MP3 audio files being uploaded to the Internet isn’t a new technology. Although it has been popular for many years online, it has never been so talked about and discussed as much today. There is a lot of buzz about it right now.
My multimedia design journey began seven years ago. MP3 audio files were already widely distributed on the Internet. The popularity of MP3 grew rapidly after Napster’s P2P file sharing program was released in 1999.
MP3 files are much smaller than those of “MOV”, WAV, and have better sound quality. MP3 quickly became a prominent digital audio format on the Internet.
It is the top-selling digital music format in the Internet audio market today.
The Internet was slow in the past. Computer hard disks were large and expensive. MP3 files needed to be converted from MOV or WAV file formats. Audio recording, editing hardware and software was extremely complicated and costly. Only professional studios had the funds to purchase them.
Internet marketers and web developers had not found it easy to make use of this tool to their advantage. I can still recall the struggle to compress audio files and balance the sound quality, in order to make it compatible with a 28.8kbps modem.
There are very few websites mp3juice that have web audio, and those that do have were only used for background music. It had no marketing purpose or strategy. It was primarily a showcase of designers’ “advanced skills”, designed to impress their employers.
Internet bandwidth has become a minor issue for multimedia data transfer. Technology is constantly evolving at lightning speed. Computers now have enormous capacities and the price for hardware has fallen dramatically. Web hosting companies can offer large amounts server space for website owners to store or transfer audio and/or video content at a tremendously low cost.
The price of audio editing software, which had more advanced features, remained high but posed a barrier for Internet marketers who wanted audio to be part of their Internet marketing.
This was a great opportunity for software developers and Internet Marketers. These two people have come together to solve these problems. They kept the most popular features in check and limited their use.
These web audio services and other related products have been sold by Internet marketers for years. The results are impressive.
Some claim their sales conversion rate has increased by 40 percent (or even 400%) by just adding audio sales litter to the web page. This is possible. You can be sure that web audio and/or video adds a new dimension, depth, and dimension to Internet marketing. It is used mostly for audio newsletters.
It is very easy to use. It is easy to record and upload your message if you have the ability to talk and click. There are no technical skills or previous experience required. You only need a microphone to connect to your computer.
Although I still use Pro version audio/video editing software for complex projects, I prefer to use this feature-focused software for smaller projects. It is simple and saves me time. It’s also so affordable!
Marketers have created a system to record audio files on the phone for people who don’t own a computer, are too lazy or don’t know how to use their microphone. For your lazyness, you will have to pay a monthly charge and still have to pick-up your phone to call the number.
ThirdSphere is one of the dedicated web hosting companies that I use. They also include related features to their service package in order to increase sales. Flash Audio Generator and Flash Video Generator can be used by web designers to convert audio and video files into a lightweight FLV file that can then be uploaded to the internet.
Streaming web audio and/or video will be a powerful new Internet marketing tool. They will continue to gain Internet marketers’ attention and capture visitors’ attention for a few more years.
Ying is the founder of Stimulus Communication, a Montreal-based marketing firm. He is an expert in advertising and marketing strategic planning. He has experience producing both traditional and digital media. Ying has a Masters of Art History, Art Technology, from Japan’s National University of Kobe. He also holds a professional Multimedia Design degree from Montreal’s International Academy of Design.