Reaper 5.50pre8 includes mp3 support with installers, now foobar2000 includes free codec pack with mp3 support. As I see, a lot of audio apps will include mp3 stuff support with installers, instead of "find mp3 codec archive on the Internet, download, extract, find app path, put this into app folder, restart apps and blah blah shit".

 

Wow. rly? About ~15s. I mean, I'd prolly dl opus as a format over mp3. But nobody uses it? I just think that FLAC should be moar widely (solely) adopted in movie muxes tbh. Flipping pointless AC3 & Dolby DTS Shitmos FTL. Ugh. That would need another Skub topic cos I would rly rant!

 

So true, i am gonna convert all my mp3s into aac now

 

Don't do that!!! converting lossy formats to each other reduces quality you should only convert wav or flac to aac

 

Whatever lossy codec(s) may evolve in the next years, I hope that we won't face anything like this Fraunhofer licensing bs again.
There's enough options already.

 

the data compression was the down side

from wiki:
The digitally encoded audio signal on a MiniDisc has traditionally been data-compressed using the ATRAC format (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding). This is in fact a 'psychoacoustic' data reduction system which omits some of the musical content. It is claimed by Sony that the content that is omitted is inaudible anyway. Some original sounds have been known to defeat ATRAC which typically introduces a crackle or whistle onto the data stream.

ATRAC was devised for MiniDisc so that the same amount of audio a CD can carry can fit on a disc far smaller than the CD (which contains uncompressed 16-bit stereo linear PCM audio). ATRAC reduces the 1.4 Mbit/s of a CD to a 292 kbit/s data stream, roughly a 5:1 reduction. ATRAC was also used on nearly all flash memory Walkman devices until the 8 series.

Sony's ATRAC codec differs from uncompressed PCM in that it is a psychoacoustic lossy audio data reduction scheme and is such that the recorded signal does not require decompression on replay. Although it is intended that the reproduced signal may sound nearly identical to the original as far as the listener is concerned, it differs sufficiently that listening on a high quality audio system will betray the difference - other true compression schemes generally share this characteristic to a greater or lesser degree.

There have been four versions of the ATRAC data reduction system, each claimed (by Sony) to more accurately reflect the original audio. Early version players are guaranteed to play later version ATRAC audio because there is no processing required for replay. Version 1 could only be copied on consumer equipment three or four times before artifacts became objectionable, as the ATRAC on the recording machine attempts to data reduce the already reduced signal. By version 4, the potential number of generations of copy had increased to around 15 to 20 depending on audio content.

The latest versions of Sony's ATRAC are ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus, both of which are true lossy compression schemes and both require decompression on replay. Original ATRAC3 at 132 kbit/s (also known as ATRAC-LP2 mode) is the format that used to be used by Sony's now-defunct Connect audio download store. ATRAC3plus was not used in order to retain backwards compatibility with earlier NetMD players.

In MiniDisc's last progression, Hi-MD, uncompressed CD-quality linear PCM audio recording and playback is offered, placing Hi-MD on a par with CD-quality audio. Hi-MD also supports both ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus in varying bitrates, but not the original ATRAC.

 

the data compression was the down side

from wiki:
The digitally encoded audio signal on a MiniDisc has traditionally been data-compressed using the ATRAC format (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding). This is in fact a 'psychoacoustic' data reduction system which omits some of the musical content. It is claimed by Sony that the content that is omitted is inaudible anyway. Some original sounds have been known to defeat ATRAC which typically introduces a crackle or whistle onto the data stream.

ATRAC was devised for MiniDisc so that the same amount of audio a CD can carry can fit on a disc far smaller than the CD (which contains uncompressed 16-bit stereo linear PCM audio). ATRAC reduces the 1.4 Mbit/s of a CD to a 292 kbit/s data stream, roughly a 5:1 reduction. ATRAC was also used on nearly all flash memory Walkman devices until the 8 series.

Sony's ATRAC codec differs from uncompressed PCM in that it is a psychoacoustic lossy audio data reduction scheme and is such that the recorded signal does not require decompression on replay. Although it is intended that the reproduced signal may sound nearly identical to the original as far as the listener is concerned, it differs sufficiently that listening on a high quality audio system will betray the difference - other true compression schemes generally share this characteristic to a greater or lesser degree.

There have been four versions of the ATRAC data reduction system, each claimed (by Sony) to more accurately reflect the original audio. Early version players are guaranteed to play later version ATRAC audio because there is no processing required for replay. Version 1 could only be copied on consumer equipment three or four times before artifacts became objectionable, as the ATRAC on the recording machine attempts to data reduce the already reduced signal. By version 4, the potential number of generations of copy had increased to around 15 to 20 depending on audio content.

The latest versions of Sony's ATRAC are ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus, both of which are true lossy compression schemes and both require decompression on replay. Original ATRAC3 at 132 kbit/s (also known as ATRAC-LP2 mode) is the format that used to be used by Sony's now-defunct Connect audio download store. ATRAC3plus was not used in order to retain backwards compatibility with earlier NetMD players.

In MiniDisc's last progression, Hi-MD, uncompressed CD-quality linear PCM audio recording and playback is offered, placing Hi-MD on a par with CD-quality audio. Hi-MD also supports both ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus in varying bitrates, but not the original ATRAC.

 

Don't you ever dare!!!!

Convert MP3s to Opus instead

 

OPUS is awesome. foobar2000 has total support.

 

https://marco.org/2017/05/15/mp3-isnt-dead

 

Care to elaborate? All i know is that mp3 is a licensed codec and was originally developed by Fraunhofer.

 

mp3 is a format full of patented functionality, developed by the Fraunhofer institute. The patent holders were the individuals that work there and the institute itself. The patent holders are long living from their patent incomes alone, and the institute made high 2-digit million euros per year.
The issue with mp3 was always that they only gave free access to the decoding part of the codec. Everyone that wanted to encode mp3 had to pay licence fees. That was also their key to success, on the other hand. The free decoder came at the right time, when the internet was becoming a place to share music. No other codec at that time could really compete with the small footprint of mp3.

 

The mp3 patents may well have expired if filed in the 90s. Thats different from saying the tech is no longer good