Information about Real Audio Files

A Real Audio file is a certain type of music file format that is compressed.  Similar to the MP3 file format, the Real Audio file does not take up an abundance of space on a computer or on a server, making the files easy to manage, download, and upload. 

Benefits of the Real Audio File

The biggest benefit that Real Audio files have to offer is that they are compressed.  This means that the audio files are smaller, making them manageable and easy to post to the Internet.  Compared to the WAV file formats, Real Audio files are incredibly small - approximately five percent of the size. 

Musicians and songwriters find Real Audio files very useful.  Typically, they record their music in WAV format, as you cannot record music in Real Audio file format.  Once the songs have been recorded, they convert the music into the Real Audio file format.  The reason for this conversion is that Real Audio files require less Internet space, are easier to load onto Web sites, and are more user-friendly for visitors to download music from the Internet.  

Downfalls of the Real Audio File                                              

The greatest drawback of the Real Audio file is that the sound quality suffers due to its small file size.  However, the difference in sound quality is not extreme.  Some people even say that they have trouble distinguishing between a WAV file and a Real Audio file. 

Another drawback is that you cannot record music using Real Audio files.  If you want your music in a Real Audio file, you must first do all the recording using WAV files, then convert the music into Real Audio files, which is an easy process using a sound converter program, such as WAV Convert PRO, or something similar. 

How Broadband Internet can Benefit Real Audio File Users

If you have a dial-up connection, most likely you will be unable to play Real Audio files or you will encounter problems downloading Real Audio files.  Using a broadband Internet connection will ensure quality sound when reading any Real Audio files.