When setting up the site we had a choice of using various formats for Audio. These files all have to be downloaded and that takes time. If you own a big fat pipe to download like ISDN or T1, great, but most users are still confined to souped-up v90 modem links in Europe or ADSL if you're lucky enough to be on trial. Simply this means were trying to fit a quart into a pint pot (my god the metrication board will lock me up for that) and that means trade-offs.
Streaming formats: Quicktime, Microsoft ASF and Real Audio - all allow streaming. We don't use these as: 1) You need a streaming server (which means costs go up) 2) The real reason - buffering. When the net gets congested (about every two or three minutes!!) the sound breaks up and the file is re-buffered before continuing. Personally this irritates the hell out of me and i'd rather download a file than suffer the current constraints of streaming.
Which brings me to audio formats for download. All the big formats are quite viable such as Quicktime (QT), MP3, Real Audio (RM), Windows Audio (WMA). The bottom line is Real Audio seems to produce the smallest file with the highest quality. MP3 will follow but the file sizes are larger and herein lies our aesethic.
MP3 files sizes for a typical track work out 3Mb per item. Real Audio works out 500K. It not rocket science to work out which one gets downloaded the fastest. The idea is, download a clip in Real Audio/Music format. If you like the clip you can download the Real Audio or MP3 full track. Obviously the Real Audio tracks will download in a sixth of the time but the audio quality of the MP3 will be far higher. It's your call.
RealPlayer/Audio/Music Real Player format is a proprietary, but the software to play the audio tracks is called "RealPlayer 7 Basic" and is currently free. Click on the Real logo or the link below, which will take you Real's site. http://www.real.com/player/ and select: Download RealPlayer 7 Basic		This player (or previous versions) work under multiple versions of Windows, Macintosh and Unix. Needless to say if you like the programme you can upgrade to the RealPlayer 7 Plus software if you wish to at a charge.	Please note that if your system does not meet these minumum specifications you can download a previous version. If your system does not meet or exceed these minimum system requirements, go to RealPlayer archives at: http://proforma.real.com/real/player/blackjack.html to download an older version of RealPlayer (versions 3.0, 4.01, 5.0 and G2 are available).
Current minimum requirements for the RealPlayer 7 Basic are as follows: Windows: 90MHz Intel® Pentium® processor or equivalent, 16MB of RAM, 14.4Kbps modem (audio only), 28.8Kpbs modem (video), 16-bit sound card and speakers, 65,000-color video display card (video), Win 95, Win 98 or Win NT operating system, Internet connection and web browser. Macintosh: Mac(*) OS 8.1 or later, 32 MB RAM, Virtual Memory turned on, set to 64MB, 604 PowerPC(*) (200 MHz or better), 14.4Kbps modem (audio only); 28.8Kpbs modem (video) Internet Connection, Browser support: Microsoft(*) Internet Explorer(*) 4.01 or later or Netscape(*) 4.05 or later. (*)All other brands and names are property of their respective owners.
Windows MP3 Players		Macintosh MP3 Players
Winamp	Musicmatch Jukebox	Macast	Soundjam MP
http://www.winamp.com	http://www.musicmatch.com	http://www.macast.com	http://www.soundjam.com