The Mp3 Bitrates Your Should Use

By Zachry Nest

If you have downloaded music from the Internet or burned a CD, then you should have heard of the term "Mp3". There are countless numbers of people all of the world who have heard of the term "Mp3", but its every safe to say that 85% of them don't know exactly what it is. Are you one of those people? If you are, then you most likely don't know that what a bitrate is either.

If you happen to be unaware of that an Mp3 is, then don't fear because you will learn exactly what an Mp3 is, what a bitrate is and more. Once you have completely read though this article, you will be more aware of what Mp3's are and the role the bitrate plays in the quality of an Mp3. To begin, the question must be asked: What exactly is an Mp3? The Mp3 is a highly efficient, patented form of compression.

All that means is that an Mp3 is the compressed form of the original audio file. You may ask yourself: Why compress an audio file to begin with? The reason why we compress audio files is because original, uncompressed audio files tend to have massive file sizes. Without compressing audio files, it would be unpractical to store. On the opposite end, if you decrease the file size of an audio file too much, the audio quality will be negatively affected.

The Mp3, also known as MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is meant to deal with that issue by shrinking the file sizes without negatively affecting the audio quality. Here is where the bitrate comes into play. The bitrate is the number of bits (units of information) that is processed per second. Now I know that sounds somewhat technical, but just look at it like this. The bitrate is the amount of information that the Mp3 player, computer, or other device reads per second.

The more information the device reads per second, the higher the audio quality. But on the other end, the more information per second, the bigger the file size will be. A common bitrate of an Mp3 file is 128 kbit/s. Just in case you aren't aware, the 128 kbit represents the number of kilobytes and the /s means per second. Now consider this example: Imagine you have an Mp3 player with 20 gigabytes of storage and you have 100 Mp3 songs each with a bitrate of 128 kbit/s.

Now imagine that you have another Mp3 player with 20 gigabytes of storage and you have in your Mp3 player 100 Mp3 songs each with a bitrate of 192 kbit/s. You would have less space in the 2nd Mp3 player because the file sizes of the 100 Mp3 songs with the bitrate of 192 kbit/s are bigger.

Bitrate is important because it helps determine the audio quality of the file. Now that you have a basic understanding of what an Mp3 file is and what the bitrate is and why it is important, I would like to share with you my favorite bitrates and why.

To be more specific, my favorite bitrate changes depending on what device I will be playing my Mp3 file on. If Im going to play my Mp3 file on my Mp3 player, then my favorite bitrate to encode at is 192 kbit/s. I prefer that bitrate because it is the same bitrate songs are encoded on CD's (also known as CD quality) and the audio file size generated is relatively small. If I plan to listen to my Mp3 music on my computer, then my favorite mp3 bitrate is 256 kbit/s.

Though the increased bitrate will produce a slightly higher file size, the audio quality would be improved. If I plan to listen to my Mp3 music on my cell phone or a device with a small amount of storage, then the bitrate I would encode my Mp3 files at 128 kbit/s. Now that you know my favorite bitrates, I recommend that you use them because I believe they produce the best combination of audio quality and file size. - 18424

About the Author:

I highly recommend that you learn how to add Mp3 Album Art to your songs. My Favorite Mp3 Bitrate was provided by eSquaredMarketing.

The Basics Of Playing Piano Chords

By Lynn Lopez

Notes, scales, flats, natural, chords--they're all part of music, and something every piano player should know. For the musically unaccustomed, however, they can sound a bit like threatening, difficult terms to understand. If you're a beginner when it comes to playing the piano, it is essential for you to understand these because, like it or not, you will encounter them as you go about your lessons. One of the things you will learn about is how to play piano chords.

First of all, what are piano chords anyway? Simply put, piano chords are a combination of notes in a single key played simultaneously. The most basic chords consist of three notes. For example, take a look at the piano keyboard and look for two black keys placed together; the white key to the immediate left is C. Press C, then the second key after C, and the second key after that. That is what is basically known as the C major chord. There are twelve major chords all in all: C, G, F, D, E, A, Db, Eb, Ab, Gb, B, and Bb.

