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What is
MP3?
- What is mp3?
MP3 stands for MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) layer 3, which is a
standard format for storing compressed music. The basic idea is that music
digitized at CD quality has information that can be suppressed with little
or no quality loss, as perceived by most people. Thanks to this and some
mathematics, it is possible to compress a digitized track to about 8 percent
of its original size, or a compression ratio of 12:1.
This means that, while a regular music CD can contain about one hour of
music (74 minutes, actually), a similar CD used to store mp3 files can
contain almost 12 hours of music.
Until a couple of years ago, the MP3 format was not very interesting for
regular users, since there was no affordable hardware to decompress and play
MP3 music on the fly. With the arrival of Pentium processors, this changed
completely. Today, inexpensive machines with successors of the Pentium
processor can easily play MP3 files and still leave enough processing power
for the user to perform regular tasks with their computer. Many people who
spend several hours a day in front of a computer can also use it as a sound
system.
- Are MP3 files illegal? Mp3 files
themselves are not illegal. You can sing "Happy Birthday", record
it as a .wav file and then convert it to the mp3 format. The problem starts
when you cut a track from an audio CD. For all we know, if you keep it to
yourself and do not trade it with other people, it is not likely that anyone
will prosecute you. If the music on the CD is copyrighted (most of it is)
and you distribute it, in most countries you are violating copyright laws if
you don't have express permission from the copyright owner.
- How do I listen to mp3 files on my computer?
You need a program to play mp3 file. In addition you will need to have a
sound card and speakers or headphones!
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