diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 9d29bc18..55364d05 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 lib_LTLIBRARIES=libmist-1.0.la
-libmist_1_0_la_SOURCES=amf.h amf.cpp auth.h auth.cpp base64.h base64.cpp config.h config.cpp crypto.h crypto.cpp dtsc.h dtsc.cpp flv_tag.h flv_tag.cpp http_parser.h http_parser.cpp json.h json.cpp procs.h procs.cpp rtmpchunks.h rtmpchunks.cpp socket.h socket.cpp mp4.h mp4.cpp
+libmist_1_0_la_SOURCES=amf.h amf.cpp auth.h auth.cpp base64.h base64.cpp config.h config.cpp crypto.h crypto.cpp dtsc.h dtsc.cpp flv_tag.h flv_tag.cpp http_parser.h http_parser.cpp json.h json.cpp procs.h procs.cpp rtmpchunks.h rtmpchunks.cpp socket.h socket.cpp mp4.h mp4.cpp stream.h stream.cpp
 libmist_1_0_la_LIBADD=-lssl -lcrypto
 libmist_1_0_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:0:0
 
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ pkgconfigdir = $(libdir)/pkgconfig
 pkgconfig_DATA = mist-1.0.pc
 
 library_includedir=$(includedir)/mist-1.0/mist
-library_include_HEADERS = amf.h auth.h base64.h config.h crypto.h dtsc.h flv_tag.h http_parser.h json.h procs.h rtmpchunks.h socket.h mp4.h
+library_include_HEADERS = amf.h auth.h base64.h config.h crypto.h dtsc.h flv_tag.h http_parser.h json.h procs.h rtmpchunks.h socket.h mp4.h stream.h
diff --git a/lib/socket.cpp b/lib/socket.cpp
index 424460d4..55c60d5b 100644
--- a/lib/socket.cpp
+++ b/lib/socket.cpp
@@ -609,43 +609,3 @@ bool Socket::Server::connected() const{
 
 /// Returns internal socket number.
 int Socket::Server::getSocket(){return sock;}
-
-/// Connect to a stream on the system.
-/// Filters the streamname, removing invalid characters and
-/// converting all letters to lowercase.
-/// If a '?' character is found, everything following that character is deleted.
-Socket::Connection Socket::getStream(std::string streamname){
-  //strip anything that isn't a number, alpha or underscore
-  for (std::string::iterator i=streamname.end()-1; i>=streamname.begin(); --i){
-    if (*i == '?'){streamname.erase(i, streamname.end()); break;}
-    if (!isalpha(*i) && !isdigit(*i) && *i != '_'){
-      streamname.erase(i);
-    }else{
-      *i=tolower(*i);
-    }
-  }
-  return Socket::Connection("/tmp/mist/stream_"+streamname);
-}
-
-/// Create a stream on the system.
-/// Filters the streamname, removing invalid characters and
-/// converting all letters to lowercase.
-/// If a '?' character is found, everything following that character is deleted.
-/// If the /tmp/mist directory doesn't exist yet, this will create it.
-Socket::Server Socket::makeStream(std::string streamname){
-  //strip anything that isn't numbers, digits or underscores
-  for (std::string::iterator i=streamname.end()-1; i>=streamname.begin(); --i){
-    if (*i == '?'){streamname.erase(i, streamname.end()); break;}
-    if (!isalpha(*i) && !isdigit(*i) && *i != '_'){
-      streamname.erase(i);
-    }else{
-      *i=tolower(*i);
-    }
-  }
-  std::string loc = "/tmp/mist/stream_"+streamname;
-  //attempt to create the /tmp/mist directory if it doesn't exist already.
-  //ignore errors - we catch all problems in the Socket::Server creation already
-  mkdir("/tmp/mist", S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
-  //create and return the Socket::Server
-  return Socket::Server(loc);
-}
diff --git a/lib/socket.h b/lib/socket.h
index e4f2e69a..bef03fca 100644
--- a/lib/socket.h
+++ b/lib/socket.h
@@ -85,11 +85,5 @@ namespace Socket{
       void close(); ///< Close connection.
       int getSocket(); ///< Returns internal socket number.
   };
-
-  /// Connect to a stream on the system.
-  Connection getStream(std::string streamname);
-
-  /// Create a stream on the system.
-  Server makeStream(std::string streamname);
   
