Should I stream with Windows Media or Shoutcast/MP3?

If you are concerned about accessibility, Shoutcast/MP3 has a slight edge over Windows Media due to all of the major audio players being able to play MP3s. Windows Media is pervasive however, as it comes pre-installed on over 95% of today's new computers.
 
Considering sound quality, Windows Media does have better sound for low-bitrate voice content (24kbps and lower)
 
If you were to stream with Windows Media, we strongly encourage you to use the Pull Broadcasting method, as it is more stable and reliable than the Push method. To broadcast in the Pull method, you'll need to secure a static address (either a static IP address or a dynamic DNS service from no-ip.com) and an open port on your network router. Streaming with Shoutcast doesn't require this extra setup, as its Push method is quite stable.
 
Lastly, Shoutcast has an administration page that lets you view the current number of connected listeners, the peak connected listeners, and a log of stream activity. Streaming with Windows Media does not include these statistics.
  • 1 Users Found This Useful
Was this answer helpful?

Related Articles

How Do I: Windows Media on demand

Please use the following info for FTP access:FTP host: your URL.FTP port: 21FTP username and...

Can I stream to both dial-up and broadband users using Windows Media Streaming ?

Yes, you can select mutiple bitrates , say 128k and 24k for broad and narrow band connections....

How do i get an embedded player on my site?

To embed a Player in your web site you have two options; 1. You can use JW Player see this URL;...

How Do I: Stream audio and video content to mobile phones and PDAs.

This document explains some of the strategies for best delivering your audio and video content to...

How do I create an .asx metafile

To create an .asx metafile, perform the following steps: The following steps were created using...