Sound is central to any multimedia content and requires a functional understanding to be effectively employed. Before producing and publishing audio, one must be familiar with the file formats and methods of distribution.
After a file is converted to an .mp3 or another compressed format, there are two primary means of publishing it: Linking the file or playing it in an interface.
Linking a file provides the visitor with the ability to download the file in its entirety and uses code similar to linking HTML or other files:
Putting a file in a player can be accomplished by using third-party software (Flash) or simply coding it as HTML5, using the audio tag.
HTML5 audio is not universally accepted by browsers; it is recommended that you add some elements: a source tag, multiple file types, and an error message with a link.
Let's practice by creating new folder in the Scratch disk ("audio"), downloading this audio file (right click and "save file") to the new audio folder, and writing a new html document that includes the above code.
Matthew Blake Department of Journalism CSU-Chico
mdblake@csuchico.edu (530) 898-3608
