asked on

Play different sound files sequential / in a row

Hey there!
I want to play different audiofiles (all waves / wav) on my webpage.
All the files are on http://www.somepage.com/somedirectory/
The amount of files, their name and their length is variable, meaning it changes whenever the user access the page.
I need the files to be played right after each other, through javascript or embedded objects.
Thanks a lot,
Consti

rockportmedia

Consti,

The one word answer is: FLASH (or SWISH).

Here's how: (If you mean just play a bunch of different files the same way every time somone accesses the page).
Make a FLASH movie 1x1 (1 = pixel).
Make the movie the necessary length to allow for sequencing.
Trigger the sound at the desired time within the time legend.

example flash layout
MOVIE START | | | | | | | | | | | |O| | | | | | | | | | | X | MOVIE END

The movies starts far to the left of the time line. Then "O" represents where the sound starts playing in time. Then "X" is the "stop action" you add to the movie so that the sound does not repeat over and over again.

You can map multiple files out or make just one.

MORE THAN ONE SOUND IN ONE MOVIE
example flash layout
MOVIE START | | | |O| | | | | | | |X|O | | | | | | | | | | X | MOVIE END

TWO MOVIES
MOVIE START | | | |O| | | | | | | |X| | | | | | | | | | | | MOVIE END
MOVIE START | | | | | | | | | | | | | O | | | | | | | | | | X | MOVIE END

Here's how: (If you wish to play sounds randomly on entrance or refresh to your site.)
1. Go to you prefered web search engine (google.com if you don't have one yet).
2. Type in "Random Sounds Script"
3. Implement the script on your page using the script writer's instructions.

Basicially you'd be looking for a javascript. When searching, remember there is a big difference between Java and javascript. JAVA would be overkill by far in this scenario.

Consti

ASKER

I think you got the question wrong.
I have several aduio files (all wav) which need to be played in a row.
Not random, but in a row :P right after each other with no pause if possible.
As if you would load a certain generated playlist... some how like this:

$tracks[] = "http://www.server.com/file1.wav";
$tracks[] = "http://www.server.com/file2.wav";
$tracks[] = "http://www.server.com/file3.wav";
$tracks[] = "http://www.server.com/file4.wav";

while ($i < count($tracks){
PLAY $tracks[$i]; // if $tracks[$i] has been played, continue
$i++;
}

Thats what I need! ;P

rockportmedia

Conti,

The Flash Example, the javascript or merging the files together in a program (goldwave) would all work for what your trying to do. The only addition to this post is the merging of the files into one.

JD

davidlars99

hi,
here you go.... add as many <OBJECTS> as you wish and do not forget to chabge ID sequentually like ID="snd1" ID="snd2" ID="snd3" ID="snd" and ect. also <param name="FileName" value="file3.mp3"> which is sound file. in this example sounds repeat in sequence after one another they never stop.

AUDIO WILL NOT START UNTIL IT'S LOADED OR ANOTHER AUDIO FILE IS PLAYING!

<html>
<head>

<script language=Javascript>

var current=1,tmr=null;

function Load_(){

if(document.getElementById("snd"+current).ReadyState==4)
current++;
if(current==4){
current=1;
document.getElementById("snd"+current).play();
setTimeout('Play_()',10)
return
}
setTimeout('Load_()',10);
}

function Play_(){

if(current==4){
current=1;
Load_();
return
}
if(document.getElementById("snd"+current).PlayState==0){
current++;
if(current==4){
current=1;
Load_();
return
}
document.getElementById("snd"+current).play();
}
setTimeout('Play_()', 10)
}
</script>

</head>
<body topmargin="5" leftmargin="5" rightmargin="5" bottommargin="5" onload="Load_()">

<object ID="snd1" WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=26 CLASSID="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95" style="display:none">
<param name="FileName" value="file1.mp3">
<param name="AutoStart" value="false">
<param name="SendPlayStateChangeEvents" value="true">
<param name="ShowAudioControls" value="false">
<param name="ShowTracker" value="false">
<param name="AutoSize" value="false">
<param name="volume" value="0">
<param name="loop" value="false">
<param name="hidden" value="true">
</object>

<object ID="snd2" WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=26 CLASSID="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95" style="display:none">
<param name="FileName" value="file2.mp3">
<param name="AutoStart" value="false">
<param name="SendPlayStateChangeEvents" value="true">
<param name="ShowAudioControls" value="false">
<param name="ShowTracker" value="false">
<param name="AutoSize" value="false">
<param name="volume" value="0">
<param name="loop" value="false">
<param name="hidden" value="true">
</object>

<object ID="snd3" WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=26 CLASSID="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95" style="display:none">
<param name="FileName" value="file3.mp3">
<param name="AutoStart" value="false">
<param name="SendPlayStateChangeEvents" value="true">
<param name="ShowAudioControls" value="false">
<param name="ShowTracker" value="false">
<param name="AutoSize" value="false">
<param name="volume" value="0">
<param name="loop" value="false">
<param name="hidden" value="true">
</object>

</body>
</html>

cheers!
dave

davidlars99

I'm not sure, but there should be something else much better then this example without javascript, does CSS have something to replace this horrible javascrtip code? if I was inventing CSS I would do some kind of trick which playied all audios sequentially. Imagene css code like this:

#audio1 #audio2 #audio3 {

play-mode:sequent; // well you guess...
play-brake:100; // this would be brake between files

}

and many more, but well... it's only my dream...

