# streaming ogg vorbis **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266 "2003-02-24T22:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/1 "2003-02-24T22:43:00Z")
I asked this question already over at Ars, but you people are nicer. Anyway, is there any way to stream ogg vorbis files without setting up special server software/modules? Specifically, I’m thinking of something like RA’s .ram metafiles. I’ve found instructions for various methods on the web, but they all seem to require me to set up a server. Which I don’t wanna do. Or, more accurately, my host won’t do for me, or let me attempt myself without buying a dedicated box. I want to use ogg because I’ll get better sound at lower bitrates than mp3, and real audio sucks the dog. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/2 "2003-02-24T23:20:52Z")
If you just upload a .ogg file, I believe people should be able to listen to it while it downloads. It all depends on how their player is setup. In Winamp you’d use Open Location…(ctrl+l) to start streaming instead of downloading the file. Perhaps you could use a .m3u playlist to invoke winamp with streaming as the default? Props for using a kickass audio format like OggVorbis. I hope you can work it out. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/3 "2003-02-24T23:40:05Z")
It’s called [“bit-peeling.”](http://www.vorbis.com/ot/20021201.html) I think this capability will be included with the next Ogg-Vorbis file format update. The software to take advantage of this feature probably hasn’t been written yet. > [@](#): > > Bitrate peeling is not actually implemented yet. A proof-of-concept tool exists, but it doesn’t produce sufficiently satisfactory results on version 1.0 encoded Ogg Vorbis files. To work satisfactorily, bitrate peeling requires support on the encoder side, which takes time to write, and Monty hasn’t had time to do that yet. Oh yeah. Ogg Vorbis rocks. Whoo! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/4 "2003-02-25T02:11:54Z")
I predict thread lockdown in: 3… 2… 1… (Just checking to see if the mods are at least consistent.) ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/5 "2003-02-25T02:15:26Z")
Why would they lock this thread? I see nothing that pertains to streaming material the poster does not have rights to. How do we know he isn’t in a band and wants to stream the music of his band? ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/6 "2003-02-25T02:31:34Z")
Bit peeling doesn’t relate to this. Bit peeling is just a way to produce on-demand low bitrate versions of a high bitrate stream without needing to reencode. If you wish, you can ask the experts themselves anything you want about the wonderfull world of OggVorbis using your favorite IRC client. Fire it up, connect to [irc.xiph.org](http://irc.xiph.org), and join the #vorbis channel. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/7 "2003-02-25T17:47:38Z")
Thanks for the replies… FTR, I run the site for the most popular local (and possibly regional) punk zine in my area. We’re currently contemplating doing some kind of streaming, canned “radio show” of local bands, _with the express permission of the artists_. If the Fearless Moderators determine that this discussion falls within the scope of verboten topics, I understand, and I won’t bitch and moan if you lock it. I’m gonna give the .m3u method a shot. I am, however, having trouble encoding the files at really low bitrate, through both Grip and the CLI. In the latter, I’ve tried: $ oggenc -M24 song\*.wav and $ oggenc --resample 22050 -M25 song\*.wav …and both are giving me “invalid parameters for bitrate” errors. I tried the resampling because I read somewhere on the ogg mailing lists that the encoder has trouble doing really low bitrates when the input is sampled at 44.1khz. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong? **FDISK** : Kickass format indeed. I’ve discovered that the effective “good enough” bitrate in ogg is ~64kbs, or half that of empeethrees. Sweet. I’ll try #vorbis when I’m not at work. Thanks again, y’all. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/8 "2003-02-25T21:44:24Z")
^ ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/9 "2003-02-25T23:29:15Z")
I believe that the -b bitrate function is required. Use -b (averagebitrate) and THEN -M max-bitrate. Try that, see if it works. You may also want to use --downmix to downmix to mono for low bitrate streams. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/10 "2003-02-26T22:43:31Z")
Hi five! $ oggenc --managed --downmix --resample 32000 -b24 -m28 \*wav Thanks, FDISK! ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-ogg-vorbis/157266/11 "2003-02-26T23:01:23Z")
I’ve never heard of an Ogg-Vorbis file before, but I like the name.