Digital Audio Fundamentals
Digital audio files are digitized representations of sound waves. Although not as
heavy as digital video, digital audio files??”even those that have been compressed??”
are still a strain for today??™s Web. As usual, you can provide a better experience for
users of your Web site if you minimize file sizes wherever possible.
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IN THIS CHAPTER
Digital audio fundamentals
Music files overview
MP3 mini-primer
Linking and embedding sound
Streaming audio
Incorporating podcasts
Using Audio on Your
Web Page
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Including Multimedia Elements Part V
File formats
Many different formats for digital audio files are in use today across the various computer platforms. The
most common formats are described in Table 27-1 and can be identified by their unique filename extensions
and/or by their icons on Macintosh systems.
TABLE 27-1
Web Digital Audio File Formats
Audio Format Typical Filename Extension Description
AU .au, .snd Very common on the early Unix-dominated Web.
Uncompressed and no longer suitable for Web use.
AIFF .aif, .aiff The Audio Interchange File Format was developed by
Apple. Uncompressed versions can be played in most
browsers, but avoid using AIFF on the Web if possible
because of its large file sizes.
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