The web today is all about content, and Web 2.0 has pushed tons of user-generated content to the front stage, simultaneously opening many new possibilities for web technology. Whether you want your site to be the next YouTube, or simply want to embed and stream some simple recordings or videos, there is a free media streaming software available for you. Check out some of the best options available.

Music

• XSPF Web Music Player - This is, in my opinion, the best option out there for free streaming music players. There is a slim and an extended option available. The slim version simply plays whatever song is loaded into the player. The player accepts playlists, which are xspf files. They adhere to a specific format, but are easily generated statically or dynamically. The player displays text in both versions and album covers in the extended version. The player accepts many custom parameters through the url.
  • Download: XSPF Web Music Player
  • Documentation: XSPF Web Music Player

• e-Phonic MP3 Player - The main advantage to this player is that it is skinnable. It can load single files as well as XML playlists. The player can be controlled by JavaScript, which I find to be a pretty cool feature. They also offer some visualization effects for eye candy. The downfall with this player is it shows text for 3 seconds that says "unregistered." I don't mind the link back to their website, but I don't like the 3 second text annoyance. If you can get past the "unregistered" text, this is a good choice.
  • Download: e-Phonic MP3 Player
  • Documentation: e-Phonic MP3 Player

• Flash MP3 Player - The main advantage to this player is that the player saves the song position as a user views different pages or refreshes the current page they are on. The player doesn't reload the same song with every page change. That is pretty awesome in my book. It also has all the basic controls and is easy to get up and running. It automatically creates playlists by scanning the directory and loading MP3's and their ID3 tag information. It also offers a customizable design.
  • Download: Flash MP3 Player
  • Documentation: Flash MP3 Player

Video

• Flowplayer - This video player offers a long list of customizable features that can be configured through JavaScript code. It has a very nice design, and colors can be changed to match your site. It boasts a long list of features like, "Progressive downloading, server side streaming, long play features, playlists, hardware accelerated fullscreen mode" (Flowplayer). Overall, it is nice to look at, easy to use, and easy to implement.
  • Download: Flowplayer
  • Documentation: Flowplayer

• JW FLV Media Player - This media player offers media streaming for noncommercial use. Music and video streaming are available with many of the major formats recognized. The player accepts single files and playlists, a skinnable interface, JavaScript API for player control, a large array of customizable settings. This player is a little harder to understand at first than the previous two, but the website offers many wizards, examples, and tutorials to get you streaming in no time.
  • Download: JW FLV Media Player
  • Documentation: JW FLV Media Player

• Sothink FLV Player - This video player includes features like fullscreen mode, auto-resizing to fit video player to video size, and free-form video player resizing. One of the more intersting features is its ability to understand drag-and-drop FLV files from your local drive, as well as loading a file through the URL. It is easy to use and easy to implement.
  • Download: Sothink FLV Player
  • Documentation: Sothink FLV Player

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Do you use something different to stream media from your website? Let us know in the comments if you know of something else that is worth looking into.

There isn't a lot that needs to be said about this video i found on GodTube.com. This is well worth the 5:30 it takes to watch!