Best audio file formats for social media sharing
You found a new favorite song, so naturally you’re dying to pull a “you-gotta-hear-this-song” and upload it to your favorite social network. But there are all kinds of obstacles you can encounter. The file size is too large, the file extension isn’t compatible with social sharing, and so on. There are a few tips that can save you a few headaches and help ensure your prestigious status as the first friend to break the best songs to your social connections.
MP3 offer versatility
When it comes down to nuts and bolts, an MP3 file is the most versatile file format for audio files all the way around. The primary reason for this is that they’re compatible with many different programs and applications – plus, they’re compressed. Compressed files mean you can store more of them on your hard drive (more music!) and they’re easier to attach without exceeding your file size limits.
The other benefit to using MP3 files is that whoever you’re sending the files to will more than likely be able to actually play them. Too many other file extensions are designed to work with specific programs. Ever receive one of those audio jokes in your email only to find out that it’s compatible only with some never-before-heard-of obscure program that you don’t have access to?
No audio sharing capabilities on social networks
But here’s the thing: When it comes right down to it, popular social networks like Facebook don’t actually even offer the ability to upload an audio file. You can upload a video – but not a standalone audio file. Likewise, Google+ allows you to post a link, a video, even an event. Want to share an audio file? You’re out of luck. Or are you?
There are some ways around this obvious gap in uploading capabilities on your favorite social networks. Some streaming music apps are easily integrated with Facebook – if you’ve ever noticed those frequent updates in your news feed letting you know what your contacts are listening to at this very moment, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
The most obvious solution is to convert an audio file into a link and upload it that way. And that’s possible. There are a number of free tools that will generate an easily-sharable link when you upload an audio file. In fact, that’s the way most users share YouTube videos. Rather than embed the video itself, they simply share a link. The video-sharing feature is useful, however, for those times when you get to see your old high school classmate’s toddler busting a move to “I’m Sexy and I Know It.”
But that same YouTube-video-as-a-simple-link functionality works the same way for an audio file. Simply search for a third-party application that will allow you to upload an audio file and generate a link.
There’s no question that the social networks are a little behind the curve when it comes to audio file sharing. It’s probably a layer of protection to avoid the potential pitfalls of getting involved in promoting the illegal sharing of files, but for those who want to legitimately share a personal audio file or music in a non-piracy way, there are some tools that can help you do so.
Author Bio
Flynn Star is a video and music blogger who use the mp3 converter free download at KoyoteSoft.com when creating videos and sharing them online. You can convert to mp3 using KoyoteSoft too!
