown to work with the following devices:

• Denon AVR-3808CI (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below for details.)
• Denon AVR-4308CI (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below for details.)
• Exstreamer (supports our MP3 Stream URL.)
• Freecom MusicPal (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below for details.)
• iPhone (Requires the Tuner application and our MP3 stream URL. see below for details)
• iPod Touch (Requires the Tuner application and our MP3 stream URL. see below for details)
• Kubuntu Linux with Streamtuner/Amarok (supports our MP3 Stream URL. See below.)
• NOXON iRadio (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below for details.)
• Palm Treo 755p with Pocket Tunes (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below.)
• Phillips NP1100 Media Player (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below.)
• Pocket Tunes (supports our MP3 Stream URL. See below for details.)
• Reciva (see below for setup.)
• Roku SoundBridge (see below for instructions on how to set up PureStream with the Roku
• Sangean WFR-20 WiFi Radio (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below for details.)
• Sonos (see below for setup.)
• Squeezebox (see below for setup.)
• Windows Mobile (Pocket PC) (supports our Windows Media Stream URL. See below)

Note that in all these cases we have to set up a special URL for you that will allow you embed the username and password in the URL. Just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get that set up for you.

Question: I Try to Connect to the Stream, But Nothing Happens...
If you're using iTunes, RealPlayer or Winamp to listen and you have this problem, you're most likely looking at a firewall issue. Our icecast stream for these players runs on port 3120, so you need to have that open to get the stream. Some corporate work or college environments block certain ports, and they may be blocking this one by default. Your two options are to a) contact your network administrators and ask if they can open up that port in the firewall or b) try listening via Windows Media Player, which is set at port 80, where most web traffic resides.

If you're using Windows Media Player and you have this problem, see the Windows Media Player Tips and Tricks section below.... specifically solution one which may solve this.
 

Question: The Stream Keeps Stopping/Starting/Buffering/Skipping/Disconnecting
This can be a tough one to troubleshoot as the source of the problem could be anywhere between you and the streaming server. It could be a weak network signal, an overtaxed network, a network node problem, a firewall - just about anything. Note that in corporate and/or university environments, your network Admin may set bandwidth limits for individuals. That can cause this problem too. Suggested solutions are below.

The MOST COMMON reason this happens is due to the use of iTunes with AirTunes with the Airport Express Server. We've seen many connection problems with when you send the Whisperings stream to remote speakers using AirTunes, resulting in the signal skipping continuously or disconnecting entirely. To solve this, make sure AirTunes is set to the "multiple speakers" option so that it includes the computer. To do this, on the iTunes screen, at the bottom toward the right, you'll see a rectangular button that activates a drop down list of available speakers. Here's a photo of it. Select the multiple speakers option. That should solve the problem.

If you're NOT using AirTunes and/or Airport Express...
Try tuning in with one of our lower bit-rate streams. If the problem is due to a lack of available bandwidth or a weak or congested network, using a lower bit-rate (64k) stream will probably help a great deal. Here is the stream URL you'll need.

For iTunes, WinAmp or RealPlayer: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.m3u
For Windows Media Player: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.asx 

To open up that stream URL...
For iTunes, go to the Advanced/Open Stream menu.
For WinAmp, do the same, but through the "File/Play URL" menu.
For RealPlayer, do the same, but through the "File/Open" menu.
For Windows Media Player,  go to the File/Open URL menu.

By the way, buffering problems like this have been fairly common with services such as Hughes Satellite where bandwidth is limited. Just make sure if you have a satellite ISP that you are allowed sufficient bandwidth to stream radio.

If you're using Windows Media Player and you have tried the lower bit-rate URL mentioned about and you still have this problem, please see Windows Media Player Tips and Tricks.
 

Question: How Do I Cancel My Subscription?
You can cancel your account from our cancellation page.

Question: Can I Change My Password?
Yes, just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com . Give him your current username and the password you'd like to change your account to.  




Miscellaneous Questions...
Other questions we get, though less frequently...

Pre-Sales Questions about PureStream
What music players does PureStream support?
Am I limited to how much or how often I can tune in?
How many computers can I listen on?
What do you mean when you say PureStream has a "larger variety" of music?
Is Whisperings PureStream the same as Live365's VIP Program?
What About my Live365 VIP Account?

