I've already read through the Shoutcast 2.6.0 thread in great detail and fully support the opinion of most disgruntled users, including myself.
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=453607In addition, I find it extremely unfair that users who have created their station before the conversion by Radionomy, will continue to be listed, while new users are now asked to pay. Either all or none - that's how I see it! Why should I have a reason to buy a Premium Packet when older users can simply continue to use the service with Shoutcast 2.5.5 or older for free and without any restrictions? I think that - and I hope so - Radionomy and Shoutcast 2.6+ will dig their own grave pretty quickly.
As a Shoutcast 1 user since mid-2000, I hesitated a long time before I decided to switch to Shoutcast 2. The reasons for me were mainly the use of Centova Cast and cost savings through the elimination of an external and chargeable AAC+ transcoder service, which can now be taken over by us, simply by setting up a mount point. The decision to change took place at a very unfavorable time, where I already had to realize that the website of Radionomy was completely changed and old Hashkeys no longer work. Now I regret that I did not register a few weeks earlier, after Radionomy already kicked all users with Shoutcast 1 in the past and these were suddenly no longer listed. As an operator of a nonprofit web radio with non-profit and free music, which like many others do not and do not want to earn a penny and only pay their own traffic costs, that's like a slap in the face.
Due to the use of Winamp and Shoutcast DSP for live shows on a Windows PC, I have downgrade my Shoutcast to Version 2.5.5.733 and accept the inconvenience, especially since many people I've talked to consider the Shoutcast directory to be completely overrated. A limitation to 128 kpbs is for me under no circumstances in question, especially since we have been sending only in 192 kbps for some time. Fortunately, there are still enough portals like TuneIn, Onlineradiobox or radio.de, where we are listed independently of the Shoutcast directory.
Customer-friendliness looks different to me.