MP3 Is Dead – Long Live MP3 (Maybe)
When MP3 first appeared in the 1990s , it was a revolutionary digital audio coding format that greatly reduced the file size of audio content. The size has decreased by 95 percent. This changed the culture of listening to music: people could carry a huge amount of songs with them on a small device, rather than carrying physical CDs with them.
But after years of ” life support, ” as NPR calls it, their creators, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, declared MP3 dead.
The German research organization that funded the technology and owned the patent rights for MP3 stopped licensing the format after 22 years. The technology has become obsolete in light of “more efficient audio codecs” that offer advanced features, the group said in a press release .
You Can Still Use MP3 Files – And You Won’t Be Alone
Even though this is done, you can still use MP3 formats and you can still buy them. In fact, the research team claims that MP3s are still popular with users. The only caveat is that without the support of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, you will eventually have to upgrade to more modern technology.
Is he really dead?
If you can still use and buy MP3 files, is it really dead? There is a strong case for MP3’s ability to live posthumously. As the Mac Observer points out, the GIF patent expired over a decade ago, but that hasn’t stopped people from using it uncontrollably. It is possible that MP3s will follow the GIF path.
But MP3 may not be worth it
GIFs are still fun. MP3s don’t have that kind of impact. In terms of audio quality, MP3 is just not worth it. Gizmodo , which calls sound quality “junk by modern standards,” notes that research has found evidence that compression causes “perceived negative emotional characteristics in musical instruments.”
His successor is better
Bernhard Grill, director of Fraunhofer’s division and one of the leaders in MP3 development, told NPR that AAC, or “Advanced Audio Coding,” is “the de facto standard for downloading music and video to mobile phones.” The Fraunhofer Institute has partly created AAC, which Grill says offers more features and is more efficient.
The bad news is that MP3 creators are no longer investing in this technology, and eventually there will come a time when you have to part with it. The good news is today is not that day.