Putting Streaming Audio and Music
on the Web
   

Assignment:  (Do after Class)

1. Download and install Windows Media Encoder. 

2. Practice using Windows Media Encoder to convert
some of your favorite MP3 files into streaming audio files.
Remember, you can select the quality and size of your
streaming audio files in Media Encoder.

3. Using the HTML code below, practice embedding some
of these streaming audio files into one of your webpages.

4. Go to one of your favorite streaming music pages on
the web and look at the source code for this page.  Can you
tell how they embedded audio files into their webpage?

1. Advanced Slide Show Javascript code paget

--Example of Picture Slide Show

2. See examples of Picture Slide Show with Music

1. Example of today's webpage with music
2. aliasshow.htm (Picture show without Music)
3. aliasshow2.htm
4. aliasshow3.htm
5. aliasshow4.htm

2. Use Windows Media Player to convert CD music files
to wave, mp3, or wma files

2.Windows Media Encoder to create streaming audio
      and video files.

2. Popular Audio and Video Players for the Web

1. Windows Media Player 8
   
2. RealPlayer 8
   
3. QuickTime 5
   
4. Macromedia Shockwave Player (includes Flash Player)
   
5. Winamp

3. Popular Audio Compression Software:

1. Media Cleaner Pro 5
   
2. QuickTime 5.0
   
3. CakeWalk Metro and Sonar Software
   
4. RealSystem Producer Plus
   
5. QuickTime Pro
   
6. Cool Edit 2000

4.  There are ways to reduce the size of an audio file so that
      it will download faster on the web:

1. Length of the audio clip.  You should keep the audio sample
   as short as possible.  Use just part of a song.

2. Number of channels.  A mono audio file requires half the
   disk space of a stereo file and is recommended for web audio.

3. Bit depth.  Audio files for the web are most often saved
   at 8-bit instead of 16-bit files.

4. Sampling rate.  Cutting the sampling rate in half will
   cut the file size in half.  Audio files that are voice-only
   can be reduced down to 8 Khz.  Music will sound
   acceptable at 22 Khz

5. Two audio formats for the web: Non-Streaming and Streaming

1. Nonstreaming Audio files must be downloaded from 
   a web server in their entirety before they can begin
   playing on your computer.

2. Streaming Audio files begin playing almost immediately
   as they are slowly downloaded  from the server.

3. See Shareware.com: Streaming Audio Tools
   

6. There are 8 common web audio formats

1. Wav

2. MP3

3. RealAudio

4. MIDI

5. AU

6. RMF

7. AIFF

8. Shn

7.  On CDs, the audio file is  a cda file.  You can convert long
     cda files to MP3 files, send them across the
      web, and then reconvert these files to Wav files and
      burn them on a CD.

8. You can't convert a normal CD music file into a
"wma" file. In order to convert a song on a CD to
a streaming audio file, first convert it into "MP3"
or "WAV" file and then use windows media encoder
to convert the file into a "wma" file.

8.  What is your favorite MP3 software?

1. MusicMatch Jukebox 6

2. Winamp.com

3. Sonique Media Player

4. Liquid Audio Player

9. Linking and Playing audio files on the web

1. A simple link:
   
   Play the Doors song
   
   <a href="doors.wma">Play the Doors song.</a>

2. Playing a song as a background song:
   
   a. Background sound plays just one
   
   Autostart=true
   Hidden=true
   Loop=false
   
   Code for this trick:
   
   <a href="audio5.htm">Background sound plays just one<br>
   </a><br>
   Autostart=true<br>
   Hidden=true<br>
   Loop=false<br>
   
   b. Background sound plays continuously
   
   Autostart=true
   Hidden=true
   Loop=true
   
   c. Background sound plays just twice
   
   Autostart=true
   Hidden=true
   Loop=2
   
      
   
3. Embedding a music file and play console on a webpage:
   
   1.Use Dreamweaver and select "Insert" and select "Media"
   and then select "Plugins.
   
   2. Select on the Sound object image and then
   select the properties and parameters of your sound
   file.
   
   3. Here are a set of properties and parameters for
   setting up your console and sound file:
   

CONTROLS=console

--Big console (160 x 60 pixels)

--Small console (145 x 15 pixels)

LOOP=true | false |  number

AUTOSTART= true | false

HIDDEN=true (hides console from view)

VOLUME=(0-100)

STARTTIME=minutes: seconds  (02.15 for 2 min. and 15 secs.)

ENDTIME=minutes: seconds (03.25 for 3 min. and 25 secs.)

4. Examples of Audio file links: Rocky Horror Sounds Links

1. TimeWarp MP3
   
   
   
2. Time Warp--Simple Link
   
   
3. Time Warp with small console
   
   
4. Time Warp with regular console
   
   Code for this trick:
   
   <embed src="timewarp.wma" width="144" height="40" pluginspage="timewarp.wma" controls="console" autostart="false" loop="false" align="absmiddle"></embed>
   Time Warp with regular console<br>
   
   
5. Time Warp saved for a
   computer running with a 28 k. modem.
   
   
6. Time Warp set to play first
   part of opening of the song: 0:00 -- 0:45 seconds.
   
   

5. See adding sound to pages using Mouseover

1. Use Behaviors window and select "Play Sound"
   
   
   
2. Now select behavior on Mouse up, down, over, out,
   or click or double-click
   
   
   
3. Be Careful using this trick. It needs to be precisely
   controlled
   
   
   
4. See Mouseover music example page
   
   
   
5. See Mouseover Music Example with console bars
   
   
   
6. See Mouseover Music Example without consoles
   
   

6. Sound recording using a microphone with Windows
Media Encoder

1. Testing sound file
   
   
   
2. Record simple voice recordings at lower resolution
   than complex musical recording.

7. The Place of Audio files in websites?

1. Music or MP3 sites
2. Background sounds
3. Special effects
4. Flash presentations
5. Recoded speeches
6. Live press conferences and audio performances.
7. Web radio
8. Internet Chats

• Launch.com
• Napster.com
• SonicNet.com
• Farmclub.com
• Listen.com
• Classical Archives
• CNN.com Audio
• SHOUTcast - HOME
• Streaming Audio and Video
• QuickTime--Streaming Audio and Video
• Shareware.com: Streaming Audio Tools

• RealNetworks.com
• RealAudio.com
• Real.com
• WindowsMediaPlayer
• Apple QuickTime Pro 5.0
• Liquid.com
• Free Midis And Wavs For Your Page