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Audio Help

mp3 Sound Samples

Albanyrecords.com offers more than 400 sound samples to help you find the music you're looking (and listening) for. All music audio clips are indicated by the speaker icon below the CD cover on product pages. To hear the clips, simply click on the note or the speaker.

What You Need To Hear mp3 Samples

You can use RealPlayer to listen to mp3 files, as well as a number of other media players. (QuickTime WinAmp, windows media Player, Macamp etc) If your system is not equipped with a RealPlayer, you can download one at no charge below:

  • If you use a Windows-based PC (95/98/NT) with a Pentium-class processor or the Macintosh operating system, download the latest RealPlayer. This player provides the highest sound quality available.
  • If you use Win 3.1, NT 3.5.x, or Unix, download the RealPlayer 5.0.
  • If you are a WebTV user, your system already supports RealAudio. For more information about WebTV's audio features, visit the WebTV help pages, or contact them at 1-800-469-3288.
Can't Hear Any Sound?

This could mean that you still need to install the RealPlayer. To install your RealPlayer once it is downloaded, locate and launch the file you downloaded by exploring your hard drive or choosing the Run option in the Start menu. (The file is where your Web browser saved it.) This will begin the RealPlayer 7 Minimal Download setup process.

If you don't know where you saved the file on a Windows system, first check to see if it is on your desktop. If it is, simply double-click the icon to launch the RealPlayer installation program. Otherwise, use the Find command and search all drives on the system for "rp7-complete-setup" (note: this is the file name of the latest version of the RealPlayer). Similarly, on a Macintosh you can find the file by using the "Find File" utility from your main menu. Once you find and run this installation program, your browser should be set up to play a RealAudio file.

Problems Accessing RealPlayer Once You've Downloaded It?

Normally when you install the RealPlayer, it automatically sets up your Web browser for you. If your RealPlayer is not launched when you click on a link to a song, you will need to manually configure your browser for RealAudio.

The file-type settings for your browser are probably found in the Preferences or Options for your browser under Viewers or Helper Applications, but if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer or the AOL browser, you may find them by double-clicking on the My Computer icon on your desktop and then choosing Options under View in your menu bar.

Here is the file-type description to enter into your browser preferences for helper applications:

  • Description: RealPlayer (or other application)
  • MIME Type: audio/mpeg
  • File Extensions: .mp3

Find the directory into which the RealPlayer was installed, and select it as the application to launch.

Sound Quality Problems?

This is most likely due to traffic on either your local network or the Internet at large. The best thing to do in this situation is to try listening again later. If audio sounds too fast, too slow, scratchy, or distorted, changing the RealPlayer 7 performance settings may help:

  • From the View menu, choose Preferences.
  • Click the Performance tab.
  • Click the Settings button in the Sound Card Compatibility section.
  • Select the Disable 16-bit sound or Disable custom sampling rates check boxes to modify the way that RealPlayer and the sound card interact. You may need to experiment to find a combination of settings that works best for your computer.
  • Click OK in the Sound Card Compatibility dialog box.
  • Click OK in the Preferences dialog box to save your changes.
Still Having Trouble?

If you cannot find the information you need on RealNetworks' Help and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, please send us an e-mail message at techhelp@albanyrecords.com and one of our technical support specialists will respond as quickly as possible. Please include the following information in your e-mail:

  • Your e-mail address
  • The filename number written at the end of our URL
  • The type and version of your operating system
  • The type and version of your Internet browser
  • The type and version of the audio program you are using to listen to sound clips
  • A description of what you experienced

We hope you enjoy listening to the sound clips available at Albany Records!