This is one of those posts that strives to inspire y’all to upgrade your version of Skype. So what is it this time? In a word: sound. The sound of music. The sound of silence. The sound of the bearded supplier in Macedonia.

There are many factors that affect the way your Skype-to-Skype call sounds. Some are beyond our reach. Others we — and you — can control.

With each new release, Skype’s engineers improve sound and video quality. And because there has been some new-release action recently, it’s worth bearing in mind that you may run into some bumps when a call is placed from an older version of Skype to newer versions. Maybe the only bumps you encounter are goosebumps. Most people won’t notice a thing. But to set your mind at ease and to get the best possible call quality, it’s always worth upgrading.