Q: What is the difference between “hosting” and “posting” a media file?

When media, such as a video or audio, appears on a web page, there are two necessary elements that allow it to play: one is the text on the screen, known as a hyperlink, (or an image--more on that below), and the other is the fact that there is a media file on a server somewhere that the text is linked to. The hyperlink (commonly referred to simply as the link) is posted on a webpage; the media file is hosted on the server. Sometimes, in place of a link, a “player” is embedded on the web page (sometimes this is referred to as an “embed code”), which appears to play to media file directly on the page. However, the media file itself is still hosted on (and plays from) a remote server.