Product & Features
8 questionsWhat is SavePoint?
SavePoint Station Manager is a self-hosted broadcasting application available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and WSL that manages online radio and TV stations. It provides scheduled programming, a pre-render pipeline for 24/7 broadcasting, and multi-platform publishing.
Is SavePoint free?
The core station manager is free, including the scheduling engine, pre-render pipeline, playlist management, visual overlays, and built-in HLS web player. Third-party platform publishing (Discord, YouTube) and production server deployment require an annual Broadcast Pass ($69/year).
What platforms can SavePoint stream to?
SavePoint streams to its built-in HLS web player (free), Discord voice channels, YouTube Live, Twitch, Kick, and Mixcloud Live. TikTok Live and X (Twitter) are under development. Discord, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, and Mixcloud all require a Broadcast Pass.
Do I need a server to run SavePoint?
No. SavePoint runs on your Windows, macOS, or Linux machine for local testing and broadcasting. A VPS is only needed if you want 24/7 broadcasting without keeping your PC on. The Broadcast Pass unlocks production server deployment with SSH management.
What is the pre-render pipeline?
SavePoint pre-renders transitions and visual overlays before broadcast, then streams cached segments during playout. This reduces CPU load compared to real-time encoding and enables stable 24/7 operation on modest hardware.
How is SavePoint different from OBS?
OBS is designed for live interactive sessions. SavePoint is designed for unattended 24/7 automated broadcasting with scheduled programming, playlist rotations, and pre-rendered transitions. SavePoint runs as a background service, not a live production tool.
Can SavePoint run 24/7 without my computer being on?
Yes. Deploy SavePoint to a VPS (virtual private server) for always-on broadcasting. The Broadcast Pass includes production server deployment with SSH management and database sync.
What file formats does SavePoint support?
SavePoint supports MP3, FLAC, WAV for audio and MP4, WebM for video. There are no software-imposed storage limits. Capacity depends on your hardware.
Use Cases & Comparisons
15 questionsHow do I start a radio station?
- Download SavePoint Station Manager (free).
- Import your audio library and build a starting playlist.
- Define a 24/7 schedule with intros, outros, and rotation rules.
- Pick where to broadcast: web player, Discord, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, or Mixcloud.
- Deploy to a VPS when you want 24/7 uptime without keeping your PC on.
The how to start a 24/7 radio station guide covers each step in depth.
How do I start an internet radio station?
An internet radio station is exactly the use case SavePoint Station Manager is built for. The free tier covers everything you need to run one locally. Add a Broadcast Pass when you want to deploy to a VPS for 24/7 uptime and publish to additional platforms like Discord and YouTube. See the online radio station hub for related guides.
Is SavePoint a Discord music bot?
No. SavePoint is not a Discord music bot. It is a self-hosted Station Manager that streams your scheduled programming directly to a Discord voice channel. There is no third-party bot, no shared queue, and no cloud transcoding step. Your station owns the audio path end to end, which is why uptime, audio quality, and rights compliance hold up far better than a typical Discord music bot.
What is the best alternative to a Discord music bot in 2026?
For communities that want a real station rather than a "play this song now" bot, SavePoint replaces traditional Discord music bots like FredBoat, Hydra, and Rythm with a self-hosted Station Manager. You schedule programming once, the station runs 24/7, and any contributor with a stream key can take over live. See the Discord community radio article for the full pattern.
Can I run a Discord radio station with SavePoint?
Yes. A Discord radio station is one of SavePoint's primary use cases. The Station Manager schedules your programming and broadcasts the audio directly into a Discord voice channel at native bitrate. See the Discord radio station page for setup.
How do I stream on Discord 24/7?
Install SavePoint Station Manager, point it at the Discord voice channel of your choice, and either run it locally or deploy it to a VPS for always-on broadcasting. The Discord streaming tutorial walks through the full setup. A Broadcast Pass unlocks production deployment so the station keeps running when your PC is off.
Is SavePoint a live streaming platform?
No. SavePoint is a self-hosted broadcaster that publishes to existing live streaming platforms (YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Discord, Mixcloud, and more). It is not a video host like Twitch or YouTube. You own the broadcaster and the schedule; the platforms host the audience. See the live streaming platform hub for the positioning.
What live streaming software runs 24/7?
