What is the difference between RealAudio and MP3 audio clips?

RealAudio clips "stream" (that is, they start playing immediately) even over slower modems, while MP3 clips are designed to sound better. If you have a 14.4, 28.8, or even 56k modem and you want to listen very quickly to a sample of a song, click on the RealAudio song samples. If you have a fast Internet connection (e.g., ISDN, T1 line, ADSL or cable modem), or if you just want to hear higher quality samples, choose the MP3 clips.

How do I play RealAudio sound clips?

To listen to the RealAudio sound clips, you'll need:

• The most current version of the RealOne Player. If you don't have it installed, you can download one at no charge below:
  • Download the latest free RealOne Player by going to this page, and then clicking the "Download the Free RealOne Player Only" link.
  • If you are a WebTV user, your system already supports RealAudio. For more information about WebTV's audio features, visit the WebTV help pages, or contact them at 1-800-469-3288.
     
• An Internet connection of at least 14.4 Kbps. We recommend a 28.8 modem or faster to get the best sound quality.
   
• A Web browser capable of handling "helper applications", also known as "plug-ins." Netscape Navigator/Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are ideal. The RealOne Player works from within your Web browser to help you listen to streaming audio.

Before you contact us with troubleshooting requests or comments about sound clip playability, please read RealNetworks Service and Support. Most common questions about installing and using the RealOne Player are answered there.
 
It is a good idea to test the RealOne Player first with a file on your computer's own hard drive, such as the "welcome.ra" file that comes with the player, before trying to listen to music clips from our website.  

We have provided a music player for playing the MP3 audio clips. It intentionally looks like a physical player, so you shouldn't have much problem figuring out how to use it.

• Press the "Play" button (rightward pointing triangle) to start playing, or to re-start after pausing.
• Press the "Pause" button (two vertical bars) to pause playing.
• Press the "Stop" button (the square) to stop playing.
• You can adjust the volume by pressing the volume control at the right end of the player.
• You can also start the clip in the middle (at the point of your choosing) by pressing at the spot of your choosing in the progress bar.
• Ignore the Forward and Previous buttons, since each music player is programmed for just a single audio clip.

• If it is a RealAudio clip, this could mean that you still need to install the RealOne Player. To install your RealOne Player once it is downloaded (as indicated above), locate and launch the file you downloaded by exploring your hard drive or choosing the Run option in the Start menu. (The file is where your Web browser saved it.) This will begin the RealOne Player setup process.
  
  
• In some cases, network congestion could cause the player to time out. So, keep trying, or try again later when there may be less traffic on the Internet or on your network.

What if I'm having sound quality problems?

This is most likely due to traffic on either your local network or the Internet at large. The best thing to do in this situation is to try listening again later.

RealAudio. If RealAudio clips sound too fast, too slow, scratchy, or distorted, changing the RealPlayer 7 performance settings may help:

• From the View menu, choose Preferences.
• Click the Performance tab.
• Click the Settings button in the Sound Card Compatibility section.
• Select the Disable 16-bit sound or Disable custom sampling rates check boxes to modify the way that RealOne Player and the sound card interact. You may need to experiment to find a combination of settings that works best for your computer.
• Click OK in the Sound Card Compatibility dialog box.
• Click OK in the Preferences dialog box to save your changes.