Articles
MP3 - What Is An MP3?
By Barry Walker
The MP3 file format, MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is a music file that uses lossy data compression so that what would be a large wav file would be compressed into a much smaller file size which would be easier to share. Whats would be 42 Megabite file could be compressed to 4 Megabites.
MP3's are normally encoded using an Audio Editor such as Audacity using the LAME encoder plugin and are usually encoded to a rate of 128 or 192 Kilobites Per Second with a sample rate of 44 kHz. The best rates however are 192 or 320 KBPS and these rates should be used on professional websites. Obviously, the higher the bit rate the better.
The format has become really popular, even more popular than the MS equivelant WMA, and seems to be outselling CD Formats. The MP3 file format can either be played on your home computer or a personal MP3 player such as an iPod. But, more recently Mobile/Cell phones are now playing MP3's and music fans have started to use them as their portable music player. Ringtones are now being recorded in the MP3 file format these days.
MP3's can be shared for free (as long as you have permission from the copyright owner to do so) or can be bought and sold at MP3 stores on the internet from websites such as djdownloads.com and imodownload.com. Best Places to get free MP3 Downloads are netlabels that distribute MP3's of its artists for free, some of which you can actually add the MP3's to your own website if you have one
The MP3 Format has had its bad share of press due to illegal file sharing, which has resulted in some big name distribution companies going into Liquidation and all major record labels having to make staff cuts. It must be stressed, if you dont own the copyright, dont share it unless you have permission. Buying or downloading the track DOES NOT give you permission to share or copy it.
One way that Record Companies have tried to combat illegal file sharing was to use Digital Rights Management. This poses some problems however, if the website you bought it from ceases to exist, you MP3 Downloads then become unusable if it hasnt been recorded to CD so that it can play on normal CD playback.
The MP3 is now starting to become the norm in every household, even people you thought werent technical savvy (or too old to be) are now grasping MP3 as the favorite format for music.
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