What is an MP3 file format?
The most searched files by Internet users are audio files, since with all the multimedia revolution, music has a high rotation on the Internet. One of the most popular music formats and perhaps one of the ones with the best audio quality for the reproduction of music files is the MP3 format.
In this article, we will define what MP3 files are and what is the advantage of using this type of files.
MP3 Files
MP3 files are a type of compressed audio format, which was originally intended for storing audio and video files. They are used to store music and are compressed using MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Groups) or Layer 3.
Being compressed files, they facilitate the transfer of files over the Internet without losing audio quality, which has led them to the first place of preference as audio file format to be used on the web and other portable media playback devices.
An MP3 file (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a digital audio compression format that uses an algorithm to reduce the size of audio files without losing playback quality, since the algorithm cuts the frequency of the audio signal, eliminating those frequencies that are not perceptible to the human ear.
Usefulness of MP3
The main utility of an MP3 file is that it can reduce the size of a common CD audio file (.wav) by about 11 times, without losing audio quality.
Another important utility is that it is an almost universal file type, therefore, any current multimedia player, whether virtual or physical, can play this type of file.
Structure of an MP3 file
MP3 files are made up of a header and the file data, which is made up of different MP3 frames. The sequence of header and data is known as "Stream Elemental".
The header is used to indicate to any player the start of a valid frame to execute the file. The data consists of a number of MPEG bits, which are used by the player to play the music file.
MP3 files are currently the most widely used for music transfer and CD storage, without taking up so much storage space.