MP-3 Information Page

WHAT’S THIS PAGE FOR?

MP3’s are the talk of the broadcasting, and consumer, world. They are THE topic of debate relating to artist royalties and pirated music. They are also an amazingly easy way to share music via the Internet – either as web-downloads or sending them in E-Mail. This site is dedicated to all things MP3. From places to find them, to the players that play them – as well as competing formats.

Many of the "High-Tech Gurus" are already calling MP3 a dead-format (gosh, radio's not the only industry with doom-sayers!). Regardless of what the techno-freaks say, a quick run-through on the web will show you that not only are MP3's booming -- but it's almost out of hand! With new hardware that is portable (The Diamond Rio is just one of the players that, like a walkman, you can carry with you), and for cars, you can bet MP3 is going to be around for quite some time.

Curious just how MP3's sounds compare to CD quality? If you REALLY want the hard facts, head to Stereo Review's Sound & Vision's website -- they have a great article comparing the sound quality of MP3's and CD's.

CNET has an exceptional site devoted to all things MP3 – including links to players, hardware and the latest news on the hottest audio format to hit the web. If you’re just getting started, and have questions about MP3 CNET has also put together a top notch guide on the MP-3 Essentials

ZD Net's MP3 Central is also a good resource -- with links to all the tools and information you could want.

Show Me The Music...

Created by Nullsoft (the makers of Winamp, and owned by AOL), Gnutella is like Napster, but there is no central server. AOL shut the project down literally 24 hours after it was public - but the software still works great, and lives on in new and revised forms across the net. Unlike Napster, since no central server is used, there is really no way to file a lawsuit against them. Additionally, you can also search for and download files of all types: audio, video and programs!

Napster needs no introduction at this point! Under tremendous scrutiny from the RIAA and a number of artists (especially Metallica), Napster is the most widespread file sharing program on the net today. You're likely to find anything but the most obscure material in droves via Napster. Even if you don't find it the first time, check back an hour or two later and you may find what you're looking for!

iMesh is not as well known as Gnutella and Napster, but perhaps even more fascinating for the type of material you can find. iMesh is a virtual server that provides links to every kind of digital media under the sun. Most notably - bootlegged movies! You can find the latest and greatest blockbusters in digital format here (granted, they've been copied with a video camera, and even with DSL/T1 they take a couple of hours to download).

Another service like iMesh is called Scour.com.

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MP3.com is probably the first place to look. They have one of the biggest selections to be found in one place -- however, if you're looking for "unofficial" files, your not going to find them here. MP3.com supports indie/unsigned bands, and other artists who ALLOW their material to be posted.

Lycos is another great way to find MP3's -- they've partnered with Fast to create the first-of-its-kind MP3 search engine. They claim to have over 500,000 MP3 files, as well as tips on downloading and playing!

Rock N World's MP3 index is another good source to look into.

Abe's MP3 Finder is similar to MP3spy, but it offers some unique features for fetching, downloading and offers the ability to download up to 11 unique files at once.

As always, you can hit the mother-lode by typing "MP3" into any of the standard search engines: Hotbot, Yahoo, Lycos, and etc.

Once you start looking around you'll find HUNDREDS of sites that have MP3's. If you have a favorite that you think we should post, feel free to drop us a line and suggest its inclusion!

The Players...

The links at the top of the page are for the most popular players (WinAmp, Real Jukebox, Windows Media Player, and MacAmp) -- they are the easiest to use, and most importantly, are free (and yes -- there's even one for the 3 of you out there with a Mac!). The Real Jukebox (a spinoff of the RealAudio Player) is free -- AND records music for both the RealAudio format as well as MP3's -- however it is still in a beta-release, so you may find some bugs -- but so far it's proven to be outstanding!.

