Encoding Computer Software Requirements


There are a number of pieces of software to fit into the streaming audio puzzle. Below is a list of the basic tools you'll need.

Operating Systems: Windows and Macintosh

The operating system (OS) is the platform upon which all of your applications rest. Streaming audio software tools and applications are upgraded so rapidly that it's helpful to have the most recent and stable version of your OS as possible. For Windows users, it's advisable to have Windows 98 or newer. For Macintosh users, OS 9.1 or newer is recommended.

Streaming Audio Players

A player is a computer software application for playing back your streaming (or downloaded) audio files. Because you're learning several streaming formats, several players are necessary. Windows Media, RealMedia, and QuickTime all require their own players to stream files encoded using these formats. MP3 files, because manufacturers recognize MP3's popularity and because MP3 is not a proprietary format, can be streamed through any of the previously mentioned players, as well as a host of free or shareware players available online. Even though these freeware and shareware players are small, free, and simple to install, you can still purchase any number of other third-party players. These third-party players often take up a lot of memory, feature all manner of groovy visual effects to go along with your music, and cost as much as a tank of gas. This book uses Winamp, a popular and free download from www.winamp.com, as a basic MP3 streaming player for Windows. For the Macintosh MP3 streaming player, the book will use iTunes, which can be found at www.apple.com/itunes.

A list of players can be found in the Appendix, "Tools and Resources."

Rippers and Encoders

A ripper is a software application that pulls, or rips, a song from the CD in your computer's CD-ROM drive onto your computer as an uncompressed, raw audio file (WAV for Windows and AIFF for Macintosh).

An encoder is a format-specific software application that squeezes, or encodes, the raw audio file on your computer to a tiny size, making it ready for uploading to your streaming server.

Software tools are available that perform both tasks of ripping and encoding. Appropriately enough, they're called ripper/encoders. The examples in this book separate these two steps, so ripper/encoders won't be covered in depth.

A list of other rippers, encoders, and ripper/encoders can be found in the Appendix.

Waveform Editors

Almost like having a recording studio in a computer, waveform editing allows users to manipulate audio files in complex and necessary ways, at the click of a mouse. Volume level adjustments, fades, normalizing, and equalization, among other things, become easy to do. For Windows users, this book uses SoundForge 5.0 (www.sonicfoundry.com). For Macintosh users, Peak 2.6 LE (www.bias-inc.com) is the tool of choice.

A list of other waveform editors can be found in the Appendix.



Streaming Audio. The FezGuys' Guide
Streaming Audio: The FezGuys Guide
ISBN: B000H2N1T8
EAN: N/A
Year: 2001
Pages: 119

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