Description of the service and detail of the offers

OVH proposes a range of streaming offers, which will enable you to broadcast audio contents on internet. Thanks to this technology, you can install easily and quickly a web radio, no matter if it’s a private use or intended to a large number of listeners. Our offers meet all the needs, for hosting and radio broadcast, to relay an existing radio to increase its capacity or even to use a dedicated server to benefit from a very large bandwidth.

The aim of a web radio (or audio streaming in general) is to have audio content we wish to deal to the maximum of listeners as possible. The content (MP3 files for example) is hosted statically on a disk then a software called ‘customer source’ is given the responsibility to send datas to the broadcast server (or streaming server). From there, you web radio is accessible via an URL (internet address). Your listeners use this URL to contact directly the streaming server from a multimedia software. The URL can then be easily placed in a play list, usable from your web site.

This principle is rather simple and can be easily put in place at home, on your personal PC; Even if you have an ADSL connection, the problem of the number of connections arise on the other hand quickly. To broadcast a web radio of good quality, your MP3 files must be encrypted in 128Kbps, but it corresponds to the maximum capacity in broadcast of traditional ADSL lines. Therefore, your web radio will be able to accommodate only one listener.

To circumvent this limitation, the Relay offer of OVH enables you to have a relay, which will multiply the capacity of your web radio up to 100 connections at the same time.

If you don’t want to create a web radio at home, our streaming offer in hosting enables you to up load you files on our servers and to broadcast directly your web radio from OVH.

Lastly, if you wish that your web radio can accommodate even more listeners or for particular uses, we propose the lease of a dedicated server having a very large bandwidth. This server has all the tools necessary for the creation of a pre-installed web radio and an administration interface to make the deployment of your web radio(s) easier.

To listen to your broadcasted flow, your listeners must have compatible software. For example:

• Windows: Winamp
• Linux: XMMS
• Mac: iTunes

To use this offer, you must already have a web radio. The relay offer of OVH enables to increase the capacity of your web radio by broadcasting again your flow with several listeners without any modifications. Our offer is compatible with Icecast (versions 1 & 2) and Shoutcast servers, you have to use therefore one of these technologies. From your manager, select the flow to relay, set your options and activate immediately you new relay.

To use this offer, you need:

• a high debit internet connection (ADSL/cable)
• a working streaming server
• to broadcast a MP3 content or OGG Vorbis

For an example of installation, please consult the following guide: StreamingShoutcastInstallation

Our offers:

• relay of 10 simultaneous connections
• relay of 20 simultaneous connections
• relay of 50 simultaneous connections
• relay of 100 simultaneous connections

Theses offers are not available yet

With this kind of offer, you do not need any advanced knowledges. Ovh is in charge of hosting and broadcasting of your content. You just have to upload your files on our servers, to configure your flow from your manager and you will be able to start immediately to broadcast your web radio.

Our servers dedicated to streaming are equipped with Intel 2Ghz processors and are installed under Linux Debian. Icecast & Shoutcast servers are pre-installed and will allow you to broadcast encrypted flows in MP3 and/or OGG Vorbis. Your server can also be used as a relay (use of bandwidth) and Jukebox (use of hosting and bandwidth). Thanks to the administration interface provided with the server, the installation and management of your web radio(s) is facilitate whatever the selected technology. Thanks to an extensible bandwidth up to 80 Mbps, your server will be able to accommodate up to 650 listeners at the same time (for a quality of 128Kbps)

The selection of the offer depends on the use of your radio you plan to do. If you already have a web radio and you wish to increase the number of simultaneous connections on your web radio, you can choose a Relay offer.

If you don’t have a web radio and you wish to start it up the quickest as possible while benefiting from the high availability of our web hostings, you may choose a Jukebox offer.

For your important projects (more than 100 simultaneous connections) and to benefit from a large guaranteed bandwidth, you can choose the lease of a streaming dedicated server.

For our Relay offers, you can order directly from our site

For our dedicated servers, we invite you to contact our sales support:

• by mail : customersupport@ovh.co.uk