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MP3: The Changing Face of Music

by Ruben Flores    

In a nutshell, MP3 (short for Motion Picture Experts Group Layer 3) is a powerful audio file compression format. It's uniqueness is in it's ability to compress audio files at a ratio of 12 to 1 and still retain CD quality sound! What does that mean, well, at these compression ratios you can now store up to twelve hours of music on one CD, instead of just a couple. MP3 is so hot right now that it is the most popular searched for word, surpassing "sex" as the number one. (See the "Search Terms" Website listed under this issue's "Cool Sites" section).

I should start by saying that I was somewhat skeptical of this MP3 thing. So naturally I approached MP3 with an skeptical point of view. Let me tell you once I got bitten by the MP3 bug, I was hooked. As I'm sure you will if you haven't already! It's AWSOME! In fact, I'm listening to some of my favorite MP3's right now while I write this! (Legal MP3's ones of course). :->. This is coming from a guy who was happy listening to streaming audio on Real Networks' RealPlayer G2.

* IS MP3 LEGAL? *

Well, yes and no. Although the MP3 format is not, MP3's are. You see, according to the law:

You have the right to encode your own CD's to MP3's for your own private listening. Basically, it's illegal to own an MP3 unless you own the original CD.

You have the right to copy the MP3's you've encoded onto multiple hard drives that you own or use at work. (And only when you have direct access to them).

You do not have the right to borrow someone else's CD and encode them to MP3 for your personal listening.

You do not have the right to let someone borrow your MP3 collection and save them to their hard drive.

As soon as someone else gets a copy for his or her own personal use without paying for it, the holder of the copyright has been denied the income that copy would have generated. It doesn't matter if you did not get compensation for it, the copyright protects the "author," not the recipient. Of course this has been going on for years with LP's, cassettes, video movies, CD's -- you get the picture.

There is an ongoing major controversy surrounding MP3. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) say that they are losing millions on pirated/bootleg MP3s. But in a market that aims to create unprecedented, direct connections between artists and their fans, the way it should be. I predict that the MP3 craze will explode in the coming months as already big players in the online music industry focusing their attention on this technology.

FINDING MP3 FILES

The are hundreds of sites that now have MP3 files. These sites offer links to independent artist or as more and more well known artist join, a low cost download usually under $5. Keep in mind that most of what you will find illegally distributed. (See the "MP3 Resources" section below for more info on where to look for MP3's)

MP3's are usually listed on a Web page as a link. To download using Internet Explorer, you simply right-click and select "Save Target As" from the menu, then name it and select the location to save it in. The process is supposed to be the same for Netscape Navigator, but I couldn't get it to work, it was only saving the shortcut.

Dead Links - Be prepared that you will come across many dead links as you search for MP3 files. Just keep trying until you find one that will download.

If you get a "Server Returned Extensive Information" error, this means that IE can not understand the server commands. You will need to use an FTP program to access the site. Any number of the resource below should have more info on this.

The only other fault I came across is the time involved to download an MP3 file. Songs usually average between 2.5 and 5MB in size. Each MB is equal to about 1 minute of music. I was able to downloaded a 3.5MB MP3 in about 25 minutes using a 56K (48K actual). So this is a place where DSL or cable access comes in handy.

And most importantly, be sure not to use your favorite search engine to find MP3. :->

HOW TO GET STARTED

Four quick steps to MP3ville.

1.) You need to get an MP3 player. (see below)

2.) You need to install your player.

3.) You need to get some MP3s. (see below)

4.) Lay back and enjoy your MP3s.

MP3 PLAYERS

An MP3 player is a program that allows you to, you guest it, play MP3 files. The operation is similar to the Windows CD player, except that these players decompress MP3 files in real time using only the computer's memory.

There are many different kinds of MP3 players, for just about every type of OS platform. For Windows 95/98, I highly recommend "WinAmp 2.09." I was really impressed with the ease of use and familiar looking (CD Player-like) interface. It has all the features you would find in a CD player and includes a graphical equalizer to adjust music to your preference. It's just under 500k in size, so downloading it is relatively quick. See the "MP3 Resources" section below for this & other MP3 players.

MP3 ADD-ONS

There are many add-ons that you can download to enhance your MP3 player such as "skins," "encoders," "decoders," "rippers," "playlists," and more. Here is a brief description of each. See the "MP3 Resources" section below on where to find them.

Skins - Skins are programs that you can download that allow you to customize the cover ("face") of your MP3 player. There are many different styles to choose from.

Encoders - Encoders are programs that allow you to convert a .wav file to an .mp3 file format.

Decoders - Decoders are programs that allow you to do the opposite, convert an .mp3 file to a .wav file format.

Rippers - A ripper is a program that copies a CD track onto your hard drive into a .wav or .mp3 file.

Playlists - A playlist is a program that allows you to organize your MP3 files into a savable playlist. It's pretty cool, cause it allows you to drag & drop MP3's in any arrangement your want and save the list.

Rio Player - The Rio Player is a small, lightweight device about the size of a deck of cards that is you use to play MP3 files anywhere you go. Similar to a Walkman, but Rio doesn't have any moving parts so it doesn't skip! It hooks up to your computer to download or upload MP3 files. You to store up to one hour of music and a single "AA" battery will last about twelve hours of continuous play. It sells for about $200 retail. Learn more about Diamond's Rio here.

Other MP3 Goodies - You can bet that as the controversy of MP3 increases, there will be many new gadgets coming our way. There is already a company that is marketing a car stereo that plays MP3 files. You can check out "Empeg-car" for yourself here.

CREATE YOUR OWN MP3 FILES

Yes, you can create your own MP3 files. It's actually pretty easy to do. All you need is a "Ripper" and an "Encoder." You first use the Ripper to copy a track from a CD onto your hard drive, and then an Encoder to convert it from a .wav format to an .mp3 format. BE WARNED! It is illegal to offer copies of copyrighted material from your Internet site. But also be warned that it is also illegal to cross a street outside of a crosswalk. So be careful!!!


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Copyright 1999 - Ruben Flores - All Rights Reserved