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	Like many things on the web there are no universal sound types but here is a guide to the more important ones

.wav
 
Probably one of the most commonest sound file used now. Its designed initially for the windows platform but is now usable via plugin and helper applications (for more on these) on other computers. Probably best to start saving sound bites in this form unless you produce your music in the form of midi files (see below)
.au
 
Its popularity is now waning but still seen commonly around the web. Originally developed for UNIX machines but will be playable on most via helpers and plug ins.
.midi
 
this stands for Musical Instrument digital interface format. Essentially this means it represents the form music is stored in when created by an digital electronic instrument like a synthesiser. Commonly seen for web based music
.aiff
 
Not that commonly seen around the web. Originally developed for Apple Macs machines but will be playable on most via helpers and plug ins.
.ra
 
RealAudio¨ files. Common streaming format
.mp3
 
We're just mentioning this for completeness. MP3 files are compressed audio files. They are not used to add sounds to web site, but are a way of compressing music (a MP3 occupies about a tenth of the space an equivalent CD track does, with only slight sound deterioration). This has mean you can realistically down load near CD quality song (in 2-3 MB) and play them on your PC or on mobile MP3 players smaller than a portable cassette player. Hundred of sites offer legitimate MP3 downloads, ranging from new bands promoting themselves to pay for schemes run by record companies.
MP3 however is more notorious for the battles between the record industry and illegal MP3 made from their artists
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just a reminder note about copyright. This is much the same as site graphics. If you are putting music on your site that you wrote, hold the copyright to (if there is one) and performed that is then that's okay under most countries' and international law (assuming it fulfils international and locally acceptable laws about it contents and lyrics - i.e.. Don't put a song on-line if if against the law to play it in front of an audience). Clearly if you change your entire music collection or a film's audio track into downloadable files and place it on the web without permission from the relevant parties that is illegal and you might well end up being at the wrong end of a legal action. Between this the key is permission, so basically if in doubt don't do it and see about getting permission first (These thing vary from country to country and company to company - so we're not going to bore you to death about it and give potentially false legal info).