The file format known as MP3 is mainly characterised by high-quality sound that requires a rather small volume when it comes to storage. Most of the audio files nowadays are generally in MP3 format and pretty much all major players and systems are able to support it. The following lines will guide you through what exactly the MP3 format is all about, how you should be using it, and what the main advantages of this format are.
MP3 is one of the most (if not the most) popular coding formats for compressing audio files. It was originally defined as the third audio format of the MPEG-1 standard, but later extensions made it the third format of the MPEG-2 standard. Its blooming during the mid to late 90s and early 2000s corresponded to the wide adoption of digital audio and music files, online file sharing, and portable music players.
What exactly do we mean by MP3?
MP3 is actually an abbreviation for the extended term ISO MPEG Audio Layer 3. It was developed in 1982 at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits by Karlheinz Brandenburg. Since then, the MP3 format has enjoyed extraordinary success. It was a pioneer when it comes to standardised audio file formats and it swiftly showed its advantages in practice.
When the personal computer made its appearance in households around the world in the early 90s, there was already software able to play the audio format. The tiny storage capacity that the format utilised on a computer’s memory was one of the main advantages of the format in question and still makes it the first choice today when it comes to storing and sharing music.
The principle of the MP3 file is all about the high compression of the original audio file. It belongs to the category of formats known as “lossy audio formats”. In practice, it means that the file contains less data than the original audio file on a CD. The human ear cannot perceive it, because we are only able to perceive sounds in a certain frequency range and above a certain threshold. The compression degree of an MP3 file can be adjusted during the conversion process. Essentially, the higher the bit rate, the better it will be the sound quality. The bit rate defines the amount of data in the file that is processed every second. A bit rate of 192 kilobytes per second roughly corresponds to the level of quality of the original music CD.
What about the main advantages and benefits of the MP3 format?
As discussed earlier, MP3 is a coding format for digital music files that uses a compression algorithm to largely reduce the eventual file size. MP3 compression processes can usually achieve an up to 95% reduction in the final size. Compression of encoders is generally defined by the bit rate.
It is very practical: MP3 is a format that you can distribute incredibly easily over a network, because, as opposed to lossless music files, MP3 compresses the redundant information of a file, requiring much less storage space and thus facilitating the network distribution.
Remember that not so long ago, there was a time when broadband didn’t exist and the online universe was very slow. Therefore, we can understand why this format became so widespread as a de facto music format, giving rise to a large number of sites such as Spotify or Tidal, among others. It also opened the doors to the development of new markets, like audiobooks or the launch of devices and gadgets like the iPod and its subsequent devices that gave birth to the modern iPhones, etc.
Higher quality: MP3 manages to reach clarity levels of up to 320 kilobytes per second, and this in terms of consumption is pretty decent. This is why when you need to distribute music or audio files in mass, either via streaming or download, the files are typically converted to an MP3 format.
Not every one of us has an ear able to appreciate the subtle difference in quality between an MP3 format and the very same audio in a higher definition file. This is why, in practical terms, streaming music providers generally opt for MP3 as their main audio support.
Lower cost: Music distribution via streaming has a low cost, and because of this new artists are able to share their pieces and creations, as they don’t need to spend a small fortune on a physical medium like CDs to make their music reach others. This also makes it possible for the broadcast of audiobooks, sound effects and podcasts to work.
No patents involved: MP3 is a free format, and it does not require paying royalties or licenses for patents, so you can use this format commercially for the distribution of original podcasts or music. For newcomers to the music creation universe, MP3 is a saving step. They can save some money that would otherwise be needed to acquire a format license.
What are the reasons why I should consider converting Youtube to MP3 format?
As you have seen above, there are many reasons why you should consider converting Youtube to MP3 format when it comes to your audio files from your favourite YouTube videos and tracks. Superior sound quality is key to optimise a user’s listening experience. Dynamics as well as clarity are key features of sound quality that provide listeners with the ability to better understand dialogue and music in the lyrics. These factors can be dependant on how the music file is formatted, and ultimately, stored.
MP3 is one of the most used ways when it comes to audio streaming and storage. As described above, it utilises “lossy” compression technology to drastically reduce the file size. Thanks to extremely popular peer-to-peer software, today music lovers can send and exchange MP3 audio files.
How does it work exactly?
We have described the general process earlier, and as we have seen MP3 files are generally used to store an audio file and require very little space. For example, a CD stores audio files using 44,100 samples per second, sixteen bits per sample and 2 channels. Typically, a song that is five minutes long requires fifty megabytes of data. MP3 technology can compress this five-minute song to only five megabytes and still retain pretty much the same perceivable quality as in the original CD.