Help with Audio Players

First, you need a computer that can play sound files. If you have a Macintosh, or a Windows PC with a sound card and properly configured sound drivers, you're fine. See the appropriate section below for information on obtaining the necessary playback software.

If you have a UNIX machine, or an Amiga, or some other type of computer, you'll need to look beyond this page for help. See the "Further Help" section at the end of this document.

Help for Macintosh Users
Help for Windows Users
Further Help

Help for Macintosh Users

AU files

If you are using the Netscape Navigator browser (version 1.1 or later), you can play AU files without needing additional audio software. Users of other Mac browsers may need to configure an external helper application to play AU files; one choice is Sound Machine, which you can download by selecting the link below.

sound-machine-21.hqx (76K)

MPEG files

You'll need to configure an external helper application to "decode" and play back the MPEG audio files on this site; a good program to start with is MPEG/CD, which you can download by selecting the link below.

MPEG_CD_2.0.5.sea.hqx (700K)

Another MPEG decoder called MPEG Audio purportedly offers PowerMac users the ability to play MPEG audio files as they are being downloaded, rather than afterward. Download it from the link below.

mpeg-audio-033.hqx (138K)

Here's a PowerMac player that has been getting good reviews lately, though we haven't tested it out yet. If you use it, and like it, please let us know.

mpeg-audio-player-10-ppc.hqx (97K)

Note: The above players come with installation instructions. For help on generic Mac file-transfer topics, such as the use of BinHex to convert .hqx files, see the "Further Help" section at the end of this page.

Help for Windows Users

AU files

Users of the Netscape Navigator browser (version 1.1 or later) can play AU files directly. Users of other Windows browsers may need to download the Wham utility below, and install it as an external helper application.

wham131.zip (138K)

MPEG files

You'll need to configure an external helper application to "decode" and play back the MPEG audio files on this site; a good program to use is the XingSound Player, which you can download by selecting the link below.

mpgaudio.exe (116K)

Note: The above players come with installation instructions. For help on generic file-transfer topics, such as the use of pkunzip to extract files from .zip archives, see the "Further Help" section below.

Further Help

The Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) help page
This site offers more detail than we've presented here, including information for UNIX users, as well as detailed instructions for configuring Netscape with external audio players.

Allison Zhang's "Sound and Music on the Internet" page
An excellent overview, including pointers to numerous other sites, this document is one chapter in a larger Web document titled Multimedia File Formats on the Internet: A Beginner's Guide for PC Users.

The Cross-Platform Page
A thorough and clearly presented guide to file conversion, including such topics as .zip, .hqx, and .sit files.

Last update October 24, 1995
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