When people talk about mp3 songs they’re usually talking about digital music files that have been compressed to shrink their size so that they can be transmitted easily over the Internet, stored on computers or mobile devices, and played without losing audio quality. These files are usually encoded using a technology called MPEG, which stands for Moving Picture Experts Group. The system was originally developed to compress data used in videos, but now it has become a popular way to store and distribute music online, and on portable MP3 players.Resource : https://ohagans.co.za
The mp3 file format is not without controversy. Some people complain that the compression process degrades music sound quality, and that MP3 is not a suitable replacement for CD or vinyl recordings. On the other hand, many people are very happy with the ease of access to mp3 songs through the Internet and their availability on portable music players.
MP3 Songs: How to Download Safely and Legally
There are thousands of sites on the Web where musicians can make their music available for download. Some sites let users stream the song as it is playing, while others allow them to download it to their computer’s hard disk or portable music player. A single mp3 song can range from 2 to 4 MB in size, depending on how fast the Internet connection is. Most Internet users with high-speed connections can download a full-length song in 10 to 15 minutes or less.
A standard CD stores about 10 megabytes of music per minute. By running a CD’s songs through an MP3 encoder, they can be compressed down to about one-tenth of their original size. This allows a three-minute song to be transformed into a 3 MB file that is easy to transfer to a portable music player or send over e-mail, and that most computer users can fit on their hard drives.
Inside an mp3 file, the music is stored as long strings of bits (binary numbers, zeroes and ones) that are arranged in chunks called frames. Each frame begins with a short header that is a kind of table of contents, followed by the music data itself. Each piece of information about the song, such as its artist, track name and album title, is stored in what’s called an ID3 tag. Many programs that use the mp3 format have an option that lets you edit these tags.
Musicians who want to distribute their mp3 songs can put them up on their own Web site, or they can take an untraditional approach like comedian and folk singer Jonathan Coulton, who uses a blog to communicate with fans and keep people up to date on his musical career. Another popular option is to host your mp3 songs on a larger Web site, and then link to them from your band’s website. This can increase your exposure to a wider audience and may help you sell more CDs. Whether you’re hosting your songs on your own Web site or on a large music site, you should consider putting them under a Creative Commons license that gives users permission to share the song and keep it in perpetuity, as long as they give credit to the author of the song.
