The Secret to Streaming MP3 Files That Even Dial-Up Users Can Hear

By Jay Jennings

Some people look at audio on a web site as old-hat -- after all, isn't everybody doing video these days?

Sure, some people are doing video, but there are some problems with that approach that make audio a better choice in a lot of cases. For example, having a "bad hair day" doesn't matter when you're doing audio. For another thing, you don't have to worry about lighting, or what the background looks like when doing audio.

And finally, almost anyone can crank out an audio file in a few minutes that can be heard -- even on dial-up lines. And since a large percentage of internet users are still on dial-up, making sure they hear your message is important.

The fact that audio can increase sales and sign-ups isn't in dispute, but what I hear the most from people who are putting audio on their web sites is, "How can I create a sound file that even dial-up users can hear without lots of stops and starts?"

The stuttering that dial-up users are subjected to is a result of two factors. First, they're on a slow line and things just aren't going to come across as quickly. Second,audio files that are recorded at a high bit-rate require a high bandwidth connection. Either everyone needs DSL or better (yeah, right!) or you need to create an audio file that's much smaller in size.

So let's look at ways to do that. Note: there are about as many audio editing programs out there as stars in the sky, so the following won't be step-by-step instructions. But the info should get you close enough to make the right choices in the software you're using.

There are two options you're going to want to tweak. They're typically called "sample rate" and "bit rate." The sample rate numbers will usually be followed by the letters Hz or kHz and range from about 8000 (or 8 if the info is in kHz) to 44100 (or 44.1 kHz). Bit rate numbers are usually followed by the letters kbps and will typically range from 8 or 16 up to 196 or even higher. (If you see just two or three options, 8, 16, and possibly 32, that's not the
parameter we care about).

For CD quality audio you'd want a sample rate of 44,100 Hz but since voice can get by with so much less, set your sample rate to 11,025 Hz (or 11.025 kHz). And most people listening to music want their bit rate set to at least 128 kbps, but for voice work we can go much lower. And, if we want dial-up people to be happy, we have to go very low.

Try setting your bit rate to 16kbps and see if you're satisfied with the result. If not, try 32kbps and so on, up until you are happy. Just remember, every step you take up the ladder means more dial-up people won't have a smooth audio stream. Folks with faster dial-up connections should get 32kbps sound with little trouble -- but if the sound quality of a 16kbps file floats your boat, then go with that. Just about everyone should be happy in that case.

It might take an afternoon of tweaking with your audio software to get comfortable with it the first time, but after that you'll be able to crank out audio files as easily as you crank out word processor docs.

If you haven't made the move to using audio on your web site yet, go ahead and give it a shot. There are many great reasons to use it, and now that you know how to create audio
files that even dial-up users can experience, there are fewer reasons not to.

Jay Jennings has been working full-time in online marketing since May, 2004. He's known for creating software tools that help people save time and make more money with online marketing. Find out more about an audio tool that can help your business at his website: http://sonicmemo.com