The Hobby Webmaster Blog

This phase of the update to the AudioArt MusicPlayer site is on the server. I am listening to Magda Hiller as I write this post.

The music player, when opened in this way, opens in a pop-up window. I had to allow pop-ups for it to open automatically when opening the page. I have an emergency link on the page so that the player can be opened with a click if the pop-up is blocked.

Since the player is in a new window outside the normal browser it is possible to stop by the site and get the player and then go on to other things, either surfing the web or even another application. The player will continue to play until you close the pop-up window or the library is exhausted.

This update is a big step forward as far as usability for this site. I do have some further ideas to make the site more interesting to visit, but it does work much better than the original. Stop by and check it out!

The experience with the player on Mixing Live Sound got me to thinking about the players at the AudioArt MusicPlayer site. I think that I know how to get them to perform as I wish now.

I went to my folder and opened the pages. They have not been updated for some time and I know how to make them better as well as bringing the format in line with my current designs. I got a start on that this evening. This is a small site with but a few pages. I will be adding a few more pages in this update cycle, but it is not a big job. I will also be adding the comment system to the pages, trying to make the site more interesting.

Feel free to stop by and check it out. If you look now you will see the original site. I will post here when the update is live.

I have made a music player available to visitors of Mixing Live Sound. The technical aspect is taken care of, but I will add more content and variety to the player. I want to add a page explaining the player and the music a bit more. I will also be adding a video section in this round of expansion of the site.

This was a very good exercise. I had, at some point, figured out how to open a player directly with a link and then forgot how I had done this. On my AudioArt MusicPlayer site it takes too many clicks to open a player. With this experience as well as observations and added experience perhaps I can now make that site work more in the way that I originally wanted it to work.

The videos page/pages are no problem. I am using YouTube videos on several sites. I even have four videos up on YouTube myself (I hope the link works, I have not tried this before). Last year I considered buying a video camera, but the ones that I liked were out of the budget for my intended purposes. I have not been big into videos, although I did have a nice 8mm camera and projector at one time. Video on the consumer level has come a very long way since that time.

Getting good relative content for the video pages will be the biggest problem. I have a couple of mine and the two SAC videos that I will feature and maybe find a few more. I will call for recommendations through the comment system, as well.

Well, I had better leave you now and go fuss with the sites. Stop by and check out the changes if you get the chance.