Mpeg Layer 3 audio (MP3) has become a popular way of distributing music over the internet. This is a way of compressing waveform audio (sampled digital audio) that cuts the file size by about 90% when encoded at near CD quality (44 khz, 128 kbps). These files can be either played on a Pentium or better computer, MP3-compatible CD or DVD player, or streamed via the Web through high speed internet connections. There are now dozens of applications that play and encode MP3 files. The files can also be decoded into wav audio files, which can be recorded to make a regular audio CD.
Mpeg audio is great if you want to copy about 100 to 150 songs in near CD quality onto a single CD recordable disc. You can use a computer with an MP3 player to play back the songs, and this is great for home listening (just get a stereo cable at Radio Shack to hook your sound card up to one of your stereo receiver or amplifier inputs). Now many portable mp3 players are available and prices have dropped a great deal on these in the last couple year. Many DVD players are now also MP3 CD-R compatible. An mp3 file typically takes between 1 and 15 minutes to encode on a home computer, depending on track length, CPU speed, and software used. Of course, lots of people with fast Net access download lots of files from web and FTP sites as well as online file swapping services, like Morpheus, Kazaa, Grokster, Audio Galaxy, and the temporarily defunct file swapping pioneer Napster. Herein lies a major problem with MP3 files.
If you have an mp3 file of a recorded piece of music that is copyrighted, then whoever distributed the file to you has violated federal copyright law unless they have permission to distribute the track from the copyright holder. Even if there was no commercial profit involved, this is illegal. You can safely make your own mp3 files of CDs or other recordings you have already owned for private purposes, but distributing these recordings in electronic format is illegal, unless you have permission from the copyright holder.
Thus, most web sites with MP3 files are in violation of the law (in most jurisdictions), and some music industry forces (e.g., Recording Industry Assoc. Of America & Geffen Records) have threatened sites with legal action, forcing many to close down. However, if you merely downloaded these files, the law does not clearly provide for you to be prosecuted (same thing applies to music concert bootlegs and video bootlegs - only distributors get in trouble). Nevertheless, you must recognize that owning this pirated material is illegal, and in the future there may be legal consequences for this.
Now, there are new, higher quality mpeg-related formats, with better sound and compression. Advanced Audio Compression (AAC), Windows Media Audio (WMA) and VQF are among the new formats, and they are likely to fuse into the upcoming MP4 audio standard. I would expect even more legal enforcement following introduction of the mp4 format, as files will be smaller and even more popular among web users/pirates.
Here I will provide many of the best MP3 software links & search tools. I am not responsible for the content of any of the sites linked to, nor of the actions of anyone who visits my site and uses these links or this information for illegal actions. Compressed audio has many legitimate uses, and I encourage the continued development of this medium. I also hope that the inherent freedom of the Internet leads to progressive changes in copyright statutes.
If you don't want pop-up windows to appear when you visit a site, disable java in your browser. The pop-ups are a way of getting exposure for web pages. In a related matter, banner ads are a way of helping offset costs of running a web site. I do not use banner ads of smut or gambling, so the ads bring very little revenue, especially since I don't cheat & so few people click them. Visiting my sponsors helps motivate me to keep this page updated and full of the best resources, but I'm not forcing or tricking anyone into clicking the banners. Also, I encourage visitors to notify me if they find offensive/explicit banners at any of the sites listed below. I have already removed lots of dead links, including mp3 sites that were replaced with offensive material. I hope to keep this page as fast & user friendly as possible.
