Playing Sound Clips: Frequently Asked Questions

Which sound samples are better, Real Audio, Windows Media, or MP3?

How do I play Windows Media sound clips?

Why do MP3 sound clips stop playing or sound choppy?

Which sound samples are better, Real Audio, Windows Media, or MP3?

Windows Media and RealAudio sound clips are designed to stream (start playing immediately), while MP3 clips are designed to sound better. If you have a 14.4, 28.8, or even a 56K modem and you want to listen quickly to a song sample, click on "Windows Media" or "Real Audio." If you have a fast Internet connection, such as a T1 line, cable modem, ISDN or ADSL, of if you just want to hear higher quality samples click on "MP3".

How do I play Windows Media sound clips?

In order to listen to a Windows Media sound clip on your computer you need to install the Windows Media Player on your computer. The good news is that it is free and easy to install. To obtain a copy of the Windows Media Player click on the link below and follow the download and install instructions.

Get Windows Media Player.

How do I play RealAudio sound clips?

To listen to RealAudio sound clips you need:

The most recent version of Real Audio Player (called Real One Player)

An Internet connection of at least 14.4 Kbps. A 28.8 modem or faster is recommended to get the best sound quality

A Web browser that supports "plug-ins," which are also known as "helper apps." Recent versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator/Communicator are ideal

You can download a free basic version of Real One Player from the RealNetworks Web site. You can also purchase a full-featured player at the same location.

Visit RealNetworks.

How do I play MP3 sound clips?

Most newer Web browsers will play MP3 sound clips automatically when you click on them. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator/Communicator are ideal. If your browser does not automatically play MP3 clips, we suggest upgrading to a newer browser.

If you don’t want to change your browser software, there are a variety of players that you can download and use to listen to MP3 clips. Some are available at http://www.shareware.com. You can find others by searching the Web. Be sure to read the documentation and learn how to configure the player to work with your browser to play MP3 clips automatically.

The sound samples are not playing. Why?

There may be heavy traffic on the server or network that is causing the files to download slowly. In some cases, network congestion could cause the player to time out. Of course the server may be down, in which case there is not much you can do. So keep trying, or try again later when there is less traffic on the Internet or on your network.

Why do MP3 sound clips stop playing or sound choppy?

There is a penalty for the quality that MP3 delivers. The penalty is that MP3 files are larger than RealAudio and Windows Media files. Because of the large file size, MP3 clips will only start playing immediately on faster connections such as a T1 line or cable modem. If an MP3 clip starts playing and then stops or sounds choppy, use your player’s (or browser’s) playback controls to pause playback until the clip has finished downloading to your computer, then resume playback.