Streaming Audio Files

Streamed files are a bit more complicated to implement and generally involve:

* Having a streaming server or access to one through your Web hosting provider. Prices vary considerably.
* Encoding your files using that streaming technology's particular codec. (A codec is a device that converts analog audio or video signals to digital so they can be transmitted, then converts them back to analog once received so they can be heard or seen.)
* Ensuring that your listeners have or can download the player for the streaming file.

All streaming encoded files can be served using what is called "HTTP streaming." Don't buy Web hosting thinking that this is anything amazing — HTTP streaming is simply what happens when you use a normal Internet connection to download an encoded streaming file. Still, it's a viable option for your streaming content if you can't afford streaming software. Playback will still occur before the entire file downloads, but the download will be slow.

To HTTP stream, create your content, encode it in the streaming format you want to deliver, and link to it as you would any other Web page or file.

To purchase Real streaming server software and get information about encoding files into the Real format, visit http://www.realnetworks.com. To download the Real player, visit http://www.real.com.

To purchase Windows Media streaming server software, download the player, and learn about encoding files, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.aspx.

To purchase the QuickTime streaming server software, download the QuickTime player and learn about creating QuickTime content, visit http://www.apple.com/quicktime/.