OBS and similar live production tools are designed for sessions a human is sitting in front of. SavePoint Station Manager is designed for stations that run continuously, pre-rendering segments in advance so the live broadcast path stays light. That is what makes 24/7 operation practical on a modest VPS. See the Top Broadcasting Software in 2026 roundup for how SavePoint compares.
Is there streaming software for a 24/7 YouTube channel?
Yes. SavePoint treats YouTube Live as a destination for your station's schedule. The pre-render pipeline keeps CPU low so a 24/7 YouTube music channel, 24/7 TV channel, or 24/7 lofi stream runs on minimal hardware. The Broadcast Pass enables YouTube publishing. See the YouTube radio station hub.
What does radio broadcasting look like in 2026?
Modern radio broadcasting runs on operator-owned software and lightweight infrastructure rather than the legacy SaaS playout-and-hosting bundle. SavePoint Station Manager is built around that model: own the schedule, own the playout, simulcast wherever your audience lives. The ethos page covers the philosophy in more depth.
Is SavePoint radio automation software?
Yes. SavePoint is radio automation in the production-software sense: scheduling, playlists with rotation rules, intros and outros, overlays, pre-rendered segments, and 24/7 unattended playout. It sits closer to the AzuraCast / Liquidsoap category than to OBS or Streamlabs. See Station Ops and the Future of Broadcast Automation.
What broadcasting software does SavePoint compete with?
SavePoint is positioned as a fifth camp alongside OBS-based live tools, professional production suites (vMix, Wirecast), browser/cloud studios (StreamYard, Restream Studio), and AI-assisted tools. It is the "always-on broadcast infrastructure" option. The Top Broadcasting Software in 2026 roundup explains where SavePoint fits versus each.
Can I run a community radio station with SavePoint?
Yes. Community radio is one of the patterns SavePoint is designed for. Sub-accounts let multiple contributors share a single station, the scheduling engine handles recurring programs, and the station persists across all of them. See SavePoint sub-account management for the team workflow.
What is a broadcast station manager?
A broadcast station manager is the software layer that turns a media library into a continuously operating station: scheduling, rotation, transitions, overlays, multi-platform distribution, and contributor permissions. SavePoint is built specifically to fill that role for online radio and TV channels. See the broadcast software hub for related pages.
How do I automate a 24/7 stream?
SavePoint Station Manager handles the automation: pre-rendered segments, recurring program schedules, automated rotations, scheduled intros and outros, and overlay compositing. Once the schedule is set up, the station runs unattended on either your machine or a VPS. See Station Ops for the technical pattern.
Pricing & Billing
9 questionsWhat's the difference between staging and production?
Staging is for running SavePoint on your local machine during setup and testing. Production is for deploying to a remote server (VPS) that runs 24/7. The free tier includes one staging activation. The Broadcast Pass adds production server deployment with SSH management and database sync.
Can I use the free version forever?
Yes! The free tier includes everything you need to run your station locally, including the pre-render pipeline, scheduling, playlists, overlays, and web player. Only upgrade when you need third-party platform publishing or production server deployment.
Do I need a server for SavePoint?
No, SavePoint runs on your computer. You only need a remote server if you want 24/7 broadcasting without keeping your PC on. The Broadcast Pass unlocks remote deployment features.
Where should I host my production server?
We recommend Cloudways for managed hosting ($35-45/mo) or HostFe for a budget annual plan ($300/yr). Both support Node.js, WebSockets, and meet SavePoint's minimum requirements. See our hosting recommendations
Is a subscription required?
No. SavePoint offers three ways to access premium features:
- 7-day free trial to test everything before you pay
- Annual subscription ($69/year, auto-renews)
- Broadcast Pass ($69 one-time, 1 year of access with no recurring charges)
All three options unlock the same features: Discord and YouTube publishing, production server deployment, and sub-account management. The free tier is always available with no time limit.
What happens after the 7-day trial?
After your trial ends, third-party publishing and production deployment pause, but everything else stays active. Your schedules, playlists, and settings are preserved. You can upgrade anytime to re-enable those features.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes! You can cancel your subscription at any time from your dashboard. You'll continue to have access until the end of your current billing period.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards through our secure payment processor, Stripe. Your payment information is never stored on our servers.
What is your refund policy?
