The different types of multimedia applications include live performances and demonstrations of products through the use of multimedia displays, as well as various applications for multimedia in advertising. Much of this advertising utilizes computers and is often found on the Internet, in which animations, sounds, and text are frequently combined to create an interactive or multimedia advertisement for a particular product or service. The term “multimedia applications” can also refer to the various programs used to create multimedia works, and these include animation programs, sound engineering and recording software, and compositing programs used to combine various raw source files.
There are many different ways in which multimedia can be utilized in various applications, though these are often commercial in nature. Such commercial uses can also be artistic, however, such as live performances of music or theatrical productions. Musical concerts, for example, can utilize multimedia presentations, as various visuals are used to accompany the live music being played, including laser light shows and projected images of animation or filmed footage on a large screen behind the performers. Performance artist works are often seen as types of multimedia applications, especially those that incorporate computers to create images and audio to accompany their own performances.
Other multimedia applications are far more overtly commercial in nature, such as advertisements found on Internet websites. These advertisements can be fairly simple, such as pictures and text similar to what might be found in a magazine or other printed media. More complex multimedia applications in advertising combine more types of media to create memorable advertisements that include animations and that may even interact with the content of a webpage. Interactive advertisements can also be created using these same types of media, allowing potential customers to establish a personal connection with the product or business being advertised.
Multimedia applications can also refer to those software programs actually used to create multimedia works, including both artistic and commercial works. A number of different animation programs can be used to create multimedia, and these are often used to make original images and animations. There are also programs that can be used to assemble various pieces of media into a single presentation or executable file, such as programs that assemble separate images into slides for a slideshow. More elaborate multimedia applications can allow various images, video and audio files, and text to be layered and edited together to create a final product.