Yahoo Media Player 2.0 Released

What's probably the easiest, cheapest, and most flexible way to add an audio player to your site just got a whole lot better. Yahoo Media Player (YMP) version 2 launched yesterday, adding a bevy of new features, including:

• Faster load time
• An easier way to specify metadata for tracks
• A way to continue the playback experience when navigating to other pages
• Support for additional media formats beyond MP3, including WMA, WAV, and M4A (though my WMA test file didn't work)
• Support for multiple playlist formats, including XSPF, M3U, and ASX
• Nested playlists
• Easier customization, including a choice between using custom CSS colors or full image skinning
• The option to prevent playback from automatically advancing to the next track
• Playback support for Rhapsody track links

As before, implementing the player requires only plopping a single line of code on your page:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://mediaplayer.yahoo.com/js"></script>

All supported audio links then get a little Play button next to them; clicking it flips open a player. What's especially cool is that the player also complies all links on the page into a playlist. If you're already using YMP on your site, the new version will appear automatically. Check it out:

Birds, Beach, ...and Wind (Source: Review: Edirol R-09 Pocket Digital Recorder)

Rhapsody link (http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.21495413)

Taylor 4141K Guitar (Source: Review: Korg MR-1 Hi-Def Portable Recorder)

Wild Things Clip 2 (Source: Experiments in Sound Design)

Seven-Sound Loop (Source: Korg Kaossilator 4-Bar Loop Hack)

For more on YMP, see my article Three Free & Easy Web Audio Players.