MPEG Audio Layer 3, better known as MP3, is a lossy audio-coding format: it compresses digital sound by discarding some audio information, using perceptual coding to reduce data while aiming to retain the parts listeners are most likely to notice. “Layer III” is one of three layers in MPEG-1 audio. MP3 names a coding format, not a particular encoder or playback device.
What does MPEG Audio Layer 3 mean?
MP3 is the common name for MPEG-1 Audio Layer III, one of the three hierarchical audio layers in the MPEG-1 standard. The standard’s audio section, ISO/IEC 11172-3:1993, specifies the coded representation of audio and how a conforming decoder reconstructs it. In other words, MP3 describes how audio data is represented and decoded; it does not prescribe one particular encoder or player.
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The MPEG overview describes Layer III as a one- or two-channel perceptual audio coder. MPEG characterizes its compression of high-quality CD audio as typically about 12:1 while retaining high audio quality. That is a typical description, not a guarantee for every recording, encoder, or setting.
Why is MP3 called lossy?
MP3 encoding reduces file data through perceptual coding, which removes some information from the original audio. As a result, decoded MP3 audio is not a bit-for-bit copy of the original PCM audio. Fraunhofer IIS explains this distinction in its technical explanation of MP3.
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The standard specifies a compliant bitstream and decoding process, but leaves encoder algorithms to implementers. Different encoders and settings can therefore produce different results, even when their output is MP3. The fact that a bitrate is supported does not by itself mean the result will sound transparent.
What sample rates and bitrates does MPEG-1 Layer III support?
For the base MPEG-1 audio context, the sampling rates are 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and 48 kHz, according to ISO/IEC 11172-3. ITU-R Recommendation BO.1130-5 gives MPEG-1 Layer III an operating range of 32–320 kbit/s per mono or stereo signal. These are standard capabilities, not a promise of equal sound quality at every setting.
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The ITU recommendation also discusses lower sampling rates for the MPEG-2 low-sampling-rate extension. Those figures belong to an extension and should not be confused with the base MPEG-1 sampling rates.
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MPEG-1 audio has three hierarchical layers: Layer I, Layer II, and Layer III. MPEG describes Layer III as having higher compression efficiency than Layers I and II. That is a comparison of coding efficiency; it does not mean every MP3 file will sound better than every file encoded with another layer or format.
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When choosing a codec today, relevant considerations include bitrate at a stated quality target, supported features, compatibility with devices and services, and encoding or decoding needs. Fraunhofer notes that newer codecs such as AAC can offer more features and higher audio quality at lower bitrates in many current applications.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is MP3 still used?
MP3 remains popular with consumers, while many current streaming, television, and radio services use newer codecs, including AAC-family formats or MPEG-H, according to Fraunhofer. The original MP3 standard is still listed by ISO as current: ISO says ISO/IEC 11172-3:1993 was last reviewed and confirmed in 2021.
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Fraunhofer also says its licensing program for certain MP3-related patents and software ended on April 23, 2017. That statement concerns Fraunhofer’s program and is not a blanket legal conclusion about every jurisdiction, use, or rights holder.
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MP3 definition in one sentence
MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3) is a lossy, perceptual audio-coding format in the MPEG-1 standard that compresses audio into a defined bitstream for reconstruction by a conforming decoder.
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