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Here are brief instructions for recording spoken-voice narration and
putting it on a Web page. This is just one easy, low-cost method. There are,
of course, other ways to do the same thing, using other software and other
systems. (These instructions assume basic familiarity with HTML and FTP.)
Recording
- Get a microphone that is compatible with
your computer. Plug in the microphone.
- Find the Sound Recorder on your
computer (Windows only) and open it.
- Using Sound Recorder and the microphone, record yourself speaking.
- Save the file in Sound Recorder.
- Play back the file in Sound Recorder.
- If you have problems, check the Recording Balance
or read the Help files for Sound Recorder (open the Help menu in Sound Recorder).
Converting
This step requires the free RealProducer software from RealNetworks.
If you do not have RealProducer, download and install it first
(see below).
- Find the RealProducer software on your computer and open it.
- Normally, RealProducer launches a wizard that leads you through the process
very simply. In a "new session," select "Record from File." If you
don't see that option, go to the File menu and select
"Recording Wizards" and then select "Record from File."
- Within RealProducer, find and open the sound file you saved earlier
(instructions above). That file was saved in the .wav audio format.
- When RealProducer prompts you to select the file type, select
"Single-rate for Web servers."
- When RealProducer prompts you to save the output file, click
"Save As" to change the filename or save it in a different folder
on your hard drive. This will save your file
in the RealAudio format (and the file extension will be
.rm instead of .wav).
This .rm file is the one you will upload to your Web server.
You can also use RealProducer for recording from a microphone or
other media.
Coding
There are two basic choices for how your RealAudio file will play from
a Web page: The RealPlayer can be embedded within
the page, in line with the text and graphics on the page; or
the player can pop up as a separate small control panel.
You make the choice when you code your Web page.
- For an example of embedding the player, open the
microphone page here and View Source.
See also Embedding Sound Files (here).
- For an example of a pop-up player, open the page
Finding the Sound Recorder (here) and View Source.
You will also need to follow the instructions on the page
Streaming RealAudio (here) to create
an additional "metafile" with the .ram file extension. (Don't worry,
it's not difficult.)
Uploading
Upload all the related files to your Web server. If you have
embedded the RealPlayer (see above), you will have only
two (2) files: the Web page and the sound file, with the .rm extension.
If you chose to have the player pop up, you will have a third
file as well: a text metafile with the .ram extension.
Make certain to upload your sound file as a binary file.
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