The ABC's of MP3

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE




MP3 ISN'T EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S CLOSE: MP3 isn't the only compressed audio file format in town. Microsoft promotes its WMA format, Apple uses AAC for iTunes Music Store downloads, RealNetworks has RealAudio files. All three claim their format is best, and each one contains Digital Rights Management technology that can limit where, when or how you might use the files. Both MP3 and the open-source favorite Ogg Vorbis are unrestricted, meaning you can copy, play, and manipulate the files any way you choose. When in doubt go with MP3—it's supported by just about any playback device you'll own now or in the future.




BIGGER FILES = BETTER FILES: The one setting you should consider adjusting before ripping MP3s is the bit rate. The higher the bit rate, the better the sound quality but the larger the file size. The standard setting is usually 128 Kbps, which is a good compromise. If you'll be saving the music files to a big fat hard drive, though, try ripping at 192 and 256 Kbps as well, then decide if the audio improvement justifies the increased file size.




YOU ARE YOUR OWN RECORD COMPANY: If your computer can burn CDs, you can create standard audio CDs from MP3 files by converting them into WAV files. The sound quality isn't perfect, but it's a great way to listen to your digital audio files on a car CD player. You can also burn regular old MP3 files to disc. Because MP3s are small, you can fit approximately 10 albums worth on a single CD, but you'll need a compatible player to listen to it.




THE FINE PRINT MATTERS: Purchasing songs via digital download isn't a big business yet, but it's growing. Leading online vendors include BuyMusic, MusicNet, Rhapsody and iTunes Music Store. Read the fine print, though: Some services only let you listen to songs you've bought as long as you remain a subscriber, others sell songs in formats that may not work with your portable player.




MUSIC WANTS TO BE FREE… There are many opportunities to download MP3s legally, for free. Check out mp3.com, where you'll find a mix of established artists and wannabes offering free tracks. Other good sources: record company and music magazine sites.




…EXCEPT WHEN IT DOESN'T: The Recording Industry Association of America believes that sharing copyrighted music on the Internet is illegal. To prove its point, the group has started to sue individuals who use file-sharing software. Leading file-sharing programs include Kazaa, LimeWire and BearShare. What you did with them used to be your own business. Now, it's also that of the RIAA.