| if
there is a single file format that has 'changed the world
today', it is the ever-present mp3. pretty much
everyone has heard of mp3's, and if they haven't
they've probably been living under a rock somewhere in the
sahara for the last 2 years; not that this is a bad thing
of course, they just haven't seen the newspapers!
in short, the mp3 format was developed by Fraunhofer
IIS, and is what is known as a 'lossy' compression format.
This allows audio files to be compressed to a fraction of
their original size, losing some of the original audio information
whilst still retaining reasonable to good audio quality
(certainly 'good enough' for most hi-fi's and computer setups).
for example, the web mix of Kick The Nation has
an original wav file size of 38.6mb, wheras the
mp3 format file came in at 3.5mb; this shows a
compressions ratio of approx 11:1, and makes the file easily
downloadable.
however, as with most things in the modern world, Fraunhofer
IIS eventually realised that they were onto a good thing,
and that there was a lot of money to be made from this format.
commercial encoders were already paying for the right to
use the mp3 encoders. Fraunhofer IIS then stepped in, insisting
that since they held the patents, they would charge a fee
for every encoder (whether commercial or freeware), and
royalties for every track sold in mp3 format.
obviously, this hasn't styfled the exchange of free and
'less-that-legal' mp3's, but it has left a noose round the
necks of both artists and developers. |
