FREE ESSAY ON MP3

MP3

INTRODUCTION
Two years ago, MP3 was just another audio compression format. Today, it's a Net
phenomenon that's at the center of an enormous controversy. That's because MP3 makes it
possible for people with an Internet connection to bypass record stores (and cashiers)
and download CD-quality music by their favorite artists--for free. MP3 is great for
music lovers and cheapskates, who can download funky tunes to their hearts' content
without spending a dime; however, it's a nightmare for musicians and record companies,
who can only watch helplessly as their profits drop into a digital black hole. 
DEFINITION
MP3 is short for MPEG-1 Layer 3 (Moving Pictures Expert Group), a format for storing
digital audio. It uses an advanced type of audio compression which reduces the filesize
with little reduction in quality. MP3 is used particularly for music distribution over
the Internet, but is also use for other purposes such as real-time digital audio
transmissions over ISDN (used by reporters). MPEG-1 has been around since 1992, but
during he last few years (1998/99) it has started to get widespread attention from
regular media and ordinary users.
An MP3 file (or simply an MP3) is a file that contains MP3-compressed sound data. It is
played using an MP3 player. You can recognize MP3 files by their file-extension (the end
of the filename), which is .mp3.
AUTHORS
MP3 was invented by Fraunhofer IIS - leading organization of applied research in Germany
In a joint cooperation with the University of Erlangen (Prof. Dieter Seitzer) under the
sponsorship of the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and formalized by the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 
SOUND QUALITY
The original 50 MB wave file (about 5 minutes of CD quality audio) 
MP3-compressed will end up as an MP3 file using only about 5 megabytes of space with
little or no audible loss in quality. The size depends on the length of the song and the
bitrate (quality). The data is automatically decompressed while the MP3 is being played.
How is it possible to do this you ask? Well, I won't get into the technical details, but
basically the MP3 encoder removes the parts of the sound not audible to the human ear.
This means that MP3 is a 'lossy' type of compression (comparable to JPEG in the
graphics area). This means that what comes out from your CD or Wave file is NOT the same
thing that comes out of the MP3 that has been created from the CD/Wav. The sound data
that has been lost will not be returned if the MP3 is decoded back to WAV. REQUIREMENTS
You will first of all need a MP3 player, players are available for all computer
platforms. If you are using Windows 95/98/NT we can warmly recommend Winamp, the most
common MP3 player. It also supports a lot of other audio formats,like WAV, MID, MOD and
CD audio. Another well-known player is Sonique. Winamp has a very simple interface that
can be used by anybody who has operated a CD player. To load an MP3 in Winamp, use the
button (in Winamp) that looks like it would open a CD tray, or just double-click the MP3
file you want to play. The reason why it has been so successful is undoubtedly due to its
simple, attractive look, its numerous options and the fact that it is a shareware program
with no limits on the number of functions
To play the MP3s will need a soundcard (preferably16-bit), speakers or headphones
(preferrably good ones) and at least a 486 processor. 
MP3 ON THE WEB
Three major MP3 sites are Lycos MP3 Search Engine, MP3.com, and RioPort.com. 
MP3 HARDWARE
MP3 Portables
Realizing the success of MP3, thanks to the rapid growth of the Internet and the
increasing numbers of users interested in this digital-audio format, a number of
manufacturers have recently started marketing portable players (similar to the Walkman):
they generally have a memory of between 40 and 80 MB where you can store your favourite
MP3 files. 
Portable MP3 players are like Walkmen for MP3. You just need to upload your MP3 tracks
onto the player (about the size of a pack of cigarettes) and you get CD-quality sound
with the advantage that there are no moving parts so it's unaffected by jolts. 
MP3 SOFTWARE
There are various types of software for MP3: player, decoder, encoder, ripper, grabber,
utility.
Mp3 Player 
Mp3 Player software (often simply called a Player) is a program that can read audio/video
files and play them back.Usually the player offers additional characteristics such as the
possibility to equalize the signal that comes out of your loudspeakers, PlayList
management (sequencing files to play in a certain order or in random or shuffle mode),
the possibility to convert files into different audio formats (for instance from MP3 to
Wav and vice versa). 
MP3 Encoder Software
MP3 encoder software (often just called an encoder) is a programme that can convert wave
files into MP3 format. This conversion greatly reduces the size of files whilst
maintaining a high standard of audio quality (this is possible thanks to compression
algorithms). It is also possible to specify the characteristics of the MP3 files that you
are creating, choosing from several options that will determine the final size of the
file. 
The reduced size of MP3 files greatly facilitates their distribution on the net, which
would have been impossible in wave format, at least for the common user. 
Converting Software
This type of software is a program that allows the conversion of files into different
formats. Usually these programmes are not limited to converting into MP3, but support
many other audio/video formats. 
CD Mastering Software
It is CD writing software programme that allows you to transfer files from hard disk (or
other source) onto CD in a permanent way (although today we have re-writable CDs). 
To achieve this, you need a CD writer that has the same characteristics as a normal CD
player, which is today a standard feature in a computer, and that can also write data
onto recordable supports (the capacity is 650MB for 74 minutes, but there are CDs on the
market whose capacity is 700MB for 80 minutes). 
CD writing formats are standardized, but there are several versions depending largely on
the software used for writing. 
CD Extracting Software
CD extracting software (normally called a grabber or ripper) is a programme that can
extract tracks from an audio CD, making a copy of them on hard disk in wave format. These
wave files are the starting point for creating Mp3 files, which are much smaller in size;
in fact many rippers feature an MP3 converter and can obtain an MP3 file from an audio
CD, going through the wave format which is then automatically deleted in order to free up
space. 
Utility Programmes
This is software that carries out accessory operations, with no direct effect, but with
the result of simplifying other operations. 
Typical examples are: WinZIP (to manage compressed archives), Cool Edit Pro (to manage
wave files whilst changing their characteristics or applying sound effects) and Mp3Wolf
(useful in the search for MP3 files on the net). 
CONCLUSION 
As you can see it is Mp3 format can be very useful for end users. It is allow you to
store many files of your favorite music on your hard disk and listen them any time you
like using many good features of MP3 player .
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY: 
1) www.whatis.com (search for)
2) www.vitaminic.co.uk