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Like video files, audio-only
files can also be inserted and embedded into Web pages.
Audio files (depending
on the type) also take some time to download, but not nearly as
much as video files.
Also like video files,
newer browsers can play some types of audio files directly; older
browsers can play them using plug-ins or separate programs.
There are several different
audio file formats that are currently used as “standards”
on the Internet. Most of these can be directly played by the latest
browsers, but, as usual, each has its good and bad points.
Common Audio File Formats:
- .WAV = Sound
WAVE (Windows format standard)
- .AU = Sun
Microsystems AUdio File (Mac/Sun based)
- .MID = Musical
Instrument Digital Interface (Open)
- .MP3 = Layer
3 MPEG (Open)
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FORMAT
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ADVANTAGES
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DISADVANTAGES
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| WAV |
Good to superb
sound depending on recording options, widely supported
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Best recording
options create largest sound files.
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| AU |
Good sound, widely
supported
|
Sound files still
very large
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| MID |
Very small file
size |
Music only; quality
depends entirely on viewer’s sound card.
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| MP3 |
Good to superb
sound depending on recording options, much smaller files. |
Requires separate
program to listen to |
Just like video files,
you can use the <EMBED> tag to include audio files
in a Web page.
(Note:
Do not Embed MP3 files. Link those files instead.)
The same basic parameters
that applied to embedded video files (SRC, HEIGHT, and WIDTH)
apply to embedded audio files as well. In this case, the “HEIGHT”
and “WIDTH” parameters determine the size (in pixels)
of the audio control console.
Additional
Audio <EMBED> Parameters for .WAV, .AU, and .MID
AUTOSTART (Values:
True or False)
LOOP (Values: True or False)
CONTROLS (Values: Console or SmallConsole)
HIDDEN (Values: True or False)
Additional
<EMBED> Parameter for .MID Only
VOLUME (Values:
0-255)
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