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MP3 Faces Challenge From MusicDNA

Ken Wright — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:49:14 +0000

There’s a new audio file format called MusicDNA which will give music companies and distributors a generous 32GB of information to hold, such as album cover art, song lyrics, and even the latest blog posts and concert news, combined with the sound file.

It’s possible that if enough companies come on board, there could be a challenge to the dominance of the MP3, giving users a more album-like experience but in digital form. It will give artists and content owners license to increase their prices per download.

The proposed format was launched by Bach Technology on Sunday at MIDEM a music-industry conference in Cannes, France. Unlike the current rivals to the MP3, Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), as two examples, MusicDNA is not actually a new music technology, and luckily doesn’t need new audio codecs, which is a big plus. Rather, as Stefan Kohlmeyer, CEO of Batch, the voice behind MusicDNA in an interview, MusicDNA is an add-on to existing audio formats.

So what is it that MusicDNA does? Well, it’s fascinating. It goes about analyzing the sound file itself for certain characteristics in 13 categories for example tempo and mood. This data is then encoded as XML and is stored with the file. Record labels can also include data, including lyrics and album art, to be included with the file.

What’s more, this data can also be updated when the user is connects to the internet–for example, concert listings could be updated as soon as they’re announced, complete with links to buy tickets. Bach is hoping to generate money by licensing the MusicDNA format out to software and hardware producers.

There is an advantage that Bach has, as MusicDNA is not a new audio technology, MusicDNA files should work with existing hardware and software. So MusicDNA potentially could work on MP3 / MP4 players if the manufactures picked it up. The player will be able to read the audio file, and disregard all the other stuff. Because of this, MusicDNA could escape a similar fate of other music file formats such as Sony’s ATRAC or even Windows Media Audio. We will wait and see.

Learn more about mp4 players. Stop by Ken Wright’s site where you can find out all about cheap mp3 players and what it can do for you.

What To Look For When Buying An MP3 Player

David Morris — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:36:50 +0000

Before you head off to buy your new MP3 player, ask yourself this question, “What will I being using it for?” A simple question but an essential first step to get the most out of your new MP3 player. Really, a huge amount of time and frustration can be avoided by doing this. Otherwise, you can find yourself having purchased an MP3 player that does many things you don’t need and none of things that you do.

You’ll find it makes choosing your player much easier. Rather than being overwhelmed by choice and not understanding why one player is better than another, or which will be more suitable for your needs. Do you want to just listen to music while your are out jogging or working out? Do you want to tune into the radio or want to watch your favorite videos on it?

There are MP3 players with simple button controls. Press play, volume, and up and down to scroll through your music library. Or say hello to touch screens. While Apple have popularized them with their iPod touch, there are now many players with touch screens. Touch screens do have their advantage, feeling that you are in the 21st century is certainly one of them. For many, it’s fun and easy way to control the player. But remember for those who have never used a touch screen before, it does take a little while to get used to it.

You will need to find out if your music and movie files are compatible with your MP3 player. One of the main problems having bought a player, is to find that it doesn’t play your files. While we tend to think that all music files are MP3′s, this is not actually not the case. While MP3 is perhaps the most popular music file format, there are plenty more. We have Windows Media Audio, or WMA, Real Media or RM, and Apple use a format called AAC.

If you choose a player, and then find it’s not compatible with your music collection, there is a simple solution. You can convert your music files into a format that is suited to your player. There are plenty of software programs available do this and many of them are free. You may also find that there is a program provided with your MP3 player.

Do you know somebody that has good MP3 player? Ask them about it, a personal recommendation is always helpful, and it can also give you opportunity to see the player in use.