Connection and/or Sound Problems
The music sounds "fuzzy," distorted or otherwise not quite right
I'm using Windows Media Player and I'm not getting any sound
Do you offer a lower bit-rate (quality) stream? 
Windows Media Player Problems - Tips and Tricks...
Error Message: Windows Player Cannot Access the File...Your Proxy Settings Might Not Be Correct.
Error Message: The Server Received Invalid Data from the Control Connection...
How to Check Your Network Signal Reception

Misc. Stuff...
Stopping the Little Pop-Up Window when Windows Media Player is in the Task Bar
How do I see what's playing?
The Windows Media Stream Custom URL
The MP3 Stream Custom URL
How to set up PureStream with the iPhone or iPod Touch
How to set up PureStream with the Roku Soundbridge
How to set up PureStream with Sonos
How to set up PureStream with SqueezeBox
What Ports Does PureStream Use?
Other problems?



Pre-Sales Questions about PureStream

What Music Players does PureStream Support?
Whisperings PureStream has been tested with iTunes, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer and WinAmp. It very well may work with others, but they haven't been tested thoroughly. Check out the device list in the next question below as well.




Am I Limited to How Much or How Often I Can Tune In to PureStream?
No, you can listen as often as you want. We do have different support levels ($5/month, $7.50/Month, $10/month or $20/month), but those are simply there to give listeners who want to the opportunity to contribute more if they wish. However, no matter how much you contribute, you can still listen as much as you want.  




How Many Computers Can I Listen to PureStream From?
You can tune in from any computer, but only log in from one at a time.




What Do You Mean When You Say PureStream as a Larger Variety of Music Than the Free Stream?
There are more individual songs on the playlist AND the songs that are on there are repeated less often. So more songs, larger variety, less repeats.  




Is PureStream the Same as Live365's VIP Program?
No, the two are completely unrelated. The Live365 VIP is Live365's subscription program, and Whisperings PureStream is ours. Live365's VIP program doesn't support Whisperings financially, it supports Live365.com. Obviously, we'd prefer that you sign up for Whisperings PureStream and support this broadcast. However, if you are already a VIP member, you can tune into the Live365 VIP version of Whisperings here. The only difference between the Live365 VIP feed and PureStream is the sound quality. PureStream is CD quality, the Live365 VIP feed is the same sound quality as our free stream. If you'd like to support our broadcast, please do sign up for PureStream, as the Live365 VIP program doesn't support us, it supports Live365.

Here's a chart to show the differences between our the services...

Connection and/or Sound Problems...


The Music Sounds "Fuzzy," Distorted or Otherwise Not Quite Right.

Do You Have a Lower Bit-Rate (quality) Stream?
Yes, we do have a lower bitrate version of Whisperings PureStream. If you get buffering when you try to connect to the 128k feed, try opening these URL's in your player for our 64k feed.

iTunes, WinAmp, RealPlayer: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.m3u
Windows Media Player: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.asx

Windows Media Player Errors - Tips and Tricks... 

Error Message: Windows Player Cannot Access the File. The file might be in use, you might not have access to the computer where the file is stored, or your proxy setteings might not be correct..."
This is the most common error we see in Windows Media Player. Basically, it just means that, for whatever reason, your computer cannot see our streaming server. There are any number of possible reasons for this - it could be network congestion, a firewall issue, or it may be that the particulars of your network requires you to "tweak" the default settings in Windows Media Player.

Here are a few things that have worked for users to resolve the issue.

Possible Solution One
Check your Internet Explorer Security Settings
Start Internet Explorer. Go to the Tools/Internet Options menu.
Click on the Security tab. Then under Internet, make sure your security level is set no higher than Medium-high. Check your settings under Local Intranet as well. If you have anything set to a custom level, try resetting the security settings back to the default levels. Also, under Trusted Sites, add http://onyxweb.streamguys.com
Click on OK, and see if you can log in now.

Possible Solution Two
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to File/Open URL...
Insert this web site address: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.asx .
Click on OK, and see if you can log in.

