By Tom Mulhern
Today’s quiz (choose one):
Actually, both A and B are correct. If this seems contradictory, then you’re getting the point: Keeping up with the ever-growing number of ways to squeeze audio onto the internet could easily be a full-time job. There are lots, and in the interim between when I write this column and when you read it, more will crop up.
Okay, so option A is pretty well covered, but what about option B? So far, there are some important formats missing–for instance, one that can stream audio (let you download as you’re listening to it, rather than waiting for the whole lump to drop into your computer before you play it) without requiring a plug-in for your browser. And how about one that doesn’t exclude people using slow modem connections?
So, as "internet audio creators," we have to make decisions. Luckily, among the existing options are some really good possibilities for getting music and other sounds onto the Net. The key things you must initially decide are:
There’s a lot to consider. Another factor is your computer (and its computing "horsepower") because it will determine the software you use. You must determine how much you wish to balance providing good-quality audio with how much you wish to torture users, too. Finally, you should check with your ISP (internet service provider) to make sure that you have a lot of space on their server for your audio. If you only have 1Mb or 2Mb, you’ll need more. Lots more.
Think about delivery speed. Assume, for a minute, that not everyone has T1, ISDN, or DSL connections for their computers. In fact, assume it for the next three to five years. Those are expensive, high-speed transmission methods that can cost hundreds of bucks a month, plus the hardware isn’t exactly cheap, either. Most people are dialing up at 28.8k, 33.6k, or 56k. As I’m writing this, it’s mostly the lower two–and scads of people are still loping along at 14.4k. Unlike phone companies, which have a vested interest in providing you with the latest and best their system can offer, ISPs couldn’t really care less how you connect to them; the modem you buy and the speed at which it operates are your business. Therefore, modems aren’t updated/replaced as quickly as the technology becomes available. It’s your responsibility to decide how you’re going to deal with it.
Three types of audio formats stand out as "traditional" to the Internet, assuming something so young can have traditions at all, and if you’re new to audio for the Net, stick with them, at least initially:
AU was begat of Sun workstations, and comes in both stereo and mono, 8 or 16 bits, and with sampling rates from 8kHz to 48kHz. Most browsers can handle AU files, but most non-UNIX people are more familiar with, say, the WAV format.
WAV came from Microsoft, and darned if you can’t easily tell a WAV-format file by its .wav extension. WAV, like AU, lets you create 8- or 16-bit mono or stereo, and its sampling frequency range is 8kHz to 44kHz. WAV files are easily handled by anything running Windows, plus it’s readable in most browsers or via conversion programs on Mac and UNIX platforms.
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) is Apple’s baby, but it’s supported by many Windows applications and many browsers. It offers 8- and 16-bit mono or stereo, plus sampling rates from 8kHz to 48kHz.
Which to use? If your audience is primarily UNIX users, go for AU. If you’re targeting most of the world, use WAV. If you want to reach an even bigger majority, use WAV and AIFF. It’s an oversimplification, sure, but a reasonable guideline. And don’t expect to reduce file size by choosing one format over the other; there’s little difference.
Size matters! A minute of CD-quality, 16-bit stereo at 44.1kHz is over 10MB, or at least a six-minute download with a 28.8 modem connection (it’s rare for modems to actually operate at their full rated speed). Try to use excerpts instead of long pieces. You’d be surprised how long 15 or 20 seconds really is. I put a few dozen audio files on a site for a guitar amplifier company, to demonstrate the range of tones available from their products. After taking audio off of a demo CD, I put the snippets into 11kHz mono at 8 bit, and then saved them as WAV and AIFF files. They’re still huge–300k to 500k–and they take up to five minutes to download via modem, but there’s a lot of information there. The sound quality exceeds many low- and mid-priced speakers, and you hear enough to get a good picture of the amps’ different characteristics.
Remember this: Most people don’t expect CD clarity over the Internet, except for those who are looking for samples. And even if they are, not many are willing to wait eons for a song to download. They’ll click on something else, and you’re in their rear-view mirror. How many people have poor-quality (usually synonymous with inexpensive) speakers attached to their computers? Don’t know? Ask some of your friends about their speakers. Check in your office, if you work in one. Ask the salespeople at the local computer store how many good sets of speakers they sell versus cheap ones.
In future columns, we’ll examine more advanced–and harder to use–formats, including Shockwave, RealAudio, MPEG, and Quicktime. For now, though, gather some simple audio software from the web (search through Netscape’s NetCenter, Yahoo, AltaVista, or another search site) for some shareware or freeware to get you going. There’s lots of it, and you can "ramp up" quickly with a little effort.