en fr nl de
About Contact Charter News
all2all

Streaming media

Questions about publishing audio, video and live events from an all2all hosting account.

Questions

What are the current streaming options?

Streaming has not disappeared, but the technical landscape has changed. Older tools such as RealMedia, QuickTime streaming servers, PLS playlists or Flash/Red5 are now mostly obsolete.

Today, three approaches coexist.

Self-hosted streaming

Self-hosted streaming gives the most control and keeps the infrastructure under your responsibility. Typical open solutions include Icecast for audio, Nginx with HLS for video, Owncast, and HTML5 video playback from a website.

This fits projects that value independence, data control and direct website integration. It requires more preparation when many viewers are expected.

Federated services

PeerTube combines video publication, live streaming and ActivityPub federation. It can be a useful compromise for projects that want wider visibility without relying entirely on large centralised platforms.

Centralised platforms

YouTube Live, Twitch, Vimeo and podcast platforms offer fast setup and large audiences, but also dependency on proprietary rules, algorithms and data collection.

all2all generally favours self-hosted solutions, open standards and distributed architectures where appropriate. A hybrid approach is often practical: publish independently, then relay selected content elsewhere.

Can I publish video or audio files on my website?

Yes. Modern browsers can play common media formats directly from web pages.

For most sites, the simplest approach is embedding media in WordPress or linking to a media file from a page. Older metafile formats such as .ram, .m3u, .pls, .asx or .wax should only be kept for legacy archives.

Should I upload videos locally or use an external video platform?

It depends on file size, expected audience and project goals.

External platforms are easier when files are large, audience is high, automatic format conversion is needed or public discoverability matters.

Local hosting can make sense when files are limited, the project wants more control, the media is part of an archive, or the audience is moderate. For local video files, Recommended or Complete hosting is usually more appropriate than the smallest plan.

Can WordPress display videos?

Yes. WordPress can embed platform links, upload files to the media library, use video blocks or link directly to files stored on the hosting account.

For large libraries, do not upload everything into WordPress without planning storage, backup and performance. Contact support if local media hosting is central to the project.

Can all2all host video files locally?

Yes, within the limits of the selected hosting plan.

Video can consume significant disk space, bandwidth, backup capacity and browser loading time. Occasional videos or documentation material are usually fine; large public archives or high-traffic video publication should be reviewed before activation.

Can all2all provide live streaming or video conferencing?

Live events and video conferencing require preparation. Contact all2all before the event so we can evaluate the right setup.

For many small and medium projects, Nextcloud Talk is probably the simplest option to deploy and maintain. Larger systems such as BigBlueButton or Jitsi Meet are possible, but usually require a dedicated server or managed setup.

Depending on the needs, the solution may involve:

  • Nextcloud Talk
  • BigBlueButton or Jitsi Meet on dedicated infrastructure
  • a dedicated streaming setup
  • an external streaming platform
  • a hybrid setup with recordings published later

Useful details are expected participants or viewers, whether the event is interactive or broadcast-only, duration, recording needs and privacy restrictions.

For important public events, do not wait until the day of the event. Live streaming requires testing.

Order