How to Import sounds in Flash CS4

You place sound files into Flash by importing them into the library for the current document.

Flash stores sounds in the library along with bitmaps and symbols. You need only one copy of a sound file to use that sound multiple ways in your document.

If you want to share sounds among Flash documents, you can include the sounds in shared libraries.

Flash includes a Sounds library containing many useful sounds that can be used for effects. To open the Sounds library, choose Window > Common Libraries > Sounds. To import a sound from the Sounds library to your FLA file, drag the sound from the Sounds library to the Library panel of your FLA file. You can also drag sounds from the Sounds library to other shared libraries.

Sounds can use large amounts of disk space and RAM. However, mp3 sound data is compressed and smaller than WAV or AIFF sound data. Generally, when using WAV or AIFF files, it’s best to use 16-22 kHz mono sounds (stereo uses twice as much data as mono), but Flash can import either 8- or 16-bit sounds at sample rates of 11, 22, or 44 kHz. Sounds recorded in formats that are not multiples of 11 kHz (such as 8, 32, or 96 kHz) are resampled when imported into Flash. Flash can convert sounds to lower sample rates on export.

If you want to add effects to sounds in Flash, it’s best to import 16-bit sounds. If you have limited RAM, keep your sound clips short or work with 8-bit sounds instead of 16‑bit sounds.

Note: The ASND format is a non-destructive audio file format, native to Adobe Soundbooth. ASND files can contain audio data with effects that can be modified later, Soundbooth multitrack sessions, and snapshots that allow you to revert to a previous state of the ASND file.