Orb | Audio Streaming | Audio Streaming Guide
Audio Streaming Guide
Digital music has made a near limitless supply of music easy to access. Unfortunately, you don’t always get the best sound possible if you’re forced to listen to your music through the speakers of your desktop or laptop.
The solution can be a well-optimized streaming setup that comes with an audio streaming guide that’s easy enough for even the most technologically challenged to understand. A great streaming setup, like the wireless music streaming system Orb MP-1, will give you phenomenal audio from every room in your house.
Understanding Streaming Audio
An audio streaming guide isn’t going to be much use to you if you don’t know what streaming audio is.
The simplest explanation is as follows: Audio streaming is one way that an audio signal is delivered to your computer for your listening enjoyment over the Internet.
Music that is streamed is different from traditional music in that it’s not necessary to completely download the file before listening to the tunes. With streamed music you no longer need to completely install a .wav or .au audio file before you can enjoy it.
Streamed music works this way.
- You choose the music you want to listen to from a library or the live music radio station of your choice.
- The data begins to be buffered to your computer as soon as you click on the appropriate link. The length of time this takes can vary depending on how fast your computer is and the bandwidth provided by your Internet Service Provider.
- You hear the music.
Usually within seconds enough data will be downloaded for you to begin to listen to the audio file. As you listen, more data arrives in a process referred to as streaming. As long as your Internet connection isn’t interrupted, you’ll have a constant stream of data allowing you to hear non-stop music.
The process of streaming music has been compared to pouring water into a pail with a hole in it.
In this analogy the water represents the data and the pail is the buffer and the hole is your computer and speakers. If there’s a constant stream of water (data), the water in the pail (buffer) won’t run out and you’ll experience a constant drip (the ability to hear your audio files).
If the pail (buffer) becomes empty, you’ll no longer be able to enjoy your streamed music. When this happens, you’ll get broken up audio and re-buffering messages.
Where to Get Streamed Music
There are a variety of online streaming music providers that are easy to use and don’t require a complicated audio streaming guide to learn to access.
Some offer a library of music like Napster, Grooveshark, Pandora and Rhapsody. Others provide continuous music streams like traditional radio. Websites that provide this service include iTunes and Sirius.
To access a library of music or live radio stream, just follow the basic instructions when you visit the site of your choice.
Audio Streaming Guide: From Computer to Stereo
Most would agree that computer speakers don’t make audio files sound very good. That’s why wireless music streaming systems are becoming more popular. There is a variety of these types of systems on the market, and they all work by connecting your computer to your stereo over the Internet.
One system, the Orb MP-1, can have you listening to streamed music from your stereo system in ten minutes. All you need to do is install the free software, upload the free app and connect the Orb devices to the speakers of your choice throughout your home.