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Midis

First, in order to have sound on your page you will need to have a sound file in your directory. Check out HTML Help Midis. Midi's are a digitally recreated sound file that has an open source and therefor free to use. Be careful when adding MP3 files to your page as you may be violating copyright laws. Make sure you have permission to use any pre-recorded music on your web page.

The second thing you will need is a plugin for your browser. The newer versions of IE and Netscape already have the plugins. Search Google for the plugin needed for your particular browser.

The <EMBED> tag is the easiest Java tag you can use to incorporate sound to your web page. IE users should use the BGSOUND="file.mid" in the embed tag. It is always a good idea to use both the Netscape and IE methods so that all browsers can use the file.

The code:
<EMBED SRC="sound.mid">

Attributes: (These attributes go inside the EMBED tag)
AUTOSTART=true|false - This specifies whether or not the sound file will automatically begin playing when your page is accessed.

LOOP=true|false - This specifies whether or not the sound file begins playing again once it has finished.

HIDDEN=true|false - Used to make the player invisible. The viewer will not have the option of stopping the sound file.

HEIGHT=[pixels] WIDTH=[pixels] - This will specify how large or small the player will be displayed on your page.

ALIGN=[right|left|center] - Aligns the plug-in "player" on the page.

Midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is a digital representation of musical sounds. This means that the sound file isn't exactly a sound file. It is a small program that "plays" your sound card. It tells the sound card what tone to produce and for what duration. The quality of the sounds will depend entirely on the quality of your sound card, meaning some people may be able to hear the sound well; others will not, depending on the sound card installed on their individual computers.

Can I use other types of sound files with the EMBED command?

Yes. The embed command works with most sound files. You cannot use an .ra (RealAudio) file with the embed. You can also embed video files. Listing the files that can be used with the embed tag is more than I care to go into, so experiment with your files, and have fun with it =).

I have the correct coding but all I get is a box with a puzzle piece in it.

You do not have a plug-in installed on your computer. You can either click the box to get the plug in from the manufacturer of the browser you are using or go to the browser manufacturer's web site.

What is a plug-in?

A plug-in is a program developed to help browsers perform special tasks such as using a sound card to produce sound. Plug-ins are not usually cross platformed, meaning on plug-in will work with one browser but may not work with another. Be sure you get the plug-in you need for your type of browser.