[Web4lib] converting MP3 to streaming audio

[Paul R. Pival]

If you just want them to hear a *specific portion* of the audio file, 
you might consider converting it to a shockwave flash file.  I've 
recently been doing some experimenting with having audio/narration play 
automagically on top of some tutorials I'm working on, and I think it's 
going to work well.

Here's a mockup I put together in about 4 minutes - 
http://www.ucalgary.ca/library/libcon/stream.htm  -- just view the source.

I created this by importing the mp3 into a Flash MX library and then 
exporting the "movie" - I left the audio in stereo with decent fidelity, 
but you can really compress it if you want to save space.

The major advantage I see is that no player at all is needed.  You could 
easily use a pop-up to play this page, so it would only play if someone 
asked it to.

If you don't have the full version of Flash, you could use Boomer Audio 
to do the same thing, and even more easily.  I was just about to buy 
this when I realized that my full version of Flash should be able to do 
the same thing :-)  Boomer Audio can be seen at 
http://www.segon.com/boomerau.html

Once created, no special software is needed at your end - just files on 
your server...

 

Paul R. Pival
Distance Education Librarian
213E MLT
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4 	
*Phone:
Toll Free:
Fax:
email:
Website: *
	(403) 220-2119
1 (866) 210-9637
(403) 282-6837
ppival at ucalgary.ca <mailto:ppival at ucalgary.ca>
Library Connection <http://www.ucalgary.ca/library/libcon>

   



John Fitzgibbon wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I am making an MP3 file available for download from our website. We
>would also like to make the file available as streaming audio to allow
>users to listen to portions of the file without having to download the
>entire file first.
>
>How can I convert this file to streaming audio?
>
>Also, I would like the file to be available as streaming audio to users
>of Windows Media Player. I wish to avoid forcing people to download
>additional software such as Real Player (Windows Media Player comes
>pre-packaged with the Windows Operating System which many computers run
>anyway) to access the file in this way. Is this possible?
>
>Finally, to deliver streaming audio, is special software required on the
>server or is it simply a matter of uploading the file on the web server
>and creating a link that will point to it?
>
>Any ideas would be most welcome.
>
>Regards
>John
>
>John Fitzgibbon
>
>Galway Public Library
>Island House
>Cathedral Square
>Galway
>Ireland
>
>p: 00 353 91 562471
>f: 00 353 91 565039
>w: http://www.galwaylibrary.ie 
>
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