In this tutorial you will learn how to add sound to your Flash Movie. This tutorial explains how to Import sound files into your Flash movie and then looks at the two different ways in which Flash handles sound: Event and Streamed sound. There is an explanation of both sound types and practical instructions of how to use each of these in your Flash Movies.
Importing Sound into your Flash Movie
Common Library
Flash comes with a small Library of sounds that you can use. They are the type of sounds that you would attach to a button so that when the button is clicked you also hear a 'click'. To access the sounds:
Go to: Window > Common Libraries > Sounds
This opens a panel with a list of sounds:
Common Sound Library
To Listen to the sounds:
- Select the sound name in the lower section.
- Click the play button
in the top section.
There are a number of ways to get a sound from the common Library into your Movie.
- Open your own Library: Window > Library
- Move the Libraries so that they are one next to the other.
- Drag a file from the Common Library to your Movie Library
A sound file in the movie Library after it has been dragged from one library into the other.
Note: You cannot use the sound unless it is in your own movie Library.
Another way of getting a sound file into your movie is to drag it from the Common Library directly onto the Stage. Even though you drag onto the Stage you will find the sound in the time line!
A sound which has been dragged onto the Stage ends up in the TImeline.
Note: Once you dragged a sound onto the Stage you will find that it is in your own movie library. It will stay in your library even if you remove the sound from the timeline.
Importing an External Sound File
You cannot import any sound, it can only be certain file formats:
- WAV (Windows only)
- AIFF (Macintosh only)
- MP3 (Windows or Macintosh)
If QuickTime 4 (or later) is installed on your system, you can also import these:
- AIFF (Windows or Macintosh)
- Sound Designer II (Macintosh only)
- Sound Only QuickTime Movies (Windows or Macintosh)
- Sun AU (Windows or Macintosh)
- System 7 Sounds (Macintosh only)
- WAV (Windows or Macintosh)
To import a sound file into Flash go to either:
File > Import or
File > Import to Library
Browse to where your file is located.
Select a file and click: Open
It does not matter which Import method you use as either way the file ends up in your library.
Event or Streamed Sound
Event
An event sound is one which plays to the end of the sound file no matter what else is happening in your Flash movie. That means that once it starts to play it cannot be turned off! For this reason event sounds are usually short. The most common use for an event sound is to attach it to a button. When you click the button it makes a sound - it's a bit like a door bell except it is a button bell.
An event sound must be downloaded before it will play. This is important because sound files can be very large. This is another reason why event sounds tend to be short. Remember that once a particular sound has been used once, it can be used again and again without having to re-download. Therefore it is better (in download terms) to have a few sounds attached to many buttons than every button have it's own unique sound.
If somebody clicks on a button that has a sound attached and the sound has not yet downloaded the button will still work. It will just be silent.
Streamed
Streamed sound does not need to be downloaded to play. It downloads and plays simultaneously. If you have sounds that are more than a few seconds long you should used streamed sound. The disadvantage is that on a slow Internet connection the sound/music may be of poor quality. You either have to make sure that the sound is not played until the entire file has downloaded or accept that the quality may not brilliant on all machines.
- Open a new Flash file.
- Set up the size of the document by going to: Modify > Document
The size of my file is: 100 x 30 - Place a button on the stage. You can either make your own button or...
Drag a button out of the common Library: Window > Common Libraries > Buttons
Note: If you take a button from the Common Button Library avoid Knobs, Faders and Component buttons as they work differently.
Cross Ref: If you want to learn how to make buttons see tutorial: Beginners - Buttons - When you have a button on Stage right click (Mac Ctrl click) and from the menu select: Edit
- In the Timeline click on the Insert Layer button:
- Name the layer: Sound
Note: Macromedia recommend that sound is always placed in its own layer.
Editing the Button: Creating a new Layer for the sound. - In the Sound layer right click in the Down frame and select: Insert Blank Keyframe
Blank Key Frame in the Sound layer, located in the Down Frame. - Open the Sound Library: Window > Common Libraries > Sounds
- With the Sound layer - Down Frame still selected drag one of the sounds onto the Stage. I selected: Beam Scan
The sound is now in the frame.
Note: Even though you drag the sound onto the Stage the ends up in the Timeline. You can now see a horizontal line going through the Down Frame. This is a graphic representation of the sound. - Open the Property Inspector: Window > Properties
- As long as the same Frame is still selected you should see a settings for sound. Under Sync it should say: Event
If it does not say Event use the drop down menu to select: Event
The sound settings are towards the right of the Property Inspector.
Note: You can only see Sync if the Property Inspector is in expanded view. If you cannot see the Sync setting click on the expand button
in the bottom right corner.
Note: If you want to remove the sound, select None from the drop down arrow where is says - Sound: Beam Scan. - Your button is now ready to test: Control > Test Movie
Credits: This sample file was submitted by Buffalo Audio: A site offering professional voice-over narration and custom music/sound effects.
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