MP3 offers the best quality for hearing music on the Internet [of the options I have tried]. For those of you, with phoneline hookups, who choose not to wait for an MP3 download, I have provided RealAudio versions in many cases -- which will sound halfway decent if you can maintain a 33kbps connection speed. To play MP3 [or RealAudio] files you must have the appropriate Player software and a computer that can handle 16-bit audio (i.e. any that can play audio CDs). I encode my mp3s with VBR [variable bit rate], which gives the best quality-to-file size ratio.

1] Should you want to hear both MP3 and RealAudio files, you might as well download the free RealPlayer Basic from Real.com, as it can play both. The player gives you options to streamline its default billboard appearance. If you're happy to listen to just MP3, you'll spend less time if you download the WinAmp Player  [WINAMP.COM] if you have a PC or the SoundApp Player [SoundApp Home Page] if you have a Mac. Here also is a no-frills MP3 player for the Mac -- Vamp 1.04 by Michel Pollet -- that you may download very quickly [only 99k]: vamp.sit. You may also play my MP3 files on both platforms with Quicktime 4.1 (though not 4.0), Windows Media Player, SoundJamMP Free and -- as mentioned --RealPlayer Basic, which are all available free for Mac or PC.

2] If you would like to hear the file while still in your browser, go to the "Preferences" panel of said browser and select "Applications" (Netscape) or " File Helpers" (Explorer). If there is not already an entry for MP3 Audio or MPEG Audio create a new one with the "suffix" .mp3 and "MIME type" audio/x-mpeg. Choose as the application the one you just downloaded (SoundApp or WinAmp, for example). If you don't want to lose the music file when quitting your browser, select Save to File (or disk) under "Handled By" If you're listening via the Quicktime plug-in, there is an option to save the file at the right end of the controller bar.

3] If you don't care about hearing the file from within your browser, simply click on the downloaded file's icon and your MP3 player should find it. In some cases you must drag the file to the player's control panel.  (You can probably ignore step # 2 in this case -- unless your browser was automatically configured by one of the more intrusive player applications when you installed it).

MP3 STREAMING The technology has evolved to the point where mp3 files can be caused to "stream", which means to begin playing almost immediately -- as does RealAudio. If you have a fast connection [such as via cable modem], you should hear a significant improvement over standard RealAudio. Those of us with telephone line connections are offered, by the sites that stream mp3, a "slow" option -- which to my ears does not sound much different from RealAudio that has been encoded for "music quality" [as found at this site]. I have streaming mp3 downloads available through mp3.com and tucows.com [see my Directory page].

The only free application [that is, with a lifespan longer than a butterfly's] I know of that plays streaming mp3 [suffix of .m3u, mime type of audio/x-mpegurl] is SoundJam MP Free.

While many MP3 sites ask you to submit your e-mail address before allowing you to download, I don't see any point in doing that unless I know that you truly enjoy my music. If you do -- but don't feel ready to buy one of my CDs at this time -- I would appreciate you signing my mailing list so I can keep you informed of my concerts, recordings and related activities through my Bi-Annual Newsletter.

 jeffry@addr.com
(Feel free to write with questions,
comments or just to say hello).