title: How is audio streamed using HTTP
body: <p>I am dealing with a legacy podcasting service and it seems like a good time to take advantage of HTML5 instead.  Our users access this service from our website, and it would be nice if these anonymous users have a seamless experience with our transition.  I am planning on using <a href="http://mediaelementjs.com/" rel="nofollow">Media Element</a>.</p>
  
  <p>I'm worried about what I don't know... seems like everything.  Is it ok to use this forum to ask for background information?</p>
  
  <p>It's not even clear about the definition of "Streaming Media".  Some people specifically use the term to refer to a live broadcast of non-persistent data. Our podcasting service uses static MP3 files.  So its significant value is coercing the client to "play" the data as it downloads.  What is the magic in the background that accomplishes this desired client behavior?</p>
  
  <p>I just noticed that Firefox now performs this magic automatically.  Why did it take 20 years to add this rather obvious feature?</p>
  
  <p>The biggest difference between streaming static data and traditional data transfer is the ability to seek:  If I combine 10 music tracks into a single playlist file (an album to my old-school thinking) then the user should be able to jump ahead to the last track without the intervening data.  This requires a request, issued midstream, that changes the original response.  These mechanics have nothing to do with HTML (as in HTML5).  I would guess that Flash, RealAudio, etc, must've created proprietary extensions to HTTP in addition to any proprietary codecs.  How can HTML5 standardize media streaming without a corresponding upgrade to the HTTP standard?</p>
  
  <p>I feel a little bit like Peter Higgs defining the properties of a hypothetical boson.  Obviously there are protocols to handle the requests/responses necessary to accomplish this form of streaming. But since I can't even confirm their existence, it seems speculative to ask questions about server operation.  Nevertheless, it seems like a leap of faith that an HTML5 compliant browser is somehow going to be compatible with my legacy server.</p>
  
  <p>Should be simple.  What am I missing?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks!
  Jim</p>