MP3
Digital music file
MP3 is a digital audio compression format that revolutionized how music is stored and distributed.
Standing for MPEG Audio Layer 3, the format dramatically reduces file size by discarding sounds the human ear barely perceives.
MP3 enabled portable music players and file sharing that transformed the music industry: The iPod held thousands of MP3s.
Now used generically for digital audio files regardless of actual format.
Sacrificing fidelity for size
- bitrateData transfer speed
- codecData compression algorithm
- encodingConverting data to format
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
psychoacoustics · quantization · transcoding · aliasing · kbps · compression ratio · kilobits · sampling
Pioneering file-sharing service
- piracySeaborne theft or bootlegging
- file sharingDistributing digital content online
- P2PDirect participant-to-participant networking
- LimeWireFile-sharing network client
Kazaa · iTunes · digital revolution · music industry · copyright · torrent · Winamp · 90s
Transmitted sound content
- fileStored collection of data
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- digitalOf discrete data
- metadataDescriptive information about content
sample rate · decoding · tagging · album art · file size · duration · waveform · spectrogram
Cupertino's music device
- WalkmanPortable personal cassette player
- ZuneDefunct Microsoft media player
- earbudsTiny insertable audio devices
- headphonesWearable speakers for ears
smartphone · SanDisk · flash memory · storage · gigabyte · portable · sync · transfer
lossy
Sacrificing fidelity for size
artifacts · psychoacoustics · quantization · transcoding · aliasing · kbps · compression ratio · kilobits · sampling · decoder
Napster
Pioneering file-sharing service
- piracySeaborne theft or bootlegging
- file sharingDistributing digital content online
- P2PDirect participant-to-participant networking
LimeWire · Kazaa · iTunes · digital revolution · music industry · copyright · torrent · Winamp · 90s · 2000s
audio
Transmitted sound content
- fileStored collection of data
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- digitalOf discrete data
metadata · sample rate · decoding · tagging · album art · file size · duration · waveform · spectrogram · header
iPod
Cupertino's music device
- WalkmanPortable personal cassette player
- ZuneDefunct Microsoft media player
- earbudsTiny insertable audio devices
headphones · smartphone · SanDisk · flash memory · storage · gigabyte · portable · sync · transfer · dock
- Audiobooksaudiobook, narrator, chapter, narration, playback speed
- audio mediavinyl, LP, CD, cassette, 8-track
- Mid-90sWindows 95, Friends, Toy Story, ER, Braveheart
- audio formatsWAV, FLAC, AAC, WMA, AMR
- audio technologydigital audio, audio engineering, sound design, audio mixing, signal processing
- Digital AudioAAC, FLAC, WAV, codec, bitrate
MP3vinyl
Synthetic resin plastic
LP · vinyl record · CD · cassette tape · analog recording
- mp3 playerPortable digital music device
- MP3 CDDisc storing compressed audio files
- MP3 converterSoftware changing audio formats