To integrate audio into Moodle, we have two options:
- Upload an audio file in the course and then link to it by using any text editor. If Moodle has the multimedia filter working, and if we are talking about MP3 files, a flash player will automatically be inserted to play the file. We have seen this in Chapter 1, Getting Ready for Multimedia in Moodle.
Note
The flash player in Moodle only accepts MP3 files with a sample rate of 11.025, 22.050, or 44.100 kHz, a bitrate below 128 Kbps, and preferably CBR (Constant Bit Rate) over VBR (Variable Bit Rate). Usually, you won't have problems, but if you hear a chipmunk-like sound when you play one of these files in Moodle, the problem will probably be in one of these properties.
- Upload an audio file to an online service and then embed it in Moodle.
The same applies to other audio formats recognized by the multimedia plugin in Moodle (in audio, Real Player for now, in video others such as Windows Media Player or Apple QuickTime). In this case, we will need to have the players installed in our computer and these will be embedded in the Moodle course. However, the easiest one is MP3, as we just need the flash plugin. We can convert any audio to MP3 using Audacity, a tool we will explore in a moment. So now that we have the sources for our raw materials, let's have a look at how we can build on the work of others and create our own audio.