Media Server Software: What Is It and What Role Does It Play In Streaming?

Looking for a way to stream video to an audience? You may have come across the term “media server.” Whether you want to live stream sporting events, build a library of on-demand training videos for your business, or stream entertainment programming to a large audience, you’ll need a media server or a streaming partner that provides one.

 

What Is a Media Server?

A media server is a computer system that stores multimedia content (videos, music, audio, and photos) and provides it to other devices, known as clients, over a network. Imagine it as a virtual library for your media files, where you can access them from different devices like a computer, phone, or TV without physically downloading anything.

Some key features of a media server include:

• Storage and organization of media files
• Support for different media formats
• Streaming to multiple devices
• Remote access to content

The media server has two components: the physical host/server where the media files are located and the software application used to access them. Media server software provides an interface that allows users to search for, edit, and process media files without complex technical knowledge.

 

FAQ: Can I use my PC as a media server?

The server could be anything from a PC or laptop to a gaming console or a dedicated computing device like a Raspberry Pi. These configurations are more common for personal use. In a business setting, companies often outsource media server management to another company specializing in this type of infrastructure. PCs may struggle with the demands of high-performance media streaming due to limited processing power, storage limits, and network capacity. Using a PC as a media server in high-demand video streaming situations can lead to buffering and latency. PCs are appropriate for small businesses, in-house networks, and occasional low-demand streaming.

 

FAQ: Does a media server need the internet?

That depends on how it’s hosted. If the media server software is installed on-premises and deployed from a company’s local server, it does not technically require the internet to manage. However, this only makes sense if you want to limit access to employees working in an office. An internet connection will be required to share video content with a larger audience (anyone outside your local network). Luckily, media servers can be set up in many ways to suit your organization’s needs. Learn more about cloud, on-premises, and hybrid video deployment models.

 

How Does Media Server Software Work?

There are three steps for streaming videos with media server software: ingest, processing, and delivery.

 

Step 1: Ingest

During ingest, the media server receives a file (live stream or pre-recorded) from a source, such as a camera, mobile device, microphone, computer, or encoder. Media servers use protocols like Adobe RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) and WebRTC to transfer this content from the source to the server in real time.

 

Step 2: Processing

Processing is the most complicated step a media server enables. Once the media file reaches the server through ingest, it must be prepared for delivery through processes like transcoding and transmuxing.

• Transcoding, transsizing, and transrating: Transcoding converts the media into different formats and bitrates. The transcoding process involves transsizing, where the resolution of the video is reduced or changed, and transrating, which adjusts a the video bitrate. Transsizing and transrating create versions for different devices and connection speeds. These versions can then be delivered using adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR), allowing the media server to adjust the stream quality automatically based on the viewer’s connection speed.
• Transmuxing: Transmuxing changes the format of how media data is packaged. For example, the server might transmux a file from one protocol for ingest to another for delivery to ensure compatibility with different playback devices.

 

Step 3: Delivery

When a viewer requests a video file, the media server sends the transcoded and transmuxed (as needed) file in small data packets to the viewer’s device, often via a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN uses geographically distributed servers to minimize latency and ensure fast delivery. The server closest to the viewer initiates the stream, and the playback device then decodes and shows the video file in the browser or application where it was requested. 

Thanks to transcoding and transmuxing, the media server can deliver the right format, resolution, and bitrate based on the viewer’s device and network conditions.

 

FAQ: What is the difference between a media server and a file server?

A media server recognizes, processes, and streams multimedia content. It uses streaming protocols and processing to send media in small chunks, allowing for smooth, real-time playback without downloading the file to the client device. A file server is more of an archive or repository that stores files and provides access to them via download. It uses basic transfer protocols to send files from the server to the client, typically requiring users to download the entire file before it can be opened or viewed.

 

The Role of Media Servers in Video Streaming

Wondering when a business might need a media server? Here are a few common uses of media server software:

• Live streaming: Media servers help businesses that want to live stream events like webinars, concerts, sporting events, conferences, or religious services to an audience in real time. In these situations, the fast processing that media server software enables is critical to ensure ultra-low latency.
• Video on demand (VOD): Companies with a library of pre-recorded videos may also need a media server to handle VOD requests and make content accessible anytime. For example, a company may have a vast library of employee training or client onboarding videos to share with the organization continuously.
• Large-scale broadcasting: Perhaps the most obvious case for media servers is broadcasting to a large audience of thousands or even millions of viewers. Media servers handle the complexity of large-scale streaming without compromising quality.

No matter what kind of video content a business streams or to whom, a media server provides greater reliability, scalability, and security — not to mention a better user experience — compared to file servers, basic cloud storage, or generic video-sharing platforms.

 

Reasons You Need a Streaming Media Server

Want to dive deeper into the benefits of using a media server for your business’s video content? Check out this post that covers the top reasons for investing in a media server for your business.