Scalable transcoding for streaming audio

A system for streaming information comprising:

• a call processor configured to initiate a set of connections between a first public switched telephone network (PSTN) breakout service and a set of machines,
• a first machine in the set of machines being a first virtual machine instantiated in a first cloud computing environment, the first PSTN breakout service being connected to a conference call;
• the first virtual machine including:
• a receiver configured to receive a digital data stream having been encoded according to a first encoding protocol;
• an audio encoder configured to encode, according to a second encoding protocol, the digital data stream to generate an encoded digital data stream;
• a transmitter configured to transmit the encoded digital data stream to a content delivery network (CDN),
• wherein the first virtual machine is configured to encode the digital data stream on the first virtual machine in response to receiving the digital data stream over one of the set of connections between the PSTN breakout service and the first virtual machine, and
• a transmitter configured to transmit the encoded digital data stream from the first virtual machine to the CDN, and
• a second virtual machine including:
• a receiver configured to receive the digital data stream having been encoded according to the first encoding protocol;
• an audio encoder configured to encode, according to a second encoding protocol, the digital data stream to generate a second encoded digital data stream, when an event affects a performance of the first virtual machine;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit the encoded data stream from the second virtual machine to the CDN,
• a session initiation protocol (SIP) application included in each of a respective one of the first and second virtual machines, which when implemented by the respective virtual machine, causes the respective virtual machine to receive and manage the digital data stream in the first encoding protocol.