MP3 is dead!

gce
gce Posts: 2,158
"The MP3 is dead, according to its creators, who say that the digital audio encoding format has lost relevance in a world of new technology."

MP3's have been dead a long time for me. Hopefully this will advance the technology for Hi-Res with hardware and software.
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Comments

  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    It's hardly dead, they have simply stopped licensing it to other companies, but it will remain a legacy product for years to come.

    The same way even though HDMI is the supposed defacto standard, most TV's, receivers, prepros etc. still have IC hook ups and what not.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    Stereophile has an article on whether Hi-Res is gonna catch on...
  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    Not until Spotify starts streaming lossless.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,307
    Spotify vs Tidal - which is VHS, and which will be BETA?
    I disabled signatures.
  • warren
    warren Posts: 756
    Mp3 is not dead..... That's telling them!!! I'm on your side the search for truth continues, down with the nay sayers!
    Some final words,
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    you're going to have headaches."
    Warren
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Well now, all the way up to a few years ago, your car still came with a cassette player. Didn't make it the most popular format.

    MP3 is popular....still, know why ? Because it's cheap. When Higher rez files gets down off their high horse and make it more affordable to the masses, you'll see it explode.
    For long-term, I'll put my money on Flac files. They don't need expensive DACs or costly music services/downloads and play on the free Foobar player.

    Flac files, or any lossless format is gaining in popularity but I'd disagree with you about the dac. Just like comparing a cheapo CD player to a good one that utilizes better build quality and better dacs. Music services....20 bucks a month for Tidal might seem expensive to some, but that's one trip to McDonalds for a family of 3. Somehow I think most can do without one trip to Micky D's in a months time. Music too has been shown to have some health benefits, not so much for McDonalds. You can think of that 20 bucks a month as an investment in your health. ;)

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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    If anything kills MP3, it will be cheaper storage. Why do you think compression came about in the first place? However, since it's such a universally supported format, it will be around for a long, long time. Btw, the premise of the original article is that MP3 is being replaced by AAC, an improved, but still lossy (compressed) format. Yes, of course neither is for Hi Fi listening...
  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    MP3 is not dead... it just smells that way.
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  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,825
    edited May 2017
    For long-term, I'll put my money on Flac files. They don't need expensive DACs or costly music services/downloads and play on the free Foobar player. DSD is another version of SACD and may not become any more popular than that format.

    A wise man once said, "You can't beat something with nothing." There are better file formats, but they are not universally accepted and supported by the audio industry. Maybe if they can ever get together and get behind a particular format..... The technology needs industry support and leadership or it will be another version of DVD audio on the road to nowhere.

    I always hoped .flac would become more popular as well, as there are hardly any car audio devices that will support the format - though for most car audio applications, the higher quality probably doesn't matter as much. But a decent DAC is still not to be overlooked IMO.

    That wise man has obviously never sat at a poker table for very long...

    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    Other formats such as AAC get better sound quality out of smaller files than MP3, MP3 has been pointless for some time.
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  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    Vinyl baby! :D

    For all its "Charms" it has many issues.

    We tried to get back into it fairly recently, but I think after having digital files for years, and being able to immediately access any of our music, it was more of a novelty, fun and entertaining, but far too inconvenient.

    The fun ended when my little daughter decided to break a stylus off.
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    K_M wrote: »
    Vinyl baby! :D

    For all its "Charms" it has many issues.

    We tried to get back into it fairly recently, but I think after having digital files for years, and being able to immediately access any of our music, it was more of a novelty, fun and entertaining, but far too inconvenient.

    The fun ended when my little daughter decided to break a stylus off.

    But I still think it peaked many of the youth's interest for higher fidelity.
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    An inconvenience to you is a relaxing ritual to me. My record collection can be held, looked at, and has value. This Western Digital hard drive I have is pretty freaking boring to look at and is all but worthless.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    It will be like SACDs, and vinyl. A niche market.
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  • tophatjohnny
    tophatjohnny Posts: 4,162
    Once ya go FLAC no going back.
    "if it's not fun, it's not worth it & remember folks, "It's All About The Music"!!
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    The Library of Congress recommends archivists use WAV/LPCM for audio recordings. They considered the merits of FLAC several years ago and found the only reason to use it was for storage size. They abandoned it when they realized improvements in storage and bandwidth make it unnecessary.

    When MP3 first came out, people had hard drives measured in megabytes rather than terabytes and dial up modems rather than high speed fiber optic internet connections.
  • K_M
    K_M Posts: 1,627
    afterburnt wrote: »
    MP3s are not dead but they are an abomination of the highest order and desrve to die just like MacDonalds deserves to die along with their customers.

    Okay Dexter.....
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    You mean the little guy from Felix the Cat?
  • pkquat
    pkquat Posts: 742
    Emlyn wrote: »
    The Library of Congress recommends archivists use WAV/LPCM for audio recordings. They considered the merits of FLAC several years ago and found the only reason to use it was for storage size. They abandoned it when they realized improvements in storage and bandwidth make it unnecessary.

    When MP3 first came out, people had hard drives measured in megabytes rather than terabytes and dial up modems rather than high speed fiber optic internet connections.

    IMO I think this the best answer. mp3 is waning only because of lower cost increased storage capacities. FLAC/ALAC is still a great format, but it does require decoding per se. It my become a standard, but at the rate storage and transfer rates are increasing, it may have a more limited life span. On the other hand, processing power is also increasing. Look at all the older legacy digital formats that are still supported.

    I don't see mp3's disappearing anytime soon. When you can dl the latest hit to you phone, in medium res., in a matter of seconds, right now, to play on cheap earbuds or you in your car, vs "waiting", there will always be a need. You can always dl a higher res. version from home some other time... or maybe to your phone while the med. res. version is playing.

    I have actually lowered bit rate on many mp3's for the car because I am tight on space, transfer times are less, it harder to hear the difference in the car, and usually I'm driving so focusing on sound quality takes a back seat.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    edited May 2017
    I still use MP3s in my car and on an iPod classic. There are a couple of 32GB SDHC card slots in my car so I use 320 KB/S MP3s there. The stereo won't play FLAC and 320 KB/S is the highest resolution the player supports. I tried lower bit rate and it was noticeably more tinny sounding. I can't tell the difference between CD and MP3 in the car at the higher bit rate. On the iPod I use lower bit rate files so I can fit more than 30,000 tracks on it. I only use that for a table radio player at work for background sound sometimes so the resolution isn't an issue.
    Post edited by Emlyn on
  • The patent should be expired soon and it looks like we should really depended on Flac and AAC somehow. I guess they should kill JPEG in few years. :D
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Speaking of cars and audio....why is it they can't make them more modular and interchangeable with their audio systems ? Why not create a spot to place a hard drive that you can unplug easily ? That would/could put an end to having MP3's in cars. Car radio head units today are like a computer anyway with internet, some sound pretty frickin' good too.
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    A few new cars don't come with CD players anymore. Just Bluetooth from your cell or Bluetooth audio device.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    erniejade wrote: »
    A few new cars don't come with CD players anymore. Just Bluetooth from your cell or Bluetooth audio device.

    Yep, and that's the only selling point they have, the rest of the car is probably junk. lol Back in 2009 anyway, they were still putting cassette players in cars, mine has one. Talk about slow to change.

    You can even put a spot in the trunk for a hard drive, with a quick disconnect panel to swap it out or take it with you. 6 cd changers used to be in the trunk, why not hard drives ? You could even add 2 speaker posts to add speakers for those parties. Open the trunk, plug your speakers in and instant party. Play anything with your phone and the car's hard drive, all lossless too. Doesn't take much but some extra wiring.
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