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Uses of Streaming Audio for Websites

Usually you need to download an entire file to be able to listen to it. However with Streaming Audio technology in various websites, you can listen to an audio file while downloading it. Audio Streaming refers to the delivery method of the medium rather than to the medium itself. Thus live broadcasts are delivered using Streaming Audio technology by various websites.

The process of Streaming Audio for websites is easy to understand. This is what happens:

• Incoming data is stored in a buffer from where it can be retrieved to hear. Thus as long as there is data in the buffer you can preview the music.



• You get the best result when the rate of incoming data is equal to the rate of retrieval and it is at that time you get a continuous flow.



• However if there is congestion in the network the buffers might get empty and debar you from getting a continuous flow.

The two most popular formats used in Audio Streaming are Real audio and Windows Media Player. QuickTime and Winamp may also be used. Mp3 format is being streamed heavily. Winamp is generally used to play Ogg streams. However Winamp can be used to play both Ogg and Mp3 formats. However Real Audio and Windows Media Player can't play Ogg streams.

Real Audio now uses a variation of streaming audio that dynamically compensates for slow connections. If you don't wish to download a player, the safest technologies to use are those powered by Active X and Sun Java.

Sun Java powers an easy to use "Clipstream". All you need to do is run any existing audio file in a common format like .MP3 or .WAV through an encoder, upload it to your website and link it into your web page. Thus you can easily copy or record audio files from a CD or cassette, upload it on your site and make it available from audio streaming.

Audio Streaming is used by several websites for various purposes like:

• Previewing music
• Helping users to navigate the site by adding commentary to your site
• Announcing the special offers to the visitors
• Making the site more accessible and friendly

Thus Audio Streaming makes the website stand out from the rest. Recently Internet radio devices have started offering listeners an option to listen to audio streams without a computer. This has brought a revolution in the world of radio where now you can hear channels from all over the world.

However Audio Streaming does have a few drawbacks as well. Some of them are:

• The need a large network bandwidth
• Easy access to internet
• Use of standard formats and protocols only
• Transmission and storage costs are high even after compressing

In spite of all this Audio Streaming is very popular in a lot of websites these days as the users surely prefer to stream than download.

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