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1. #Which is the best mp3 encoder full
2. #Which is the best mp3 encoder software
3. #Which is the best mp3 encoder download
4. #Which is the best mp3 encoder free
5. #Which is the best mp3 encoder windows

Well, the vast majority of podcasters who produce LAME encoded MP3 files are likely to do so using the LAME encoder via the Audacity audio editing program. Three MP3 encodings are presented below, one encoded by the Fraunhofer encoder and two by the LAME encoder. , download: CODEC.wav Alternative MP3 Encodings This source recording was recorded at CD quality 44.1 kHz sample rate, linear PCM 16-bit depth with no processing of any fashion (e.g. You would? Excellent! Then have a listen to the following and choose which MP3 version you think sounds the closest to the original. So, are you a sheep and quite happy to follow the crowd and accept the prevailing wisdom, or would you like to decide for yourself? The “majority” of podcasts are also usually encoded in mono at 64 kbps.Īs podcasts are most commonly encoded using constant bit rates this has led to the podcasting community opting for the Fraunhofer MP3 encoder as their encoder of choice. To retain compatibility with older playback equipment, podcast MP3s are usually encoded using constant bit rates. The wisdom of the crowd (if indeed crowds possess collective wisdom) is that the Fraunhofer encoder is best at encoding constant bit rate (CBR) MP3s whilst the LAME encoder is better at encoding variable bit rate (VBR) MP3s.īy better we mean that for a given bit rate (or quality setting in the case of variable bit rates) one encoder will be “ perceived” to sound better, or closer to the original audio source material with less digital artifacts. Not all encoders were created equal and indeed even different versions of the same encoder can sound different! So, why the choice don’t all MP3 encoders sound the same?

#Which is the best mp3 encoder software

Therefore any software that uses the LAME source code as an MP3 encoder falls under the applicable patents and may require licensing. The name LAME stands for “ LAME Ain’t an MP3 Encoder”, which is a recursive name (insomuch as the name refers to itself – a naming convention popularized by the geeky fraternity).Īlthough LAME is considered free, it is actually only released via source code as an “ educational description of an MP3 encoder” in an effort to circumnavigate the fact that it implements certain patented technologies of various organizations, most notably the Fraunhofer Society.

#Which is the best mp3 encoder free

LAME is a free software codec (compression engine) for encoding MP3 audio files. However, as the patents for the key MP3 encoding technologies were filed back in the early 1990s it won’t be too long before these expire and the format becomes patent free.

#Which is the best mp3 encoder windows

It is usually only found embedded in third-party software (such as iTunes and Windows Media Player) with the applicable licenses paid by the software manufacturers.

#Which is the best mp3 encoder download

The Fraunhofer MP3 encoder is not available for download or purchase as a standalone encoder. So, contrary to popular belief, the MP3 format is not an “open” or “free” format. Fraunhofer IIS own and control the world-wide licensing for the MP3 format. The Fraunhofer Society in Germany were amongst a group of organizations in the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) that developed the MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III) encoding format in the early 1990s. MP3 Encoder Choices for PodcastsĪs a podcaster you essentially have two choices of which MP3 encoder to use to encode your podcasts either the Fraunhofer encoder or the LAME encoder. This makes MP3s very attractive if you’re a podcaster as you can retain reasonable audio quality whilst reducing the download times of your podcasts and their associated storage requirements.

#Which is the best mp3 encoder full

You are very unlikely to hear the triangle! In this scenario the MP3 encoder decides that the tour bus is a bit full and fires the triangle player, in so doing saving much needed space.Ī typical MP3 encoded at 128 kbps uses approximately one tenth of the data to store audio compared to uncompressed CD specification source material.

They do this via a method of lossy compression using “perceptual coding” and “psychoacoustic” techniques to discard certain audio data that the human auditory system cannot hear.The result saves data and can sound virtually indistinguishable from the original source material to the majority of listeners.Ī useful analogy to help explain this is if you imagine a rock band playing at full volume with a triangle player lurking amongst the amplifier cabinets. MP3s are a convenient way of storing digital audio data in a highly efficient manner.

The de facto standard for audio podcasts is the ubiquitous MP3. Is this a fair situation? Can YOU actually tell the difference yourself? Amongst the podcasting fraternity the debate over “what is the best MP3 encoder to use for podcasts” has raged for a quite while, although the general consensus seems to have swung in one particular direction.