Many home computer setups now include one or more servers. This is a predictable consequence of the prevalence of home networks and more than one computer. These servers are mostly media focused, which includes video, audio, and pictures. The home music server is the main subject here.
Server computers provide services to other computers over a network. They have been prominent in the business environment for some time. The first services offered were use of printers and disk space, though their scope has grown considerably recently. Home servers can provide similar services, but they have been mostly oriented around storage and retrieval of different kinds of media files.
A music server, or manager, provides services related to audio files. It provides a single place for collecting and archiving audio files of interest. It provides directory listings to client computers. It can retrieve audio files and send them to computers and other devices. Some of them can also burn audio files into CDs.
The right software can turn any computer that is network connected and that has enough available hard drive space into a music manager. Those that are constructed to be music servers will come with the required hardware and software. Other than the software, and rather large hard drives, they are similar to other consumer computers.
When another computer, referred to as a client, is connected to the network and given access to the manager, it will generally see the collection as stored on a network drive. Alternatively, the software may present the collection via web pages that it serves to the clients. Thus, it is very simple for it to retrieve and play any of the available audio files. There will be directory functions that make it possible to retrieve files by content name, album name, artist name, play list, and possibly other criteria.
Music players can access content by connecting to a client computer, or possibly to the manager. The presence of the manager should have minimal impact on the use of the player. It should treat files on the manager as if they are stored on the computer it is connected to.
Sound files can be played on a television, home theater, or audio system if one of the household computers is connected to it. If not, there are playback devices that can be connected and used for playback. Most of these are primarily intended for use with video, but they are capable of working with sound files as well.
Some may prefer not to bother with a home music server. Centralized storage is not the answer for everyone, but it seems to work well for many people. Life is simpler with a designated archive system that has lots of storage space, it makes it easier to find that song that you are craving.
Server computers provide services to other computers over a network. They have been prominent in the business environment for some time. The first services offered were use of printers and disk space, though their scope has grown considerably recently. Home servers can provide similar services, but they have been mostly oriented around storage and retrieval of different kinds of media files.
A music server, or manager, provides services related to audio files. It provides a single place for collecting and archiving audio files of interest. It provides directory listings to client computers. It can retrieve audio files and send them to computers and other devices. Some of them can also burn audio files into CDs.
The right software can turn any computer that is network connected and that has enough available hard drive space into a music manager. Those that are constructed to be music servers will come with the required hardware and software. Other than the software, and rather large hard drives, they are similar to other consumer computers.
When another computer, referred to as a client, is connected to the network and given access to the manager, it will generally see the collection as stored on a network drive. Alternatively, the software may present the collection via web pages that it serves to the clients. Thus, it is very simple for it to retrieve and play any of the available audio files. There will be directory functions that make it possible to retrieve files by content name, album name, artist name, play list, and possibly other criteria.
Music players can access content by connecting to a client computer, or possibly to the manager. The presence of the manager should have minimal impact on the use of the player. It should treat files on the manager as if they are stored on the computer it is connected to.
Sound files can be played on a television, home theater, or audio system if one of the household computers is connected to it. If not, there are playback devices that can be connected and used for playback. Most of these are primarily intended for use with video, but they are capable of working with sound files as well.
Some may prefer not to bother with a home music server. Centralized storage is not the answer for everyone, but it seems to work well for many people. Life is simpler with a designated archive system that has lots of storage space, it makes it easier to find that song that you are craving.
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