Re-Associating MP3s with Windows Media Player
4July 20, 2006 by Tyson Wynn
We’ve all experienced what I call file-type hijacking. Usually, the last audio program we install on our PC associates itself with all the audio file types on the PC by default (and some do it even when you do a custom install and specifically tell the program not to do so). It can be a real pain. It really comes into play with podcasts.
If you wish to listen to a podcast (like the World-Famous WynnCast) on your PC, rather than downloading to a music device (like an iPod), you usually just click a link to a large mp3. Most of us would like for the mp3 to begin playing, but many programs that associate themselves with mp3s insist on downloading the whol file before it will begn playing. If you’re like me, if you have to wait half an hour for a file to download before you hear it, you have lost interest and moved on. It doesn’t have to be that way. Windows Media Player will actually play the file while the download is in progress. While researching how to fix the problem, I came across all kinds of instrustions of editing the registry and stuff. Getting in the registry is too scary for me. I discovered a little trick to fix the problem, and it is very simple. So, a solution to the problem is just a few quick steps away.
So you know exactly what to do, I have prepared a video demonstration of how to fix the problem, and it is available by clicking here.
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4 comments
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Interesting…I too have been frustrated by this problem when listening to the WynnCast. Unchecking mp3 in the options did not resolve the issue but adding a check in that particular box did. Go figure.
You have to go through the whole process. Remove, click OK. Add, click OK.
Tyson, have you thought about streaming your MP3s?
You may already know how to do this. If you do, just ignore.
I do it two different ways:
1. Type the address of the MP3 into notepad. Then save it with the extension .wma. (Windows Media Audio). After you do that, upload it to a directory on your server. You can, of course, name the directory whatever you like. But to make it easy, you could name it “streaming”, or something like that.
You can then use the address of the streaming file as your link to your podcast. It will automatically start playing soon after a visitor clicks on it, though how fast it starts still depends on how fast their connection is, as you are well aware.
By saving the notepad file with the file extension wma, this forces the visitors computer to bring up Window Media Player everytime.
2. If you have software such as Magix Audio Cleaning Lab 2005, you can convert your MP3′s even more easily by saving them directly as a “wma” file. Easy.
Also, I’ve found that saving them at a bitrate of just 48 to 56 will still give good quality sound without a large file size, but only if you use Audio Cleaning Lab to do it, or similar software. That way dial-up visitors will have a better chance of hearing your podcasts.
I took the liberty of streaming your latest podcast as a demonstration. This is the broadband-quality MP3 file from your site made into a streaming audio file. Tyson
I appreciate the tip on streaming. I have considered it, but the purpose of the WynnCast blog is to deliver the actual mp3 files to folks who use a podcast catching program to put the files on an mp3 player (like an iPod). They can\’t do that if it is a stream link. There are certain podcast sites online that will actually stream the files. Odeo is one, and my feed there is http://odeo.com/channel/2190/view. The Pod Lounge is another, and my feed there is http://www.thepodlounge.com/listfeed.php?feed=39150.
They don’t seem to update as quickly as they should, but it gives folks the option hearing the files streamed.
Thanks for the advice, and I hope it helps some others out.