So you have completed your song and you want to share it with the world, or at least the world wide web. What formats for audio are typically used and how do you get it into those formats? Here's a quick primer on the different audio formats and how to get your song there.
A typical audio recording application (Cubase, Sonar, Pro Tools, etc.) will allow you to export your audio into a stereo track at full CD quality in either an .aif file on the Macintosh or .wav file on the PC. These two files are practically the same. CD quality is this: 16 bit at 44.1 kHz . In short, 16 bit refers to the size of the sample - think of an audio snapshot. Like pictures on the computer, the more bits the deeper the quality and the more storage space it takes up. 44.1 is the "sample rate" and this refers to how many thousands of samples per second are taken.
The problem with these full quality audio files is that they are quite large for the web. A 3 minute song would usually be around 30 MB. To reduce this size they must undergo what is called "compression." This basically changes the audio file and takes out redundant or perceived extra information. Compression always happens at a loss of audio quality, whether heard or unheard. The key is finding that right balance between file size and audio quality.
The most common compression format is MP3. This format typically allows users to download the song and just "stream" the audio in their browsers. In other words, the user now has your song on their hard drive and could potentially either burn it onto a cd, load it into their iPod or distribute it to others via "peer-to-peer" (p2p) networks. Some higher end recording programs allow you export in MP3 format, but because the format is actually owned by a company, most programs do not allow this because of licensing costs and issues. A good (and free) piece of software that will convert .aif or .wav files to .mp3 is iTunes. Under the preferences for "importing" you can change the MP3 quality from 128 to 160 or 192 kbps (higher number is better and more memory). Remember you can always compress down in quality, but "compressing up" will not increase your quality, only the file size!
The easiest way to set up your files for streaming rather than download is to enable the use of a "jukebox." Some fellow Canadians have come up with a nice free one called Flamplayer. You can also use the popular Real format for streaming audio, but it gets a little complicated. You can read a step by step here, but that is more than I know on the subject and why I tend to stick with MP3's. I just let people download, or even just give 45 second clips. Besides, what is the big deal with people downloading your music for free? If you want to get famous you'll need to give it away over and over again, so why not start now?
