I've been approached to set up an internet radio station that is focused on the local music scene in El Paso, TX. I've looked at various options, but it seems most solutions out there are for streaming pre-recorded audio. While I might need to fall back on this, I was wondering if anyone had done a similar project and might be able to point me in the right direction. I want to be able to do this in flash, since it seems to be more widely supported than just about any other option.
First, the Free option:
Remember that a Flash 'Video' (FLV) file can contain only audio.
FLV files are a 'progressive' format - you can start playing them before you've received the whole file.
FLV files can be 'progressively downloaded' via normal http.
The Open Source (GPL) Movino server does just this - it receives audio packets from some source and transcodes them into FLV format using FFMPEG; Flash players can then read this content live using a basic HTTP server.
Players are very easy to create using the excellent, free Haxe.
(There is a HaxeVideo program that might be worth investigating too.)
Now, the $$$ option:
Wowza, especially on Amazon's EC2 if you want to really scale!