EXPLANATIONS TO INTERNET AUDIO FORMATS
Currently, 2 of the more common ways music(audio files) are listened to on the internet are
1. streaming (using the real audio player from Real Networks)
2. non-streaming (using mp3 players).

STREAMING AUDIO
(REAL AUDIO)

1) click on one of the (real audio) links

2)A music playing program (real audio player) will pop up on the screen.

3) Shortly the music will start playing.

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4) Look at the real audio player screen and observe how many seconds you have to wait before the music starts playing

5) These real audio files are of less quality than the non- streaming mp3s. The original sound was compressed far more than the mp3s (in this case to 32kps). (The mp3s are compressed to 128kps) This was done so it could work well with the common 56k(prefered) or 26k modems.

6) In future the general public will use much faster connections than provided by the 56k modems. This will mean that music files will not have to be so compressed and lose so much quality in order to be heard almost immediately on the internet in streaming form.

7) You will need to get a Real Audio Player from
Real Networks if you dont have one already. Lists of the real audio players to download are on the listening room page.
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NON - STREAMING
(mp3s)

1) Click on a non-streaming audio file link (mp3)

2)A download box will appear

3) The download box will ask you where on your hard drive you would like to save the audio file.

4) Download the audio file and listen too it later.

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5) Unlike the real audio files, you cannot listen to the mp3 files almost immediately. You will have to wait until the audio file has been saved on your hard drive.

6) These mp3 files on this web site are of higher quality than the real audio files. This is because the mp3 files (compressed to 126kps) are not as compressed as the real audio files (compressed to 32kps). A system therefore has not!!! been set up to stream mp3s allowing listeners to be able to be hear them almost immediately

7)If the mp3 files (at 128 kps) were streamed on 26k or 56k modems like the real audio files, one would hear large gaps in the sound
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