SOLUTION

avidya

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davidlars99

yeah that's great... good job avidya here I found some good examples of this at

www.w3schools.com
www.w3.org/TR/1998/REC-smil-19980615/

I could not find anything about its compatilbility with all major browser, do you know anything about it....?

davidlars99

bigger examples at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/behaviors/reference/time2/incorporatetime2.asp

Consti

ASKER

Thanks, I will test the actual given answers and give out the points as soon as I figure out what works best etc.
Consti

avidya

yep, it's compatile with SMIL 20, wich is compatible the most common browesers and apps, see http://www.w3.org/AudioVideo/ for more detailed info.

Consti, did you give it a try allready?

Consti

ASKER

avidya, I tryed yours and it worked fine in IE 6.0 (as soon as you allow the page to run the scripts);
On Firefox (Mozilla.org/firefox) I was not able to get wanted outcome, no sound was played, no error message shown.
How could you modify the script to run in Firefox, and how may you play the audio files ONCE, and not in a loop?

davidlars99, I am sorry but I was not able to get your script to work, neither in IE nor in Firefox.

I apprechiate all your help,
Thanks,
Consti

Consti

ASKER

Sorry, I did figure out how to play it only once:

<t:seq repeatCount = "indefinite">
--->
<t:seq repeatCount = "0">

Should have had a look on it before asking :)
Sorry, and thank you,
Consti

avidya

doesn't matter.

I'm looking for the compatiblity of firefox now

Consti

ASKER

Best solution would be embedded objects (as <embed src="audiofile.wav" name="audio1" visible="true">)
where the visitor could see the single files and a javascript should play them after each other; such as:

if (audio1 == played)
document.audio2.play();

etc.
Is this possible?
Thanks,
Consti

avidya

Hi,

Been searching all afternoon and could'nt find an answer that will work in all browsertypes.
Can you tell me what you are trying to accomplish fo the visitor?
Maybe I get another idea that way.
BtW, why are you using the wav format, since it is a verry large format?

Consti

ASKER

Thanks for doing that!
I am not able to change the format (I wish I was able to! ;P)
On my page (www.consti.de) visitors can click on a link under each of my posts to listen to it, being read TTS (Text to Speech). The text, the visitor wants to listen to, is send to another webpage, this page creates the wave files with the text. The page can only create tts-files with a text less then 200 characters.
Thats why I split the text into packages á 200 characters.
Now the page (PHP code) sends all those packages to the other webpage, retrieves the links to the wav files and starts loading them: Right now as single embedded objects, meaning the user has to click to play package one, package two etc.
I want this package one, two, three - clickthrough to be automatic.
Meaning the loaded audiofiles (wave) should be played after each other, for the visitors convinience
Consti

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

avidya

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davidlars99

hi everybody, it sems weird to because on my PC this code works in all browsers..

try this: just replace the bottom section of the code I posted earlier

<object ID="snd1" CLASSID="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95">
<param name="FileName" value="http://www.readplease.com/common/sounds/crystal.mp3">
<param name="AutoStart" value="false">
<param name="SendPlayStateChangeEvents" value="true">
<param name="ShowAudioControls" value="false">
<param name="ShowTracker" value="false">
<param name="AutoSize" value="false">
<param name="volume" value="0">
<param name="loop" value="false">
<param name="hidden" value="true">
</object>

<object ID="snd2" CLASSID="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95">
<param name="FileName" value="http://www.readplease.com/common/sounds/julia.mp3">
<param name="AutoStart" value="false">
<param name="SendPlayStateChangeEvents" value="true">
<param name="ShowAudioControls" value="false">
<param name="ShowTracker" value="false">
<param name="AutoSize" value="false">
<param name="volume" value="0">
<param name="loop" value="false">
<param name="hidden" value="true">
</object>

<object ID="snd3" CLASSID="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95">
<param name="FileName" value="http://www.readplease.com/common/sounds/lauren.mp3">
<param name="AutoStart" value="false">
<param name="SendPlayStateChangeEvents" value="true">
<param name="ShowAudioControls" value="false">
<param name="ShowTracker" value="false">
<param name="AutoSize" value="false">
<param name="volume" value="0">
<param name="loop" value="false">
<param name="hidden" value="true">
</object>

avidya

Hi,

Would you be so kind respond to the suggestions?

davidlars99

good job avidya, looks like you're doing inspection over everything today... :)

avidya

Hi Davidlars,

Thaanks, I saw the ammount of open questions I participated in and got lost, there wher just too manny....
I thought, why not ask nicely... and I did... for 80 question or so....
So far it's working!

Consti

ASKER

Excuse my late answer (been busy lately, evolved to Gentoo (out of Microsoft!));
Thanks for all your help!
I accept DavidLars99's answer as the correct answer; allthough I was looking for a all browser compatible solution.
50 Points go to avidya because of his IE compatible way.
Thanks to all of you who read and commented this post.
Hope to meet all of you here again sometime!
Consti

davidlars99

> I accept DavidLars99's answer as the correct answer; allthough I was looking for a all browser compatible solution.

if you add <embed> tag it will be all browser compatible solution

BTW, did you accept my comment as a solutions or Avidia's...?