Features - Why is MP3 so Controversial?
This popular audio format sounds almost as good as compact discs. It even has the support of electronics companies and music artists.
But why is the rest of the music industry against it?
First of all... What is MP3?
The MPEG, or Moving Picture Experts Group, needed a layer for audio in its MPEG
audio files. MP3 stands for MPEG audio Layer-3, the layer used for audio tracks in MPEG files. It is
now a common format for recording music to a compressed format taking as little as 10 percent of what a
traditional compact disc track would.
Isn't MP3 illegal?
No, MP3 is simply an audio format, just as .wav (Wave) and .ra (Real Audio) files
are. Creating your own material and recording it as MP3 is fine but using copyrighted material from
bands and such is illegal. As a matter of fact, anything distributed (even for free) that is
copyrighted is illegal.
How can I know the difference?
At the moment, there isn't a process of finding out if a particular track you download
from the Internet is illegal or not. However, in most cases, if you've heard of the artist you have
obtained an MP3 of, the MP3 file you have is probably illegal.
So why is the music industry angry?
They aren't making any profit from this. Let's take for example a project you have
worked on for a while. How would you like it if people gave it away for free if you were trying to
sell it? Better yet, what if those people were making a profit from it? This is what the music industry
including record labels and even artists, is mad about.
Can I get legal MP3's?
Yes, as a matter of fact, you can. There are many sites on the Internet that have
partnered up with record labels or even offer an artist's music for free to let the world hear samples
of. Some of the best are MP3.com, MP3now, and AMP3.com.
In addition, believe it or not, artists such as Korn and Beastie Boys have and continue to release exclusive
tracks in the MP3 format to the web community.
Related Links:
Multimedia Information
R Smith
The XRS Network
Sunday October 31, 1999
« Return to Features