Streaming Audio: The FezGuys Guide

Chapter 8 Joe Satriani: Promotional Web Site with On-Demand Files in Multiple Formats and Special Event Live Streams

Chapter 9 SomaFM: Multiple Live Streams from a Playlist Database

Chapter 10 KPIG: Traditional Radio Station Streaming Live and On-Demand

Each streaming audio environment requires its own authoring, encoding, design, and serving scenarios. Some streaming audio doesn't require a Web site and some Web sites would benefit from streaming audio. Some must have live streaming audio available 24/7, while others may offer a combination of live, on-demand, and archived streams. Streaming audio may be the entire purpose of a particular Web site while other sites view it as an unimportant add-on.

In this Part we'll document three scenarios for including streaming audio on a Web site.

• The first study will focus on a Web site that primarily uses on-demand files with an occasional live stream for special events.

• The second study is a Web site that offers several live MP3 streams in multiple bitrates.

• The third is the online presence of a standard, terrestrial broadcast radio station streaming its programming.

For each scenario, we'll discuss how the streaming audio is authored and served, and offer some insight into why those choices were made based on what criteria.