Can't get audio to play?

We have had a number of calls about audio download and audio playing issues. You may have noticed that we provide two different links, one ending with a file extension "m3u" and the other in "mp3". If you try to download and play the m3u file, you will notice that it downloads instantly, because it is not an audio file at all but a simple text file that tells audio player software installed on your computer to stream the real audio file, which is the one with the mp3 file extension. The actual audio file, the mp3, is much larger and takes some time to download, especially on a slow internet connection. That is why we provide the m3u streaming file, so that the computer will begin playing the stream of audio as it is still loading so that you don't have to wait. If you download the m3u file onto a portable device, it probably won't work. However, that is why the two links are labeled as follows:

Via MP3 stream:
http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.m3u

Download the e-letter via accessible MP3:
http://www.handiham.org/audio/handiham.mp3

So be sure you are downloading the one from the DOWNLOAD link.

If a downloaded file is complete, it will play all the way through to the end UNLESS there is some process interrupting the playback. If you have for some reason interrupted the download, the file will quit playing midstream. If you are steaming the audio as it downloads, the audio buffer may get emptied out before the internet connection can get caught up. In that case, the audio will pause until your internet connection either resumes downloading or until the audio is stopped and started again. These are all common problems with internet media over which we have no control. You will observe such buffering problems at times when the server is busy and the file cannot download ahead of the buffered content. If that happens it may be necessary to try again later.