MP3 files sacrifice quality for small size, but with the correct bitrate and configuration, they can closely resemble their original wave files. The most important factor in creating MP3 files is the bitrate, which depends on the type of music. Variable bitrate is recommended. Other settings also affect quality.
MP3 files are compressed audio files created from audio formats such as the wave (.wav) format. Wave files replicate analog recordings and digital audio files with a high degree of accuracy at the cost of large file sizes, while MP3 files sacrifice some quality for a small footprint. The quality sacrificed can be mitigated by several factors in the conversion process. With the correct bitrate and configuration, MP3 files can deliver extremely high quality results that make them closely resemble their original wave files when played on portable audio players.
The balance between file size and quality is somewhat subjective. For an audiophile any difference will be perceptible. Others may not be able to distinguish a high-quality MP3 file from its original wave source at all. In many cases the difference only becomes clear when played through a high quality stereo system where the smallest nuances of the acoustic environment become clear.
MP3 files are primarily intended for portable audio players. In this arena quality MP3 files sound stunning given their small size. Since portable players have limited memory, it stands to reason that people want their MP3 files to be as small as possible while preserving the highest possible quality.
To that end, the most important factor in creating MP3 files is the bitrate. Generally, the more bits per second that the original file retains, the higher the quality of the MP3 and the larger the file size. A lower bitrate reduces size and quality. The idea is to use a bitrate that results in maximum authenticity without preserving unnecessary data, which just creates larger files with no noticeable difference to the ear.
For audio speech recordings such as lectures or language lessons preserved in waveform, bitrates of 32 kilobits per second (kbps) should be acceptable, although 64 kbps may provide better quality depending on the source. Voices may sound “flat” at 32 kbps, although they will be intelligible. A 3 kbps MP64 file created from a voice recording should sound nearly identical to the original.
Unsaturated acoustic music with simple arrangements should perform well at a bitrate of 192kbps. If your music will be played on high-quality equipment, you may want to go for 256kbps. Music that falls into this category would include ballads, “boy-band” songs, pop music, and folk. Also the work of many classic artists such as James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkel.
To create quality MP3 files from classical and jazz music, the best bitrate depends on the characteristics of the song. Soft jazz can normally be replicated at 192kbps to strike a nice balance of file size and diminishing returns, although 256kbps might sound better on your home entertainment center. Classical orchestral should work fine at 256kbps for portable players, but 320kbps files may be a better choice if you’ll be burning to CD for the home or car.
For saturated music such as hard rock, metal, arena, pop, electronica and house, 320kbps will give the best results. The greater number of bits per second will retain more of the complex acoustic envelope.
Whenever possible, MP3 files should be created using a variable bitrate. This allows the encoding program to determine if a particular music frame requires the full bitrate. If not, the program reduces data retention for that frame resulting in a smaller file without sacrificing quality. Forcing a program to “upsample” a frame can produce artifacts.
While this article is meant as a general guideline, you may find that you are equally happy with lower bitrates for specific songs or in general. Many factors influence our ability to judge the quality of music, including not only the equipment we use, but also our activity while listening. For those who listen to MP3 files while exercising or walking outdoors, for example, external noise will make it more difficult to spot qualitative differences. Conversely, audiophiles may prefer to sample everything at 320 kbps, regardless of their gear, genre of music, or listening habits.
If you create your own MP3 files, there are other settings that affect quality as well. LAME is an excellent MP3 encoder and it’s free, along with the many graphical interfaces that act as the front-end for this popular command-line program. LAME allows the user to change many settings to produce high quality MP3 files in seconds. You can also try various bitrates on a source file to find the best subjective balance between quality and file size.
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