MP3 is the most popular compression format for audio files. In
this article, we will take a look at how MP3 works and how you
can make your own MP3 files.

Uncompressed audio files are very large. A 1-minute CD quality
stereo song requires approximately 10 MB of hard disk space.
Without compression to reduce this size, relatively few songs
would be able to be stored on a computer hard drive, and compact
devices like portable MP3 players would not exist, or would cost
thousands of dollars.

The same one-minute audio file can be encoded in MP3 format and
only require about 1 MB of disk space. This amazing reduction in
file size is accomplished by discarding some of the audio data
that is outside the hearing range of the typical listener. An
MP3 file will sound almost as good as the original CD but the
file size will be about one-tenth.

There is a balance between how much audio data can be removed
and the quality of the sound. The most common MP3 compression
uses 128 kilobits per second (kbps), but many people claim there
is a noticeable amount of distortion at this setting. For people
with critical listening requirements, 160 kbps is the minimum
setting "� it produces files which are slightly larger than 128
kbps but the sound is closer to CD quality. Lower settings such
as 96 kbps or 64 kbps introduce noticeable noise into the audio.
They are suitable for spoken voice recordings but not for music.

You can encode your own MP3 files using any of the hundreds of
software packages on the market today. Many of them are free,
and you can use them to rip music from CDs and encode them to
MP3 in one step. To decide which settings to use, start by
encoding a piece of music you are familiar with. Save three
files - 128 kbps, 160 kbps and 192 kbps, and then compare the
original CD to these three files. This simple test will help you
choose which setting is suitable for your own listening
requirements.

About the author:
Ross is an enthusiast audio professional take advantage of his
knowledge about href="http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/product-pages/Howto.h
tm">MP3, AAC,OGG, FLAC SHN and other compression techniques

Author : Ross MacIver
Site : www.goarticles.com

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