When, Where, and How Should You Use a WordPress Audio Player?
A common page that has some interesting content and amazing photos can be quite boring. A nice calm song can be that special touch that will provide visitors with an amazing user-experience.
It can be a good option for composers as well. It would be great if people could open your page and enjoy your work right away as they browse your site.
A music track may also be used with blogs. You can add a corresponding track to create a special atmosphere. It’s always nice to read an article while listening to some nice ambient music. However, some people may find it distracting, so you need to add the audio control features, so visitors can stop the track and adjust the volume.
A music track would be a nice addition to make your website even more interesting and entertaining. It’s also important to choose the correct tracks. Of course, it’s up to you, but if you have a blog with articles, then you should consider adding a track that won’t distract visitors from reading. Moreover, people prefer different music, so you may need to add several tracks so the visitor can choose the one they like.
The WordPress audio player is super useful if you want to share your work. You may work alone or have a band. The page can be a good option if you want to promote your band and let people listen to something you’ve created.
An important factor to consider when you add a media element (images, videos, music files) is to consider the overall performance. The idea is simple – the content should be loaded as fast as possible so visitors don’t need to wait too long. The same is true for audio files. Moreover, your website has to be mobile-friendly. As a website designer, you should keep in mind that loading times affect visitors’ behavior.
You need to optimize your audio tracks. The process is very similar to image optimizing. You need to “compress” the audio track. When we optimize an image – we can reduce its size a bit, so visitors won’t see any difference, but the file becomes smaller. You can reduce the audio track bitrate. The file becomes smaller, but people may not notice the difference when listening. However, you should be careful here. Again, it’s like working with images. If you decrease the bitrate too much – the audio track will turn into a mess with some noise. A low-quality audio track can be used as a “preview” file. Content protection is very important if you want to sell it. Therefore, a possible solution would be uploading a short version, just to let people get the general idea of how the track sounds.
You shouldn’t ignore file formats as well. MP3 will do – it combines good quality and the file size isn’t large (however, it depends on bitrate).
An audio track can make your website more entertaining, but you need to optimize the content before you upload it. It will guarantee a higher level of performance.
The best WordPress audio player plugins
There are various plugins available. Therefore, you may need to spend some time to find the WordPress mp3 player that works for you. Here are some of the most advanced and popular plugins.
Compact WP Audio Player
This is a small, yet powerful plugin that uses the Flash HTML5 combination. It helps to embed an audio file. This plugin is completely compatible with all the popular browsers. It uses HTML5 so you can be sure that it will work correctly on devices that run on iOS. It has an autoplay feature and it supports mp3 and ogg files. Moreover, it chooses the right file if you have the same track in both formats (the plugin detects the device used).
Mb.miniAudioPlayer
Here is one of the best WordPress audio player plugins when you need a flexible and simple solution. It comes with all the necessary elements to create a complex and responsive player. It can be easily customized – you can make the download button visible, hide or show the time counter, etc. Unfortunately, it has some issues with the codecs, so you need to install them manually.
However, developers are still working on this plugin.
MP3-jPlayer
This is a mobile-friendly audio player for WordPress. It supports playlists and it can play content from a media library, uploaded folders, or URLs. You can change its’ style, color, and layout (you can modify the player’s design using CSS). It has numerous useful features, which can show various elements based on user status (visitor or logged-in user).
It supports numerous audio formats like mp3, m4a, oga, ogg, wav, and webm. The player is compatible with various browsers and platforms – it works properly with Android and iOS devices.
Html5 Audio Player
Here’s an elegant solution. It is easy to use and it’s fully customizable. The “Pro” version has numerous features, like hiding and showing buttons (restart, play, download). This plugin is compatible with the most popular browsers. It uses the shortcode feature. This plugin is extremely easy to use.
AudioIgniter
This is a good option if you are looking for a powerful solution. The layout is very responsive. You can also change the settings per playlist. It can show and hide various buttons and sections of the player. It’s possible to add a custom “buy track” field. The paid version has more features that are useful. This plugin was tested with various free themes and it worked properly. Developers still fix issues as they arise and work on it often, so it can become extremely powerful as it progresses.
It can be done without using any plugins – just use a post editor and add a media file. Don’t forget to add track details as well. You need to select “Embed Media Player.” Of course, it doesn’t provide you with all those nice features that complex plugins do, but sometimes the simpler, the better.
The WordPress audio player can be customized using shortcodes. The built-in tools support playlists too.
Therefore, without using any plugins you can:
- Customize the player
- Use playlists
- Customize playlists
- The player can be placed in different areas (even widgets)
How to install a WordPress audio player
You can install a plugin in different ways. If you want to learn more about it – please check this article. The common process has the following stages:
- You download the necessary plugin from the official page.
- Open the administrator panel and go to “Plugins,” then select “Add new.”
- Upload the plugin file (click “Upload”).
- Click “Install now.”
- When it’s installed, you get the message.
- Click “Activate Plugin.”
Now you can configure the plugin and start using it. Therefore, you can add the element you need without any problems. The platform is super easy to use and it doesn’t require you to have any special knowledge. Of course, if you want to do something advanced-level, you need to know various nuances, but you still can create an amazing website without coding and that’s what many users like about this platform.
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