How to stream audio from your website for free

This article is an introduction to Audio Streaming and how it can be added to your Web site or CD-ROM, without costly software, hardware or dedicated hosting web streaming.

First things first.

What is streaming?

Streaming audio is MP3 or any other type of audio you may want to stream you start listening to the sound long before the file is completely downloaded. It 'sa bit like reading a letter, while someone is still writing!

What are the advantages of Audio Streaming?

There are several advantages of streaming. In the first place, the visitor will be able to listen to the audio very quickly. This is important, as we all know how web surfers are impatient. Visitors to your site want to be able to listen to the audio as soon as possible.

Let's look at what happens when a visitor arrives at a website and want to listen to an MP3 audio, which is not configured for streaming.

In a non-streaming set up the link to point directly to the site of your audio files on the server. When the link is clicked, a window will appear asking where the file should be saved, and once it has been decided, the download starts. Audio files tend to be large so that the odds are it's going to take some 'time to download, especially if the visitor is using a slow Internet connection. The end result is that if the visitor waits long enough for the download to finish - all well and good, but the downside is that they have a copy of your saved music on your computer.

This may not be what you want, as it could be your copyrighted material that you gave it away. Although it is much easier to record the audio streaming software with readily available these days, there is no reason to make it easier for people what is necessary to save the audio, plus they may not want to file large stored on your computer.

If you were to set up the same file to the stream, and a user clicks on the link, Windows Media Player, Real Audio Player, or ever player uses the visitor to listen to the audio would open, the file should begin broadcasting, and within a very short time the visitor will hear the audio. NB: The time elapsed between a visitor to click on the link and hear a sound still depend on their speed Internet connection, but will be much faster than a non-streaming file.

Audio Stream is difficult to set up?

No! It 'very easy, it is a simple text file that contains a link pointing to the MP3 file you want to stream. The file is saved with a '. M3u '. (Without the quotes). In other words, this small text file m3u acts as a 'go between' for the link, the link to your site, the audio file to listen to. All support for streaming is already built into the visitor's computer.

How do I set up streaming audio?

Here's how to configure the files. It is assumed that knows how to make a link or an HTML WYSIWYG software program that allows you to create one, even though the easiest way is to use Notepad.

Imagine that your audio file is called 'reggae.mp3' and is in a folder called 'mp3' folder that is stored in a website called 'website' and is on the disk 'C'. The file path would look like this C: website/mp3s/reggae.mp3 and this file has been uploaded to your web site in the normal way.

Now we must create the m3u file (our 'go between') to connect to reggae.mp3 link on your website. To create this file, open Notepad and type the complete web address (URL) file path and name of the mp3 file. In our example would look like this:

http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.mp3

Now save the file as C: websitemp3sreggae.m3u (make sure it is saved with the.m3u) and upload your website.

The next thing to do is to add the link on your website that points to the m3u file is not (our 'go between' file) the mp3 file. In our case it will be http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.m3u

Now, when someone clicks on your link, the m3u file into action, and the reader opens your default mp3 streaming.

Can I set more than one audio file for streaming?

If you have more of an MP3 file that you want to steam, creating another 'm3u' notepad for each MP3 file you have, upload the files on your site and point the link to the file the new 'm3u'.

I can listen to MP3 and again?

If you want an mp3 go straight after the other, then create a file with the.m3u as usual but instead of just one file, you list the mp3 file paths below the other in this way:

h t t p: / / w w w.website.net/mp3s/reggae.mp3

h t t p: / / w w w.website.net/mp3s/reggae2.mp3

h t t p: / / w w w.website.net/mp3s/reggae3.mp3

So, in this case when someone clicked on the link in your web page that would open reggae.mp3 reggae2.mp3 followed by followed by reggae3.mp3

I hope this introduction has helped you with your streaming audio ....