Best way to let users upload and listen mp3 songs (not copyrighted) without my hosting exceeding monthly bandwidth limit?

February 6, 2008 8:28 AM

I need to let users submit their own mp3 songs (not copyrighted, self-authored), and let other users listen to them. Which is a cheap way to accomplish this?

The problem is that the bandwidth limit I can afford with my hosting provider is way much smaller than the one estimated I would need for this, so I'm asking here if you know some online service (free, or cheap) I could use by creating one account on that, and storing/retrieving the mp3s through some php code, using requests on my site, which end with the files phisically stored on that outside service.
I don't know if this exist.

Incidentally, could you suggest some piece of php code to handle uploading/listening mp3 songs (even if I implement that using just my hosting)?

Thanks

posted by lion to computers & internet (3 comments total)

I don't have any solutions in terms of hosting but Drupal handles MP3's quite well and will let all of your users have there own login/profile/etc.

Check out the Audio Module for Drupal. It comes with an embedded flash player so users can listen to the files right of of your site.
posted by jofuu at 8:45 AM on February 6

what kind of monthly data transfer requirements are you estimating? What is your budget?
posted by Good Brain at 9:04 AM on February 6

Just have them use a service like Odeo to upload their mp3s and place the embed code on each blog post, or however you are doing it. It depends on your CMS.

If Odeo doesn't work, there's a ton of alternatives out there, basically Youtubes but for audio only. Many let you create your own playlists as well.

In this way you don't have to worry about hosting or bandwidth, because all that is really at your site and being accessed is text.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 9:51 AM on February 6