Icecast Streaming Media Server

[jmeyer@digitalblacksmiths]

Hello. I've noticed when I open the mp3 file in firefox, it will download the entire file and save it.

I had thought icecast would be a way for me to stream the audio without making it easy for the regular person to download it.

We want to make the audio streams available for sale on CD, so having them able to download an MP3 really defeats the purpose.

Is there something i'm missing?

Thanks in advance,

James

[karlH]

The only difference between downloading and streaming is timing. The files in webroot are not streamed as that would require parsing them for the timing so they are regulated via the sending connection to the player. You can still apply listener authentication to the m3u or webroot files though.

karl.

[jmeyer@digitalblacksmiths]

Firstly, thank you for the quick response.

We want everyone to be able to hear the streams, so authentication is out.

So, there is no way to stop them from simply downloading the mp3 files except for hoping they don't have the technical know how to do it?

[uphid]

I've built a streamer in ASP.Net (VB), if it will be of help to you.

Just as background, there is no "real" security in regard to streaming. Anyone determined can "rip" the stream, if they are technically inclined.

However, I use the streaming scripts, as they prevent "direct" downloading. It also causes the obvious things, like the 'Save As' in Windows Media Player to become disabled (it's actually the content-length that causes this).

I don't know if you are using IIS; but if you are, I'm willing to share the code.

[karlH]

Usually people will use user agent as a filter for such things, and the only way currently with icecast is via the url authenicator (and no a user/pass isn't required). A regulated by time download could be used to limit this sort of thing but it doesn't really stop downloading.

karl.

[jmeyer@digitalblacksmiths]

uphid:
Thank you for the offer but I am using a LAMP server. I have a 2003 server up with media services that will do streaming with the security functions, but i'm doing this for my church (we want to stream sermons), and don't want them to have to pay the licensing fees for having a 2003 server up, and i can't give them the service free without violating my license.

karlH:
Sorry to be newbieish, but where do i find information about url authenticator? Is this an icecast function/config, or a server function/config?

Thank you both,

James

[jmeyer@digitalblacksmiths]

Found the info, but its very vague and I think assumes a rather prolific understanding off php and/or http protocols.

I am a rather avid php programmer, but have never run across what this is requiring. I can find the user-agent, and do logic to decide if i want to allow or not, but how do i pass that back to icecast?

Thanks again,

James

[karlH]

The url authenticator is an interface between an icecast <mount> and an external listener authentication system. This way policy for selection can be varied.

First thing to undserstand about the url authenticator is that the backend can be anything, it doesn't have to be php. The second thing is that the information is passed via POST (check the http spec). All the auth script has to do is pass back a http response header 'icecast-auth-user: 1' (can be overridden) if that listener has passed the test. Other headers can also be passed back for logging or for specifying a time limit (eg limited guest accounts).

karl.

[uphid]

Just a thought for you...

I don't code in PHP; but the stuff that I'm doing isn't all that special. There isn't any reason that it couldn't be adapted to PHP.

Maybe I will give it a shot myself. PHP is one of the few popular languages that I haven't used yet.