 };
diff --git a/lib/stream.cpp b/lib/stream.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e5072a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/stream.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/// \file stream.cpp
+/// Utilities for handling streams.
+
+#include "stream.h"
+#include "procs.h"
+#include "socket.h"
+
+/// Filters the streamname, removing invalid characters and converting all
+/// letters to lowercase. If a '?' character is found, everything following
+/// that character is deleted. The original string is modified.
+void Util::Stream::sanitizeName(std::string & streamname){
+  //strip anything that isn't numbers, digits or underscores
+  for (std::string::iterator i=streamname.end()-1; i>=streamname.begin(); --i){
+    if (*i == '?'){streamname.erase(i, streamname.end()); break;}
+    if (!isalpha(*i) && !isdigit(*i) && *i != '_'){
+      streamname.erase(i);
+    }else{
+      *i=tolower(*i);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+Socket::Connection Util::Stream::getLive(std::string streamname){
+  sanitizeName(streamname);
+  return Socket::Connection("/tmp/mist/stream_"+streamname);
+}
+
+/// Starts a process for the VoD stream.
+Socket::Connection Util::Stream::getVod(std::string streamname){
+  sanitizeName(streamname);
+  std::string filename = "/tmp/mist/vod_" + streamname;
+  /// \todo Is the name unique enough?
+  std::string name = "MistPlayer " + filename;
+  const char *argv[] = { "MistPlayer", filename.c_str(), NULL };
+  int fdin = -1, fdout = -1;
+  Util::Procs::StartPiped(name, (char **)argv, &fdin, &fdout, 0);
+  // if StartPiped fails then fdin and fdout will be unmodified (-1)
+  return Socket::Connection(fdin, fdout);
+}
+
+/// Probe for available streams. Currently first VoD, then Live.
+Socket::Connection Util::Stream::getStream(std::string streamname){
+  Socket::Connection vod = getVod(streamname);
+  if (vod.connected()){
+    return vod;
+  }
+  return getLive(streamname);
+}
+/// Create a stream on the system.
+/// Filters the streamname, removing invalid characters and
+/// converting all letters to lowercase.
+/// If a '?' character is found, everything following that character is deleted.
+/// If the /tmp/mist directory doesn't exist yet, this will create it.
+Socket::Server Util::Stream::makeLive(std::string streamname){
+  sanitizeName(streamname);
+  std::string loc = "/tmp/mist/stream_"+streamname;
+  //attempt to create the /tmp/mist directory if it doesn't exist already.
+  //ignore errors - we catch all problems in the Socket::Server creation already
+  mkdir("/tmp/mist", S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
+  //create and return the Socket::Server
+  return Socket::Server(loc);
+}
diff --git a/lib/stream.h b/lib/stream.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e970c848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/stream.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/// \file stream.h
+/// Utilities for handling streams.
+
+#pragma once
+#include <string>
+#include <mist/socket.h>
+
+namespace Util{
+  class Stream{
+    /// Sanitize a streamname.
+    void sanitizeName(std::string & streamname);
+  public:
+    /// Get a connection to a Live stream.
+    static Socket::Connection getLive(std::string streamname);
+    /// Get a connection to a VoD stream.
+    static Socket::Connection getVod(std::string streamname);
+    /// Probe for available streams. Currently first VoD, then Live.
+    static Socket::Connection getStream(std::string streamname);
+
+    /// Create a Live stream on the system.
+    static Socket::Server makeLive(std::string streamname);
+  };
+}