A streaming server is an Internet-based platform that allows users to watch videos, view pictures, or listen to music. When software is open source, its source code is available to the general public, often free of charge. An open source streaming server, then, is a platform that users can access and customize to enjoy media from their own digital collections or from files being streamed online. To choose the best open source streaming server, you should determine if you would like to download a media server that is compatible with your operating system or a server that is hosted by a web provider. It can also be a good idea to consider file compatibility and service levels.
The two basic types of open source streaming server include ones designed to be installed locally on a computer and others run by your operating system and a server that you access online. If you decide to download a server that you can install onto your computer, make sure that it is compatible with your operating system and find out whether you will need to download any other programs in order to run a streaming server. You should determine how much memory a server requires to run; if your computer is short on memory, downloading a media server might not be a good idea since it can slow down other processes.
Accessing a web based open source streaming server can be a much easier operation. In many cases, you don't need to download any software. Instead, you might need only provide an email address and a name.
A person planning to download an open source streaming server should make sure that it plays files from his or her media collection. Some people save their audio files in certain formats, such as Mp3s. If a server only plays Mp4 files, you might find that there is no way to stream music from your library.
Individuals who use web based servers should be able to play any track uploaded onto a web server. In most cases, this content is user generated. This means that other users upload media files from their private collections so that other users also can stream them. If you plan on uploading files from your media collection, make sure that you can upload your preferred file formats.
It can be a good idea to read customer reviews of different open source streamers. Find out how often certain programs have problems or stop running. You might find that some servers work well in some compatible systems while they are less functional in others.