Looking for mp3 transcoding server

July 27, 2006 10:18 AM

Looking for a MP3 transcoder/server. My dream piece of software runs as an apache module or standalone http server. Clients request a resource, like http://server/content/filename.mp3, over normal HTTP, but the transcoder intercepts that request and streams the mp3 file at a set normalized bitrate and quality, transcoding if necessary, and only transcoding/serving the requested content. The resultant stream has to be compatible with shoutcast-style mp3 stream players (iTunes, Winamp, QuickTime.) Does it exist?

I know shoutcast has a transcoder, but it's geared towards playlists and not 'random access' http-type server applications. But I do want it to be like a radio, if someone hits stop in the middle of a file the server stops serving.

posted by neustile to computers & internet (6 comments total)

Not perfect but check out Slimserver

Web interface for playing back MP3's controlled remotely
posted by bitdamaged at 10:29 AM on July 27, 2006

I've got to ask, why the transcoding?

If you are transcoding up to a higher bitrate, this really won't help the quality of the file, and may even degrade it.

If you are encoding or transcoding down, why not just encode the file once, rather than whenever a user requests it?
posted by utsutsu at 10:52 AM on July 27, 2006

There used to be a really nice Mac app called MP3 Sushi. It was broken by 10.4, and all traces of it seem to have vanished. I think it did everything you want.

Doing a bit of looking around, I found muse, which seems like a pretty good option.

utsutsu—I can easily imagine wanting to rip at high bitrates for your own listening, and transcode on the fly for transmission over the Net. This would also save you from re-ripping once faster connections become the norm, and economizing on bandwidth becomes passé.
posted by adamrice at 11:21 AM on July 27, 2006

You've just described Apache::MP3 (well, except for the preset transcoding bit -- that is user selectable). Look for it CPAN...
posted by Arthur Dent at 11:45 AM on July 27, 2006

Ahh, thanks for the insight adamrice.
I guess the decision really depends on the amount of users you're expecting and how much stress the transcoding puts on the server.
posted by utsutsu at 11:56 AM on July 27, 2006

Thanks for all the help so far everyone. So far Apache::MP3 is winning, but I can't find the transcoding stuff that Arthur Dent says is user selectable? But last resort I can write my own transcoding plugin.

I really have to transcode on the fly rather than convert.
posted by neustile at 12:39 PM on July 27, 2006