What Exactly is a MP3?
What does MP3 stand for?
Well, first off, MP3 stands for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3.
Why was it created?
It was created to reduce the amount of size one needed to store a song. The amount of data in a MP3 is 11 times smaller than that of the same song on a CD. A smaller file equals more storage for more songs on our portable audio players. More is better, right?
How is the size of the file reduced?
The reduction process is based on how important a particular sound is to the human ear. The average frequency range that a human ear can hear is 20 Hertz to 20 Kilohertz. So that means anything below or around 20 HZ and above or around 20 KHZ is eliminated. Also, if two sounds happen at the same time and one is louder than the other, the ear is going to hear the louder one because it deems it more important so those quieter sounds are taken out as well.
Is there a difference in quality between a MP3 and CD?
Yes, even though we cannot hear the frequencies below 20 HZ or above 20 KHZ directly, those frequencies still impact how the rest of the frequencies sound. For instance, even though we can't hear the sounds above 20KHZ, we can feel them and they add a richness to the lower frequencies. This isn't noticed as much in CD's since CD's only can contain frequencies that are barely over 20KHZ (22.05KHZ), but more so with the DVD audio format which can contain frequencies up to 96KHZ.
The Future - The demise of the CD.
MP3's are not going anywhere anytime soon. The option to store more songs at a ratio of 11:1 and sacrifice a little bit of audio quality is clearly the popular choice among the public. For those who don't want to sacrifice quality, there is the option of the lossless format that shaves off about 5-20% of the original file size. Either way, it's clear the CD is on a deathbed as a result of the MP3.
Copyright 2010 Dan Rozak
Published by Dan Rozak
Songwriter/Audio Engineer who has recently ventured into the world of writing. His writing topics will focus on music, sports, media, business, and a smattering of life. View profile
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