MSN TV - Customizing Your Emails
Part 9 - Sounds




Those pre-made email signatures that we looked at way back in Part 1 had some cool songs that accompanied the graphics. So, how do those crafty folks put those tunes in their emails?



First, they have to find a source with a list of music, or sound files, which they can link to from their email signatures.



Not all sound files can be linked to, from email signatures. It all depends on where the sound files reside (are stored). For example, you can find thousands of sound files at Angelfire and Tripod (2 FREE webhosting services) but, Angelfire and Tripod prohibit remote linking. If you have a webpage at either Angelfire or Tripod, you, or anyone else can listen to the sound files on your webpage, at the time you (or they) are visiting your webpage. But, if you try to link to one of these sound files from your email signature, your email will be muted.



So, what we need to do first is, find a source of linkable sound files. Guess what? I just happen to have found such a source. I'm sure that in your future internet travels, you'll find many more sources of linkable sound files.


Here is a site that contains links to linkable midi sites.Click Here.


After you've found a tune that you want to use in your email signature, then you have to create a code to place into your signature box. The code must include the address where the sound file resides.



To find and copy the address:
  • Find a tune (you can find one at the above site).


  • Click on the "song title" to play the song.


  • While the song is playing, press the "go to" key on your keyboard.


  • A popup screen will appear.


  • Move your cursor down to the "show last" button.


  • Click this button.


  • The address of the song (sound file) will appear in the "address box".


  • Press and hold down the "cmd" key and at the same time, tap the "a" key once.


  • Release the "cmd" key.


  • This will highlight the address in the "address box".


  • Press and hold down the "cmd" key and at the same time, tap the "c" key once.


  • Release the "cmd" key.


  • This will copy (save) the address into your browser's memory.




  • Go to your signature box, and type in this code:


    <<>bgsound src="This is where you paste the address that you have saved in your browser's memory...Press and hold down the "cmd" key and at the same time tap the "v" key."<>>



    Here is where the <<>bgsound src<>> code is positioned in a typical string of basic HTML CODING:

    <<>html<>>
    <<>body<>>
    <<>bgsound src="http://address_of_sound_source"<>>
    <<>/body<>>
    <<>/html<>>



    The above <<>bgsound src<>> code will play the tune one time only.



    To play the tune more than once, you can include a "loop" attribute to the <<>bgsound src<>> code.

    The code will look like this:


    <<>bgsound src="http://address_of_sound_source" loop="2"<>>


    The song will now play a couple of times.



    To repeatedly play the tune over and over, use the "loop" attribute once again, only this time, use "-1".

    The code will look like this:


    <<>bgsound src="http://address_of_sound_source" loop="-1"<>>



    You can place a clickable "PLAY button" in your email signature, so that the viewer of your email has a choice of either listening to music or not listening to music, while reading your email.

    This is what the clickable "PLAY button" looks like:



    Go ahead and click it, no one's looking, you know you want to.

    Here's what the clickable "PLAY button" code looks like:


    <<>embed src="http://address_of_sound_source"<>>


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    ©Lefty's Real Deal 2003