Factors to consider before converting to MP3
MP3 Encoding Settings
Introduce
The MP3 format is the most popular lossy audio format in use today and has been around for over a decade. Its success is mainly due to its universal compatibility. Even with such an achievement, there are still some rules that you need to know before creating an MP3 file. The following factors will give you an idea of how to adjust your encoding settings for best results.
Audio source quality
To choose the best encoding value, you must first consider the nature of the audio source. For example, if you use analog video tape to encode a low-quality recording and use the highest possible encoding settings, you are wasting a lot of storage space. If you are converting a 96kbps bitrate MP3 file to a 192kbps bitrate file, you will not be able to improve the quality. The reason is that the original speed is only 32kbps, so going over that number will only increase the file size, not the resolution of the sound.
Here are some typical bitrate settings you might want to try:
32 kbps – voice/analog tape recording.
128 to 192 kbps – Rip CD tracks.
192 to 320 kbps: Record complex audio sources (audio sources that contain a wide range of frequencies, such as classical music).
at a loss
The MP3 format is a lossy format and conversion to another lossy format (including another MP3) is not recommended. Even if you try to convert at a higher bitrate, you will still lose quality. Generally, it’s best to leave the original file as it is, unless you want less storage space and don’t mind lowering the audio resolution.
CBR and VBR
Constant bit rate ( CBR ) and variable bit rate ( VBR ) are two options you can choose from when encoding MP3 files, and both options have their pros and cons. Before deciding whether to use CBR or VBR, you should first consider how you will hear the audio. CBR is the default setting and is universally supported by all MP3 decoders and hardware devices, but will not produce the most optimized MP3 files. Alternatively, VBR produces an MP3 file optimized for file size and quality. VBR is still the best solution, but it is not always compatible with older hardware and some MP3 decoders.