There are too many players currently available to count. However here are a couple of others, that while not as easy to deal with as the players above, have their own advantages:

Music Match Jukebox	This is the leading player/encoder around -- as shareware it allows "near CD quality (96k)" recording, but it's $29.95 to for the full version.
Sonique Audio Player for Windows	Not only is it free, but it offers they ability to adjust level, EQ and other information for each MP3 file. NOT a ripper, though.
Snag AudioGrabber for Windows	This is a "ripper" - it allows you to "rip" audio directly from your CD ROM and bypass any limitations of your soundcard. It also offers editing functions most players/encoders do not have. A bit more complicated and adds another step, but worth it for the sound quality. A MUST HAVE FOR RADIO!

Here's what mp3spy has to say about this nifty gizmo:

"MP3Spy simply lists all of the available ShoutCast servers running, helps you find the ones you're interested in, and connects you to them. You'll need to have an MP3 player installed on your computer in order for it to work. From there, it's a cakewalk. See the "How's It Work?" page for more info on using MP3Spy to hook up with your favorite music!

What's ShoutCast? ShoutCast is a way of broadcasting MP3's from a server. Visit the Shoutcast homepage for more info. Basically, some master of the funk somewhere sets up a server. The server starts playing MP3 files. Anyone connecting to that server can grab the file as its being transmitted and play it on their computer as it comes through the net. That means you! There's tons of music and talk out there being played 24/7, all you gotta do is find those ShoutCast servers!" ShoutCast is a way of broadcasting MP3's from a server. Visit the Shoutcast homepage for more info. Basically, some master of the funk somewhere sets up a server. The server starts playing MP3 files. Anyone connecting to that server can grab the file as its being transmitted and play it on their computer as it comes through the net. That means you! There's tons of music and talk out there being played 24/7, all you gotta do is find those ShoutCast servers!"

All Things MP-3 found here...

WHAT THE HECK IS AN MP3?

MP3 is short for MPEG-1, Layer 3, (MPEG stands for "Motion Picture Experts Group). MP3’s are a file format that compresses standard audio tracks into much smaller sizes without significantly compromising sound quality. On average, a good quality MP3 is about 1/6^th the size of a standard .wav or audio file from a Compact Disc.

MPEG is a compression scheme that reduces the amount of data in a given file (sound or video) to a point where you – the viewer / listener – won’t notice any major differences between the compressed format and the original. MPEG-2 is the format currently used by digital satellite providers (USSB, DirecTV, Dish Network) as well as DVD players.

The controversy surrounding MP3 is that it allows for almost anyone with a CD player and a PC to make files that are easily distributed through the Internet or via E-Mail. There are currently arguments from the record industry siting reduced sales of music with the youngest demos that blame MP3 for the loss of sales.

PIRACY & "HOT" FILES

While there is no question that piracy exists, we don’t condone it, and we won’t be posting "hot" MP3’s on our site.

Yes, from time to time we will post files of exclusive or limited edition versions of songs, they are NOT to be used for resale, commercial gain, or be re-distributed in any way - they are for radio stations to play on-air -- and nothing more. We are not in the music distribution business and don’t plan to get involved anytime soon. If you want an EXCELLENT commercial site for MP-3's, check out MP3.com.

While we will be providing links to web pages that provide MP3’s, we take NO responsibility for what they make available. If you find a site that does offer MP3’s that you know are illegal, you must choose your course of action. Do NOT report it to us – we have no concrete way of providing the RIAA or the proper individuals with the information.

OTHER OPTIONS...

Microsoft has rolled out their Windows Media Technologies 4.0, a new system for digital audio delivery that claims a smaller file size and better sound quality than MP3s. This technology also promises to guard against piracy by making it virtually impossible to copy downloaded tunes without authorization, but few have been quick to support it. Some in the music industry even view it as a threat to the upcoming secure digital audio standard being developed under the Secure Digital Music Initiative.

At this point, the MS Media player has started to pull in some great reviews -- and if you check out Broadcast.com, you'll find that it actually outperforms RealAudio for streaming media. The future applications of the player, and how well the new compression schemes will hold up -- and how much music there will be to play on it -- are still up in the air.