Basics of MP3
A MP3 file is a digital audio file, usually containing music or other audio information. Coveted for their CD-level of quality, despite their small file size, MP3 files have a variety of benefits, as well as downfalls. One of those downfalls is that MP3 files have been a source of controversy for almost as long as they've been in existence. Because it is so easy to copy the songs from a compact disc to MP3 files, music piracy runs rampant. This is especially due to the high quality and small file size of an MP3, which makes them easy to send over even slow Internet connections.
Function
"MP3" is short for "MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3." It is a kind of digital audio format widely used due to its quality, as well as compressed file size. MP3 files are widely used by average computer users due to their ability to fit thousands upon thousands of MP3 files on even smaller hard drives.
MP3 Players
A number of hardware devices dubbed "MP3 Players" were designed with the intention of taking MP3 files with you wherever you go. The most popular of these is Apple's iPod series of MP3 players. After transferring MP3 files from your computer to your MP3 player, you can use a pair of headphones to listen to the files wherever or whenever you want. MP3 players provide high quality sound and exceptional battery life, with some models allowing up to 25 hours of continuous play.
Software
A wide variety of programs are available to play MP3 files on a user's computer. Apple's iTunes software is widely used due to both its ability to transfer files to an iPod, as well as its digital music store, where users can purchase and download legal MP3 files of songs. Other MP3 playing computer programs include WinAMP, MusicMatch Jukebox and Windows Media Player.
Ripping
Users can make MP3 copies of compact discs quickly and easily, using a variety of computer programs. Apple's iTunes, for instance, will recognize a CD in your computer's drive the moment the drive itself closes. It will then make copies of the data contained on the CD, encode them in the MP3 format, and place them on your hard drive. They can then be played in iTunes or transferred to an iPod.
Controversy
Due to their ease of creation and ease of transport, MP3 files have been a source of controversy for the better part of 15 years. The RIAA (short for Recording Industry Association of America) has debated the legality of the files due to how easy they make it for users to pirate copyrighted material. A user can make MP3 copies of songs from a CD and send them to friends who didn't pay for said CD in a matter of moments. The sharing of illegally copied MP3 files over the Internet is rampant, despite a few venues where users can pay for their files (like Apple's iTunes Store).
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