Why is MP3 Music Always a Better Choice?

 

MP3, or multi-channel audio file, is a compressed digital audio format widely used in portable media players such as iPods and digital portable music devices (such as iPods) as well as computer systems. MP3 is also a coding format for computer-generated digital audio, developed by the Fraunhofer Society on behalf of the German academic community. Although it has become an established format, some regard MP3 as inferior to, or perhaps even a superset of, the standard CD audio format. Despite this, and despite the many possible benefits of using MP3 to transfer digital audio files, a few disadvantages remain which may dissuade potential users. Some of these disadvantages are discussed below.

To begin with, a very high quality photograph or film can only be made in an appropriate environment. Thus, in case you wish to use an MP3 to copy music or video content, it would be preferable to have a home theater system. While an MP3 recording cannot be used on a regular CD-ROM drive, it is still possible to make digital copies using this medium. On the other hand, an MP3 recording will only play on a computer if the file is properly formatted. It is advisable therefore to have a sound card which can read the most common formats such as Winamp, FLV, AIFF, or ALAC.

Secondly, despite the popularity of MP3 files, they do incur some limitations such as the inability to compress data which results in loss of information and quality when copied to a CD or a DVD. This is the major drawback of the format as far as the amateur audio enthusiast is concerned. Another major disadvantage is that if the quality of the audio file is very poor, the resulting file may not be very audible. An even bigger problem in the lossless format is the relatively slow speed with which it converts the files to lower quality bit rate audio files.

One other major disadvantage associated with the MP3 format is its cost. The conversion into lossless data is expensive and hence the format is only affordable by large companies whose audio files require high quality conversions. A single mistake while recording can result in huge losses which may even render the entire project incomplete. Also, due to the complexity of the technology involved, mastering the audio files is often beyond the capacity of most amateur audio enthusiasts.

Despite these disadvantages, the popularity of the MP3 format has seen a sudden rise in recent times due to the increased availability of cheap computers and laptops with the built-in CD burners. With the increasing popularity of portable music players such as the iPod and the iPad, there is an increasing chance that the popularity of the MP3 will surge even further. This is likely to change the face of the music industry not only in terms of market share but also in terms of revenue generation. Due to the low cost and portability of the format, the aspiring artists and musicians are now having much more access to the audio files which are required for creating professional sounding music.

There are several options available for converting audio files to lossless or compact disk format. Some are much better than others. It is advisable to study the conversion options available on the various formats to get a clear idea of the performance of each format. It is also important to know whether the format you intend to use requires any special conversions or not.