What is the best way to link to a mp3 in a page full of text so the user can play it nice and easy?

Link direct or Target="_blank"

Is there a correct way to do this?

your opinions please,

gecko

Check out my site for some examples MP3 embedded within text areas. I use a thing called a Wimpy Button. Very simple to use, very attractive...
http://www.goLancaster.com

Follow this link if you decide to purchase (gets me a little kick-back, y'know?)...
http://www.wimpyplayer.com/affiliates.php?id=41

Thanks videodude,
Good idea but i want to steer clear of using any kind of flash in my site.
I'm just trying to get to the bottom of the best/correct way to link to a mp3.
Cheers
Gecko

Ok, so why not just include a link on your page? For instance... Click Here to Play

Whatever media player happens to be installed on the browsing computer will end up playing the MP3 file will end up playing the content.

I suspect this isn't what you want either.

Hi Videodude,

I am having problems embedding wimply player html generated from their web site in my content module pages.

I would like to stream flv files more so than mp3 and am using the wimpy AV player.

I don't know how to link the embedded html back to the word I am trying to trigger the flv from? Hope this makes sense.

I did embed the html before but the wimpy player showed up at the bottom of the page and it was not linked to anything.

This is my site I am working on http://www.opendoorsmusic.org

I am a musician and am boot strapping this venture and learning as I go along.

Thanks for any help!

Gavin

Well, not that I knew an answer, but it says in the Wimpy FAQs they're using the standard Flash Plugin for their script? So, it's not really about steering clear of anything Flash, I suppose, just about skinning? Also, if you can produce flv files (Flash!), then I would suppose you have access to Flash 8? Which actually contains itself a very nifty movie and music import feature with a choice of nice controls, ready to use. I think when it comes to multimedia, it's Flash By far the one of the several options with the most decent plugin, and it displays almost identical on all current Browsers, OSs.

How to link the files to the Wimpy player is probably something you best ask on the Wimpy website. Depends on how the Wimpy player object is called.

If you want to play mp3 or video files, you'll have the perennial fight with the embed and object tags, and a fair amount of users who don't have the appropriate plugin installed/configured. I still believe it's best to have a text link. Doesn't have to call "_blank". It will, depending on configuration of the computer from which it is viewed, decide what to do, or prompt for user input: Save to disk, or play in external player. Some browsers may also be configured to grab it themselves and might play it in "_self" if they properly recognize the MIME type, though.