MP3 player

The multimedia filter embeds MP3 files in a streaming player made with Flash. The big MP3 player is used when an MP3 file is added as a resource e.g. Moodle Features Demo: MP3 file. The small player is used when an MP3 file is linked to from within a forum post or another resource or activity using the HTML editor.

MP3 player rates

To ensure that MP3 files are played at the correct rate, sample rates of 11, 22 or 44 kHz should be used. Constant Bit Rate (CBR) files are also recommended over Variable Bit Rate (VBR) files.

Flash security settings

Security changes in Flash player 7 may result in the MP3 player not playing MP3 files hosted on a remote server. This issue may be resolved by writing a cross-domain policy for the remote server and/or each user changing their global security settings in the Flash player settings manager.

Cross-domain policy

To create a cross-domain policy, save the code below as crossdomain.xml and place the file at the root of the remote server.

<cross-domain-policy>
   <allow-access-from domain="www.yourmoodlesite.org" />
</cross-domain-policy>

Please refer to Macromedia - Developer Center: Security Changes in Macromedia Flash Player 7 for further details.

Global security settings

Please refer to Macromedia - Flash Player Help: Global Privacy Settings Panel.

MP3 player colours

theme/yourtheme/config.php contains options for changing the default colours (black, white and grey) of the MP3 player.

$THEME->resource_mp3player_colors = 
 'bgColour=000000&btnColour=ffffff&btnBorderColour=cccccc&iconColour=000000&'.
 'iconOverColour=00cc00&trackColour=cccccc&handleColour=ffffff&loaderColour=ffffff&'.
 'font=Arial&fontColour=3333FF';
/// With this you can control the colours of the "big" MP3 player 
/// that is used for MP3 resources.

$THEME->filter_mediaplugin_colors = 
 'bgColour=000000&btnColour=ffffff&btnBorderColour=cccccc&iconColour=000000&'.
 'iconOverColour=00cc00&trackColour=cccccc&handleColour=ffffff&loaderColour=ffffff&';
/// ...And this controls the small embedded player

MP3 playback options

theme/yourtheme/config.php contains options for changing the playback options of the MP3 player.

• waitForPlay determines whether the MP3 file starts downloading as soon as the player appears on the page (waitForPlay=no), or whether the play button must be pressed before the MP3 file starts downloading (waitForPlay=yes).

• autoPlay determines whether the MP3 player starts playing the MP3 as soon as the player appears on the page (autoPlay=yes), or whether it must be fully downloaded before playing (autoPlay=no).

• buffer determines how many seconds of the MP3 file must be downloaded before the MP3 starts playing e.g. 10 seconds (buffer=10).

Default playback options

• Big MP3 player: buffer=10&waitForPlay=no&autoPlay=yes
• Small MP3 player: waitForPlay=yes&autoPlay=no

See also

• Using Moodle Multimedia resource filtering on the course page forum discussion
• Using Moodle mp3 player rates forum discussion
• Podcasting