Syndicated programming

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

If you have created and licensed digital media content, you can use Windows Media Services to create syndicated programming, which you can then sell to content providers. You can use live or prerecorded content for your syndicated program, but it must be encoded in a supported streaming format. You can also organize your content by using a playlist. Playlists enable you to set policies that control how the content is played and ensure that content providers comply with the terms of your licensing agreement.

When implementing this scenario, consider the following:

  • Encoding content is a processor–intensive activity. A stable, high–quality streaming system normally has computers dedicated to encoding content to Windows Media Format. If you plan to encode live content, the encoding computer must have the appropriate audio or video capture cards.

  • Create a playlist from your content on the Windows Media server. You can organize your content sequentially in the playlist or create an "online jukebox" from which users can choose available content. You can intersperse advertisements in the playlist that are set to play according to events that you specify. For example, an advertisement could play after five songs, when a user clicks a certain area in the content, or after 10 minutes. For more information about scripting events, see the Windows Media Services SDK.

  • Distribute your content by setting up a broadcast publishing point that content providers can use to redistribute your content.