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Topic: What's the Best Route for Streaming? (Read 1209 times) previous topic - next topic
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What's the Best Route for Streaming?

I'd like to know where you all sit regarding keeping file size low and having not terrible quality. I know 24kbs is low but follow me here.

I'm trying to use what Spotify uses as a guideline.

https://support.spotify.com/us/article/high-quality-streaming/

24kbs
96kbs
160kbs
320kbs

I've tried ogg and it seems good but is there a way to make the higher 160, 320kbs lower in file size. I'm doing something with streaming music files to developing countries and how that would work out.

Any help is appreciated.

Re: What's the Best Route for Streaming?

Reply #1 –
The bitrate will determine the size as it literally refers to the number of kilobits of data required for one second of audio. Newer codecs can do better in terms of quality/bitrate hence smaller files / less bandwidth... but, older codecs are more widely compatible.
(This may or may not be an issue, but just yesterday I saw someone complain that even AAC wasn't as well supported as they like!)

The two contenders for low bandwidth streaming at present are Opus, and xHE-AAC  -- you can read about both on this forum including listening tests. Many of the pros and cons are not necessarily quality related.

However two issues spring to mind when you mention streaming to "developing countries": Infrastructure, and your target audience aka "users":

Some developing countries have cities with quite adequate modern infrastructure hence adequate bandwidth, but maybe the users don't have such modern devices (so may not be compatible), or aren't on a data-plan that can take advantage of it... Of course, in other places bandwidth may be limited, traffic shaped, or affected by unpredictable packet loss or high-latency,  or otherwise be unreliable.

You can get around some of these issues if you can get users to install your App (but development could be expensive and presents other hurdles), or by offering multiple streams if appropriate. The technologies you choose for actually streaming data e.g. DASH / HLS or the older model used by Shoutcast / Icecast may also influence your choice... so really I'd suggest good market research of your target audience, and boots on the ground for real world testing.

Oh and don't forget to consider things like performing rights licensing and royalties depending on where you're operating.
 
 

Re: What's the Best Route for Streaming?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: lozenge on
The bitrate will determine the size as it literally refers to the number of kilobits of data required for one second of audio. Newer codecs can do better in terms of quality/bitrate hence smaller files / less bandwidth... but, older codecs are more widely compatible.
(This may or may not be an issue, but just yesterday I saw someone complain that even AAC wasn't as well supported as they like!)

The two contenders for low bandwidth streaming at present are Opus, and xHE-AAC  -- you can read about both on this forum including listening tests. Many of the pros and cons are not necessarily quality related.

However two issues spring to mind when you mention streaming to "developing countries": Infrastructure, and your target audience aka "users":

Some developing countries have cities with quite adequate modern infrastructure hence adequate bandwidth, but maybe the users don't have such modern devices (so may not be compatible), or aren't on a data-plan that can take advantage of it... Of course, in other places bandwidth may be limited, traffic shaped, or affected by unpredictable packet loss or high-latency,  or otherwise be unreliable.

You can get around some of these issues if you can get users to install your App (but development could be expensive and presents other hurdles), or by offering multiple streams if appropriate. The technologies you choose for actually streaming data e.g. DASH / HLS or the older model used by Shoutcast / Icecast may also influence your choice... so really I'd suggest good market research of your target audience, and boots on the ground for real world testing.

Oh and don't forget to consider things like performing rights licensing and royalties depending on where you're operating.
 

I found the wiki and have been playing around with opus and people are like wow a file that's just 64kbs and sounds like a file 8x the size. Opus os good and even 24kbs is "enough" for developing countries because I doubt they'd care that it doesn't sound great.

I plan to operate in a country that doesn't have copyright.