What Is a “Music Server”?
SoundBridge is a networked music player. That is, it doesn’t store any music. It plays files that you have stored on a computer connected to your home network. (It can also play Internet radio without connecting to your computer, using a direct connection to the Internet.) To play the music files stored on your computer, SoundBridge need to receive data from software installed on the computer that “serves” the music. This “music server” is responsible for streaming the music to SoundBridge. It is also responsible for sending the list of music you have available to SoundBridge (when asked), and performing searches of the music library at SoundBridge’s request.
You probably already have a music server but perhaps didn’t realize it. For example, iTunes acts as a music server when it shares music to another iTunes user on the network. Microsoft has released its own music server, Windows Media Connect.
There is no standard for music servers. They are almost all different. One of the benefits of SoundBridge is that it supports all the common servers out there with an
The most common music servers are iTunes, Windows Media Connect, and Rhapsody. But there are others.
If you want to use a PlaysForSure music service, you must use Windows Media Connect. If you want to play AAC files, you must use iTunes. If you want to use the Rhapsody music service, you must use Rhapsody as your music server.
Note: For playing back Internet radio using SoundBridge’s “Radio Favorites” library, you don’t need a music server, because SoundBridge receives the radio stream direct from the Internet.
SoundBridge Has Two UI Modes
Each music server has different capabilities. To experience the full SoundBridge user interface, which includes searching and robust browsing modes, you must use iTunes or Windows Media Connect. The other servers don’t have the functionality required to deliver the full SoundBridge feature set. For example, you won’t be able to search, and the browse modes will vary by server.
4
