Making Meta files

So you are ready for making Meta files for your .rm files. If you have reached this far then there is nothing much to worry about. You have already done the hard job of encoding the files. Now let's begin with the Meta files.

A Meta file is a text file containing a URL. This URL is the exact location of your .rm file. When a visitor clicks a song, the realplayer is directed to the URL that you wrote in your Meta file and the streaming begins.

A Meta file does the important job of directing your realplayer to the address where your BIG .rm file is located. The result is that the song is played instantly without waiting for the whole song to download. In other words a Meta file streams your media bit by bit and your player plays it continuously, sounds great eh?

To make a Meta file open your notepad and write down this text:

http://www.yourserver.com/yoursong.rm

For example, if the address of your homepage is www.Safis-Web.com/mypage and you want to make a Meta file for your music file called mysong.rm, the Meta file would look like this:

www.Safis-Web.com/mypage/mysong.rm

Save the Meta file as mysong.ram. Note the ending ".ram" is what makes it a windows media Meta file. I suggest you give your Meta file the same name as your .rm file and put them in the same directory which will simplify things for you. You are done! Make a Meta file for each of your .rm file and upload all of your .rm and ram files to where your homepage is located, in this case:

www.Safis-Web.com/mypage

To see if you have made your Meta file correctly, open the file by double-clicking it. If it plays the song then you have done the right job, if not check the URL you have written in the Meta file. Note that for Meta file to work you must have uploaded your .rm file to the URL which you have written in your Meta file.

Editing Your HTML File

You are now one step away from having a website with professional music files. To accomplish the last step open your HTML file and put a link to your ram file with the full path. For example:

<a href="http://www.Safis-Web.com/mypage/mysong.ram">listen to</a>.

Note that you put a link to your ram file not to .rm file. That is what streams the music. Your are done! Put links to all the songs you would like your visitors to listen to and enjoy!

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Akmal Khan Sapay
Music Editor
Safis Web

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Go Back To:

What Is Streaming Media | Encoding Your Media | Making Meta Files

See Also: Windows Media Streaming | QuickTime Streaming