Possible Solution Three
Are you using the Firefox browser? If so, try Internet Explorer. We have seen a few problems with Firefox not working well with Windows Media Player.

Possible Solution Four
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Network tab
Click on the HTTP Protocol listed under streaming proxy settings, then click on Configure.
Set your proxy setting to Autodetect
Click on OK.
Now, repeat this for each of the other protocol settings listed too.
Exit Windows Media Player and give it another try.

Possible Solution Five
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Network tab
Uncheck the UDP box.
Click on OK.
Exit Windows Media Player and give it another try.

Possible Solution Six
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Security tab
Make sure both boxes are NOT checked.
Click on OK.
Exit Windows Media Player and give it another try.




Error Message: The Server Received Invalid Data....
Usually when this happens, just click on the Play button in Windows Media Player and it will buffer and start playing properly. If that doesn't solve it, try the solutions suggested in the question immediately prior to this one. 




How to Check Your Network Reception for Our Signal
If you have trouble logging in it could also be due to a weak Internet signal.

Here's how you can check it in Windows:

1) Click on your Windows Start menu and then Run....
2) In the Run dialogue box, type "command." (no quotes) That will bring up an MS DOS window
3) Type "ping -t onyx.streamguys.com" (no quotes) and then press enter. At this point you'll see line after line of replies. Let that go for a minute or so. Press CTRL+C to stop it.
4) If you see any "Request Timed Out" messages listed in there, you know that your network is losing the signal to our server. That's why you can't connect.
 

Here's how you can check it on the Mac OS X:

1) Click on Finder in the dock.
2) Click on Macintosh HD in the window.
3) Click on Applications.
4) Click on Utilities.
5) Double-click on Network Utility.
6) In the Network Utility window, click on the Ping tab.
7) In the field under "Please enter the network address to ping", enter onyx.streamguys.com. Set the Ping to at least 100 seconds.
8) Click the Ping button.

Also try pinging live.str3am.com
 
You can also use the Terminal program to ping.

To open terminal:
1) Click on Finder in the dock.
2) Click on Macintosh HD in the window.
3) Click on Applications.
4) Click on Utilies.
5) Double-click on Terminal.
6) Type "ping -t onyx.streamguys.com"

Also try pinging live.str3am.com 

Terminal runs a continuous ping. To stop it, hold down CTRL-C.

If you see any "No Route to Host" or "Request Timed Out" messages listed in there, you know that your network is losing the signal to our server. That's why you can't connect.  

Misc. Stuff...


Stopping the Little Pop-Up Window When Windows Media Player is in the Task Bar
If you're running Windows Media Player in the Task Bar Toolbar, WMP pops up an "enhancement" box every time your cursor passes over (or near) the player in your task bar. This can be very annoying as the pop-up comes up even when you don't mean it to when your cursor falls into that area of your screen.

To turn this off, right-click your mouse on an empty spot on your task bar (or right over the clock) and you'll see a menu come up with "Toolbars" as an option. Click on that and you'll see "Windows Media Player" listed. Uncheck that and it will take Windows Media Player out of your task bar. Now when you play it, Windows Media Player will remain in the background.



How Do I See What's Playing Now?
To see what's playing at any time, just click on the Now Playing link for PureStream on the Whisperings home page.




The Windows Media Stream URL
You may need a special URL to work with your device. The Windows Media Stream URL is formatted like this: http://onyx.streamguys.com/pianosolo?u=USERNAME&p=PASSWORD . Note that you need a special account set up to use this URL as it won't work if you use an email address for the username (because of the @ sign). If you don't have a custom URL yet and you need one, email David Nevue at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get you set up with that.




The MP3 Stream URL
You may need a special URL to work with your device. The MP3 Stream URL is formatted like this: http://username:password@live.str3am.com:3120/secure . Note that you need a special account set up to use this URL as it won't work if you use an email address for the username (because of the @ sign). If you don't have a custom URL yet and you need one, email David Nevue at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get you set up with that.




