The ElementaryDesign HTTP Streaming HowTo

Resources

Extractors

CDex - Open source CD-ripper and audio encoder (Windows)
CDR Tools Front End - Nice interface for the CDR Tools ripping and burning suite, which includes the excellent cdda2wav application (Windows)
Exact Audio Copy - Not the easiest to install or use, but a highly respected extractor that can be configured to convert files directly to mp3 via the Lame Encoding Engine (Windows)
Grip - One of the nicer interfaces for the cdparanoia application which, though presently on hiatus while its developers work on their other major project (Ogg Vorbis), is as respected as any audio extraction software (Linux)

Encoders

See Audio Extractors (above) for a description of CDex, Exact Audio Copy, and Grip
RealNetworks Helix Producer - Free encoder that converts .wav files to RealAudio (Windows)
Windows Media Encoder - Courtesy of Microsoft
QuickTime Pro - At $29.99, it's the only cash outlay piece of software listed here. Necessary for encoding files for the excellent, non-cash outlay, multi-Operating System QuickTime Player

How to Create Metafiles

RealAudio .ram metafiles
m3u metafiles for mp3 and Ogg Vorbis
.wax metafiles for Windows Media

Players

RealNetworks RealOne Player - Look for link to Free RealOne Player (Windows and Mac)
WinAmp - The market-leading media player (Windows)
Zinf - Open source, WinAmp workalike (Windows and Linux)
foobar2000 - Open source, well-liked little program (Windows)
XMMS - Open source, WinAmp workalike (Linux)
JOrbis Player - a pure Java Ogg Vorbis player (all Operating Systems that support Java)
iTunes (Mac) and Quicktime Player (OS 8.6/9, OS X, and Windows) - Courtesy of Apple
Windows Media Player - Courtesy of Microsoft (Windows, MacOS 9, and MacOS X)

Hosting Plans

Aside from its outstanding reliability and excellent customer service, I like VerveHosting because all accounts include access to a secure server and shopping cart software. I also think it's pretty neat that Verve's sysadmin runs cool sites like Christine's Genealogy Website and The Women's Basketball Server.

If storage or bandwidth becomes an issue it may be worth considering another host, such as the well respected tera-byte. Tera-byte's Unix 4U plan includes 200MB storage and 20GB/month transfer with a $99/annual contract, though tera-byte charges $160/year for a secure server certificate and shopping carts are not included (individual users are allowed to install their own).

For more information on VerveHosting, Tera-byte, and other hosts (there are hundreds of alternatives), visit the WebHosting Talk Forums.

Server-side Software

Helix Universal Server - RealAudio's commercial server (a basic, free version is available).
SHOUTcast - Nullsoft's free Winamp-based streaming audio system.
Icecast - Open source software that streams music in the Ogg Vorbis format.
Windows Media Streaming Server - It's Microsoft's world, we just live in it.
QuickTime Streaming Server - Apple makes this available license-free (developed as the open source Darwin Streaming Server).
Netjuke - Open source, audio streaming jukebox that supports RealAudio, mp3, Ogg Vorbis, and Window Media.
RadioToolBox Streaming Host Providers - a list of companies that offer server space which includes installations of one or more of the above solutions.

Other Resources

Audio and Apache HTTPD - Sander van Zoest's superb introduction to serving audio on the net, first delivered at ApacheCon 2002
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS - mp3 inventors and patent-holders
Ogg Vorbis Official Site - Open, free audio
Audacity - Open source multitrack audio editor and recorder (Linux, MacOS, and Windows)
Just Great Software - where you can find my favorite text editor, EditPad Lite
Mozilla - an open-source web browser, designed for standards compliance, performance and portability. Already the best and getting better with each new release.