Top 5 Features your Media Streaming Host Should Have

There’s no doubt that streaming media online requires substantial resources, so choosing the right Web Host is vital. With the streaming market being worth billions, and growing rapidly, having a strong infrastructure is the key to success in what is now a highly-competitive industry.

Streaming media is the process of any multimedia content, video or audio, being transmitted over the Internet and played by the client in real-time. In essence, the user doesn’t need to download the file in order for it to play, as it’s sent in a continuous stream of data.

The landscape of media entertainment has changed drastically, with IPTV and audio streaming services gaining massive traction. With that being said, in this article we’ll break down the top 5 essential features your Media Streaming Host should have.

Choosing the right Media Streaming Host

The quality of your streaming service greatly depends on the server and network hosting the files, so here is what you need to consider.

Bandwidth Options

Streaming media consumes a significantly high amount of bandwidth, so it’s important that you check what options are available to you when deciding on a hosting provider. In most cases, bandwidth can be allocated as either metered or unmetered, and both should be considered depending on the amount of data you anticipate to transfer.

Metered bandwidth is a predetermined amount, and therefore the more economical option, unless you exceed the agreed upon amount. Whereas unmetered bandwidth, or unlimited bandwidth, is not measured so you don’t have to worry about overage fees. At NetShop ISP, we offer a range of bandwidth options to accommodate any streaming project.

High-performance Network   

The performance of your streaming platform will depend on the speed and reliability of your network. It’s important to opt for a hosting provider that guarantees your server will be operational under any circumstances with a comprehensive SLA. 

Our network has the capacity to rapidly deliver your content to a worldwide audience, with a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

Locations

Of course, the location of your server will directly affect streaming speed and quality. In order for your users to have a smooth experience with zero buffering, low latency is essential. Having servers in multiple global data centers, or utilizing a CDN, will enhance the delivery of your content and ultimately grow your viewer-base.

NetShop ISP has privately-owned data centers located in three different continents, designed for the effective delivery of content worldwide.

Storage

Media files, and video files in particular, are really large and contain a lot of data – thus they consume a lot of storage space. It’s important that your server has the right resources to correctly store huge amounts of data, with SSDs being the optimal choice to guarantee fast streaming speeds as well as efficient transcoding.

Support

Finally, it’s always recommended to opt for a hosting provider who understands the complexities of your project and is well-versed in media streaming. Having a support team available 24/7 will be greatly beneficial, as well as the option of Fully Managed services for complete peace of mind.

Host your Media Streaming Infrastructure at NetShop ISP

Our Media Streaming Hosting solutions are designed to accommodate even the most complex streaming project via purpose-built Satellite Colocation Infrastructure.  For more information on our solutions or to discuss your project, get in touch with our Specialists.