How Can I Make Sure My Audio Works On Slow Connections?

This is a common question quite a few people has asked me. Its all about getting a good balance between sound quality and file compression. Jay Jennings, the creator of Sonic Memo has written an article about this subjuct, you can read the full article by clicking on the link below.
The Secret to Streaming MP3 Files That Even Dial-Up Users Can Hear

Which program do you recommend for Mac users?

There is not a great choice for Mac users but one of the best web audio programs on the market in Sonic Memo which work on Macs and PCs.
The other option you have is to use a subscription service like AudioGenerator. With this there is no program to download, all you need to do is paste some html code into your web page, the audio files are stored on the AudioGenerator server.
If you are interested in trying out Sonic Memo but don't want to spent $97, Jay Jennings the creator of Sonic Memo is offering a lite version for a limited time only. To get your free copy of Sonic Memo Lite click here.

How can I make my web audio playable and downloadable?

In the previous post I talked about stopping visitors from downloading your audio.

But what if you want them to be able to download your audio as well as letting them click on a button to play your audio on line?

If you want to offer your visitors both methods you need to be a bit selective with the web audio software you choose. Some software creates audio buttons with the audio embedded in to Flash file (.swf) and others create the buttons in the Flash file and use a separate mp3 file for the audio.

If your web audio software uses a separate mp3 and you want the audio to be downloadable, simply create a link to the mp3 file and instruct your visitors to right click and "save target as".

If your software does not use a separate mp3 file you will need to upload an additional mp3 file to link to.

Web audio software packages that do not embed the mp3 in the Flash (.swf) are
Total Web Audio
Impact Web Audio
Webmaster Media Maker
Sonic Memo (mac compatible)

If you want to prevent visitors downloading your mp3, use one of the following programs which embeds the audio with the Flash file or use a javascript as in the previous post.
Flash Audio Wizard
Web Audio Plus

Please note that all programs with the exception of Sonic Memo work on Windows PCs only

How To Prevent Your Audio Being Downloaded

A quick and easy way to make it difficult for people to download your audio is to use javascript. Some of the audio programs reviewed on WebsiteAudioReviews have this build in (Total Web Audio, Impact Web Audio and Sonic Memo) If you have a program that does not use javascript you can use Fast Object Fix which is a free program that can create the javascript for you.

How Quickly Does Audio Load?

Load times depend on the type of file and the connection speed of your web site visitor.
If you use .wav files for audio the file will have to be downloaded completely before it will play. If the visitor is using a 56k modem this could take 3 or 4 minutes to downlaod a 1 minute audio file. Wav files are about 10mb per minute.
If you use mp3 or flash files they are compressed by around 10 to 1 so they are around 1mb per minute. These files also stream so they don't need to be downloaded completely before they play. The files are downloaded in sections into a buffer so once the first section has been download it will start to play. This is normally just a few seconds depending on the connection speed. mp3 files require an external play like Windows Media Player and Flash files require a browser plugin.