As far as the standard goes in terms of web audio, there are three in current usage. They are:
- RealAudio
- MPEG I Layer III
- Liquid Audio
If you do not have the equipment to produce these files or set this up, then try using the various search engines on the web to look for web audio resources. You may want to also check out www.realaudio.com, www.liquidaudio.com, and www.mpeg.org for various pointers.
Audio file sizes vary, depending on compression methods. Raw CD-quality files are typically 60 megabytes for a normal-length song. With MPEG I Layer III compression, for example, files are compressed about 12:1 for a 5MB file with CD-quality sound. RealAudio files are typically compressed to the same degree, as are LiquidAudio files.
Keep in mind that a personal shell account only has 5 megs of storage to it, and additional space can be added in 10 megabyte blocks for $1 per megabyte.
