Music, music, music!

I have been asked how I added music to my journal.

Disclaimer:  I am not an expert; I function via trial and error.

First, I have to say thank you to all the folks who have posted their methods for adding music.  I learned a lot from them.

Before I get started with the instructions, here are a few things that I've learned.  There are multiple ways to add music.  The mp3 file format works better than wma.  For some reason, the same song in wma is huge and takes forever to upload.  Naturally, most of my music was in wma format.  (WMA is the format for Windows Media Player).  If your files are not in mp3 format, I strongly suggest that you convert them.  You can use some fancy program or do what I did. 

Open Real Player (it's a free download if you don't have it). Pop in the CD with your music on it.  Make certain that you select CD/DVD from the Real Player menu bar to the left, next select "save tracks."  A window will open and you may select the tracks that you want to save.  The default is that all tracks are selected and if you want them all, then just click okay.  Real Player saves the tracks in mp3 format.  You should designate a folder to save your music too.  Mine is called, My Music (clever, huh?).

1. Decide what song you want to add to your journal and copy down the file name exactly.

2. You have to upload the file to the web. AOL makes that simple by providing us with web space. 

3. Go to keywords, type in "My FTP" and hit enter.  A window will open.  Select "My FTP Space." 

4. Another window will open, select "Upload." 

5. And yet another window will open.  Make certain that "binary" is selected. 

6. Type in the remote file name--that's your song!  Use all lower case letters and don't leave spaces between words, for example, if the song is Ave Maria, type avemaria. You also have to put the file type on it so it will look like this: avemaria.mp3.

7. Select "continue." 

8. New window, click on "select file".  Another window opens and you  browse your hard drive until you find your file. 

9. When you locate the file (song) select it, click open and the title will  appear in the blank space of the FTP window. 

10. Next, click "send" and the upload will begin.  When it is done, you'll receive the "file done" message.

You have to use HTML code to link the song to your journal.  There are many ways to write this but I went looking for the easiest that I could find.

Here's the code:

<a href= "http://members.aol.com/your screen name/thesongfilename.mp3">song title etc.</a>

The only thing that you should change is the text in red.

For Ave Maria, my code looks like this:

<a href= "http://members.aol.com/aimer/07avemaria.mp3">Ave Maria</a>

I also have a link in my About Me box that reads "click here for holiday song."  The code looks like this:

<a href= "http://members.aol.com/aimer/07avemaria.mp3">click here for holiday song</a>

The 07 is before avemaria because that's part of the way the song is identified on my hard drive.

You do not have to use red text.  I just used it to make it easy to see what you need to change to add your song! 

Copy and paste the code in your About Me section or in a journal entry.  IMPORTANT: Prior to pasting in the HTML code, select  HTML under "View as."  You have a choice of "Text" or "HTML" when adding to About Me or making a new entry.  Choose HTML, paste in the HTML code, and save.

There will be a hyperlink in the About Me or journal entry where you placed the code.  Click the link and the music will play.