If you discover during your trial that SavePoint isn't the right fit for you, simply cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged. Once your trial converts to a paid subscription, that charge is non-refundable. For annual license renewals, if you forgot to cancel or no longer need the service, you can request a refund within 30 days of the renewal date. Renewal refunds are issued minus a $10 processing fee and the ~3% payment processor fee (approximately $1.77) that goes directly to Stripe.
PulseFM (Demo Station)
15 questionsWhat is PulseFM?
PulseFM is SavePoint's flagship demo station, a 24/7 internet radio station that runs entirely on SavePoint Station Manager. It is the live proof that the software runs unattended at broadcast quality. Tune in from the PulseFM page.
Is PulseFM free to listen to?
Yes. Anyone can tune in from the PulseFM web player or on any platform PulseFM simulcasts to (Discord, YouTube, and additional channels as they come online). No account or subscription is required.
Where does PulseFM broadcast?
PulseFM streams to its built-in web player and simulcasts to Discord and YouTube. The simulcast network expands as SavePoint adds destination support. The PulseFM page shows the current active and upcoming channels.
What kind of content does PulseFM play?
PulseFM rotates original music from independent artists, visual art project segments, and partner placements alongside its core radio programming. The roster is curated. See the Featured Artists panel on the PulseFM page for the current lineup.
How do I get my music featured on PulseFM?
Hold a SavePoint Broadcast Pass, sign in on the PulseFM page, and submit a Music submission with your tracks, genre, and a short pitch. The PulseFM editorial team reviews submissions and responds within 7 business days.
Do I need a Broadcast Pass to submit to PulseFM?
Yes. Submissions are reserved for Broadcast Pass holders as one of the perks of the pass. See the pricing page for current options (annual subscription or one-time Year Pass).
What rights do I grant when I submit to PulseFM?
You grant PulseFM a non-exclusive license to simulcast your submitted content across broadcast platforms (YouTube, Twitch, Kick, TikTok, SoundCloud, Mixcloud). You retain ownership of your work. An optional short-form and long-form video reuse release is available with proper attribution (YouTube Shorts, TikToks, and similar).
Can I submit visual art or a partnership instead of music?
Yes. PulseFM accepts three submission types: Music, Art Project, and Partner. Art submissions cover digital art, 3D, motion graphics, photography, and similar mediums for broadcast exposure. Partner submissions cover sponsorship, ad placement, brand integration, and cross-promotion.
What content standards does PulseFM enforce?
PulseFM is family-friendly. Submissions must contain no explicit lyrics, violence, drug references, or adult material. Partner placements are also subject to editorial review.
Can I run my own version of PulseFM?
Yes. PulseFM is itself an instance of SavePoint Station Manager. Anyone can download SavePoint, build their own 24/7 station, and operate it under their own brand. PulseFM is the public demo; your station is the goal.
How do I revoke a permission I previously gave PulseFM?
Sign in to your SavePoint dashboard. If you have a PulseFM permission on file, a PulseFM Creator section appears above your announcements. Each signed permission has a one-click Revoke button. Revocation is logged, takes effect immediately, and pauses PulseFM's broadcast of that content.
Can I restore a permission I revoked?
Yes. The same dashboard section shows revoked permissions with a one-click Re-grant button. Re-granting reinstates the original signed agreement (frozen text, signature, and consents are unchanged) and is recorded in the audit log. PulseFM can resume broadcasting once you re-grant.
Where do I download my signed permission PDFs?
Each signed permission in the dashboard's PulseFM Creator section has a Download PDF action that opens the receipt generated at signing. The PDF includes the frozen agreement text, your typed signature, the content described, and the timestamp.
How do I submit new content to PulseFM after I'm already a creator?
From the dashboard's PulseFM Creator section, use the Submit new content button. It takes you straight to the /pulsefm submission flow with your account already signed in. Submissions go through the same editorial review (typically 7 business days).
What happens to my PulseFM profile if I revoke every permission?
Revoking permissions pauses PulseFM's broadcast of the specific content covered by each permission. Your public creator profile remains in place. You can re-grant any revoked permission at any time, or open a support ticket if you want your profile fully removed from the roster.
Still Have Questions?
We are here to help.
If you did not find your answer above, open a support ticket from your dashboard and the team will respond. You can also ask the community in our Discord.