How Do I Set Up PureStream to Work with the iPhone or the iPod Touch?
PureStream won't work with with the iPhone or iPod Touch out of the box, however you can get an application called "Tuner" that should enable you to listen to PureStream on your iPhone and/or Touch with our custom MP3 stream URL, which looks like this: http://username:password@live.str3am.com:3120/secure . You need a special account set up to use that, so if you don't have a custom URL yet and you need one, email David Nevue at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get you set up with that.

1) Touch the Genre's button at the bottom of the screen.
2) Click the Open button.
3) Enter the title (Whisperings PureStream) then enter the custom URL David provides you:
4) Click on Done and the stream should commence.
5) Some users have reported that at this point they get a log in prompt again. If this happens to you, just enter your username and password as it appears in the MP3 Stream URL provided to you.

Some users have reported getting "Out of Memory" messages when they try this. We have been told that powering off the iPhone and then powering it back on clears that up. Let us know how this works for you. We're still seeing mixed results. Email dnevue@rainmusic.com with your results. Thanks!

How Do I Set Up PureStream for use with Reciva?
We have found functionality with Reciva to be a bit iffy. Most of the time, PureStream will work with it. Sometimes it won't. It may depend on the tuner you're using to access the Reciva portal. If you'd like to test it out with your tuner prior to signing up, just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll set up a test account for you.

That said, go to the Reciva web site and login to your account. Then go to the "My Streams" link. From here you can add a new stream. Enter "Whisperings PureStream" and then add your custom URL. The URL for Reciva is formatted like this: http://onyx.streamguys.com/pianosolo?u=USERNAME&p=PASSWORD . Note that you need a special account set up to use this URL as it won't work if you use an email address for the username (because of the @ sign). If you don't have a custom URL yet and you need one, email David Nevue at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll get you set up with that.

 

How Do I Set Up PureStream with the Roku Soundbridge?
First, you need a special account setup and URL link to do this, so if you don't have that yet, email David Nevue. Once that account is setup...

1) Go to the "Roku's" URL. The URL depends on your network configuration - usually it's something like 192.168.1.100 - your Roku manual has instructions on how to find this.
2) Choose "presets" from the menu near the top of the page
3) Copy the special Whisperings PureStream URL from the email David sent you. It will look something like http://username:password@live.str3am.com:3120/secure
4) Paste this special URL into an unwanted address space and add a "Name" (i.e. Whisperings PureStream)
5) Test the URL by pressing the "play" button
6) If it works, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "update presets."

Instructions for this are noted on page 31 of the Roku Instruction Manual (Model 1001), under "Web Page Control."
 

How Do I Set Up PureStream with Sonos?
First, you need a special account setup and URL link to do this, so if you don't have that yet, email David Nevue. Once that account is setup... 

1) Open the Sonos Desktop Controller.
2) On the right hand side of the screen, under Music Library, choose Radio.
3) Click Add New at the bottom of the menu. 
4) Copy/paste the special PureStream URL David sent you into the Streaming URL box. Your URL will look something like http://onyx.streamguys.com/pianosolo?u=USERNAME&p=PASSWORD
5) Enter "Whisperings PureStream" in the Station Name box and click OK.

Instructions for this can also be found on the Sonos web site.

One thing to note - Sonos does not appear to support the ID tags in PureStream. That means that when you listen via Sonos, the Sonos player does not display the artist/song title information. So, to get that information, just open up and bookmark this URL in your browser and you'll be able to see what's playing at any given time.

How Do I Set Up PureStream with SqueezeBox?
First, you need a special account setup and URL link to do this, so if you don't have that yet, email David Nevue. Once that account is setup...

1) On SlimServer, go to 'radio tune-in' within SlimServer's web interface.
2) Type in the special Whisperings PureStream URL from the email David sent you. It will look something like http://username:password@live.str3am.com:3120/secure 
3) Once you've done this, you can save that stream as a playlist to be recalled later.

Instructions for this can also be found on the Slim Devices web site.
 

What Ports Does PureStream Use?
For PureStream for iTunes, we use Port 3120
For PureSteam for Windows Media Player, Port 80
For the 56k free stream, we use Port 21388
For the 64k free stream, we use Port 8133
 

Any Other Questions or Problems?
Contact David Nevue via email. Please include your phone number in your email.

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