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What are Mp3s
MP3 is a data file. It is classified as an audio file. The advantage
of an MP3 file is it's compression. A song on a CD may have a storage
size of around 40-50 megabytes. When compressed into an MP3 file,
it has the size of around 4-5 megabytes. While there is a loss of
quality, it will be not be noticeable by most users. The bit rate
of an MP3 file can be altered to increase or decrease it's size.
The higher the bit rate, the better the sound quality. MP3 stands
for Motion Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 (MPEG Audio Layer
3).
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How Does Mp3 Work?
Some people wonder how it is that an MP3 file can be so small,
but a CD file is so large. Well, simple put, the quality is lower,
it does this by deleting the parts of the audio files which are
harder to hear. This means that the ear of most people will not
miss the data loss. Or at least, will not be overly disappointed
by what is missing.
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Are Mp3s Legal?
Of course. There are countless MP3 files which are legal to download
and use. Of course, some MP3 which are available for download contravene
copyright laws. Downloading these files can prove a risk. Your IP
address can be recorded when it downloads files from file sharing
programs. The copyright holder can then contact your ISP to obtain
your personal details, and issue you with a fine. But as a file
format, MP3 is perfectly legal.
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How Do I Play Mp3?
Two ways. Software programs can be downloaded to your personal
computer to play the file. The addresses for downloading these media
players are below,
WinAmp - Homepage of WinAmp
Sonique - Homepage of Sonique
Some hardware devices, such as iPods come with inbuilt software
which can store MP3 files and play them. The older the music system,
the less likely it will support MP3 playback.
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Mp3 Skips A Lot?
If you are running alot of CPU and RAM intensive programs, then
an MP3 may skip whilst being run. Your only option is running less
programs, or upgrading your computer with more memory.
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