Ask Girl Geek: Adding Streaming Audio to a Website

Hi All,

I had to ask Julie, my Geek expert from TheDesignShoppe.com, this one.

"How do you add Streaming Audio to a website?"
Irene

Here's Julie's answer:
Hi Annette.
Here's some good info on how to do it:
May 29, 2005 UPDATE: I just tried Julie's recommendations and when I tried to save the audio file in the FREE verstion of Real Producer, I found that it wouldn't do it and I'd have to upgrade to the $199.99 version. I'll bet it used to be free and functional and now it's not. Happens alot.

Adding streaming RealAudio/RealVideo site content

All sites can support RealMedia (RealAudio and RealVideo) files via HTTP streaming. Also known as "pseudo-streaming," HTTP streaming provides virtually unlimited streaming of RealAudio and RealVideo files over HTTP. Follow these simple instructions to add streaming RealMedia content to your web page:

Step 1: Create/convert sounds using RealEncoder

Create a .rm file using RealProducer. RealProducer can be obtained (free) from the RealAudio web site - www.real.com :

Use the RealProducer wizard to record or convert existing content into RealMedia (.rm) format.

Step 2: Create a text file

Use a standard text editor such as Notepad, and create a .ram file. The file should contain the following (case-sensitive) HTML line:

http://www.yourdomain.com/yourfile.rm

Note: The URL above must include the "http://" characters. For example: http://www.yourdomain.com/ourfile.rm would be appropriate, whereas pnm://www.yourdomain.com/ourfile.rm would not be.

Upload the .rm and .ram files to your account. Assuming you named the .rm file "yourfile.rm", the .ram file should be named "yourfile.ram", and should be located in the same directory. Make sure to upload the .rm file in binary mode and the .ram file in ASCII mode.

Step 3: Link

Link the .ram file to any image or text you specify on your page. When a visitor clicks on this link, the RealPlayer program starts. Upon spawning the player, the RealPlayer program reads the location of the RealAudio/RealVideo .rm file from the .ram file. The player then accesses and plays the file as it is being downloaded, in real time.

For more information, please visit the RealAudio site www.real.com

Putting Sound on your Web Site

There are a number of different type of sound files that can be put on web pages. Three of the more common sound files are .wav, .mid or(.midi), and au. files. One advantage to using a midi file is that midi files are much smaller and therefore it takes less time to download them. Midi files can only contain background (instrumental) music. Both au. files and .wav can contain any type of sounds (eg.,
vocal, background). However, .au and .wav files are much larger than midi files so it typically takes longer to download these files.

Hope this helps!
Annette