No matter what the actual red tape is, you'll need to jump through all the required hoops before you can give out free samples. Usually, the most significant server setup action that must be performed properly is defining the MIME type. Originally, MIME was a data transfer specification used when transmitting nontextual files attached to e-mail messages. This delivery scheme soon found applications in other information services, especially the Web. On the Web, MIME is used to define and describe a file's data type.
MIME designations are configurable on both the server and the client.
A file's MIME designation resides in a header field. This header field, called the Content-Type, is attached to the lead packet of data so that the receiving client can properly handle the data format. The required MIME types for each multimedia file type are usually clearly defined in the documentation accompanying the authoring tool or the server software required for distribution. The MIME definition on the server simply defines the content or type of data a particular file contains. The MIME definition on the client actually determines what application handles the data once it is received.