MP3: The Definitive Guide

Chapter 8. Webcasting and Servers: Internet Distribution

It goes without saying that the Internet made the MP3 revolution possible, and by now you’ve probably spent a good bit of time hoovering tunes out of the ether and onto your own machine. But what if you want to make your own MP3 files available to others over the Web? What if you want to become a webcaster—set up your own Internet radio station and broadcast tracks in real time out to the music-hungry masses? This chapter covers distribution of MP3 files from web and FTP servers, shows you how to set up an MP3 broadcast system, and covers the bandwidth issues that invariably come into play. Note that this chapter does not cover playing back streamed MP3 audio. That’s covered in Section 4.6 in Chapter 4.

The Fundamentals of Internet Distribution

If you’re confident that you have the right to distribute a particular collection of MP3 files, you’ve got some decisions to make. Do you plan to serve them from an account with an Internet Service Provider, or will you be running your own server? Are you setting up an FTP site for power users, or would you like to build a web site so users can simply click on links to begin their downloads? If you’re working with an ISP, are you confident that you’re not going to generate too much traffic? Most providers place upper limits on the amount of throughput they’ll allow to move through your account without incurring additional fees. We’ll look at these issues in the first part of this chapter. ...