You can look up the positions of these chords and practice each of them on your own. When you practice playing them, just remember that it's not necessary to be able to play them quickly. The major chords are not the only ones you can play, but they're the right ones you should be learning first before moving on to the other types of chords.

For you to learn how to play piano chords properly, it always helps if you are already in the middle of a piano course and are therefore already familiar with the keyboard. That way, you already have an understanding of what it's like to produce music on the piano.

If you have a private instructor, you can ask him or her how to play piano chords to learn more about what they are and how they would sound. If you are learning on your own, taking an online course or studying with the help of e-books can really help improve the way you play piano chords. It would also be a good idea for you to find videos on YouTube or other video lessons to show you exactly how certain chords and chord progressions are performed.

Once you've gotten the hang of playing piano chords, you're well on your way to becoming a better pianist. - 18424

About the Author:

Find out how to play the piano and you will improve motor skills, increase you musical ability and impress your friends and family. Start today living a dream, and learn how to play the piano it will help you gain a whole new sense of self.

Role Of RIAA In Music Downloads

By Susan Reynolds

RIAA is a contraction of Recording Industry Association of America. This association is a syndicate of multiple large companies that handle the recording and music distribution throughout United States of America. RIAA claims to have More than 90% of the music recording companies and distributors as members of it. In 1950?s was more attentive to maintaining the quality of music. Today the main aim of association is prevention of copyright violations.

Frequent and illegal copy or download of music without permission from copyright holders led to a change in the policy of the association. The operation is currently supervised by Mitch Bainwol. It used to be that in the 1990?s Napster which was an online music file sharing service was on hand and people in large numbers downloaded all kind of music from it free of cost. Without any payment they used to download, burn and share music with friends. With progress in computer technology the matter of copyright violations came more and more into focus.

RIAA stringently opposes P2P music sharing. In the year 2000 it initiated steps to see that P2P trading of music is constrained. Though the trading could be called to have reduced quite effectively but it continues to exist even today. RIAA has not reduced its pressure against P2P sharing. It has imposed prohibition not only against the traders but even individuals are not immune from it.

RIAA is doing all it can to help prevention of misuse of music which is under copyright protection. However the activities of RIAA are not positively viewed by everybody. There are critics who point out that when online services such as Napster existed the sale of CDS was far more. Concerns have also been voiced about the goal of RIAA to help the artists and recording studios. There is also the matter of artists being not being correctly compensated and made to suffer loss while they make huge profit margins.

RIAA has no objections against copying a CD for personal purpose. One is allowed to burn a copy of one?s legally purchased CD. The disapproval is for burning copies illegally for sale. RIAA will institute legal proceedings against people selling illegal copies.

RIAA formulated a law in the year 2003 that no action will be taken against people who had in the past downloaded music illegally provided they undertake to not to do so in future. This was hailed by many as a positive approach but the law was deflated in a year?s time.

In general people have undecided feelings for RIAA. There are many who are unhappy about it, yet there are others who support its earnest efforts. Though there is a lack of uniform opinion about RIAA, it can be said with certainty that it has made impressive progress in the recent past.

Although RIAA has many justifications, there are many who find the tactics of RIAA disagreeable. It has been claimed by many that the policies pursued by RIAA would ultimately result in demise of music. - 18424

About the Author:

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a website that lets you Download Music for Free. For more information visit: http://www.sharepanel.com/

The Oud: From the Middle East to Europe

By Steve West

Shaped like a pear and believed to be the forerunner of the western lute, the oud, has a long history. It is distinguished from other stringed instruments because it fretless. It is still widely played in Israel, Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Greece, and Armenia.

Oud and lute are words that appear to have come from the Arabic al-d, a lean wooden piece like in the shape of a straw. It could be referring to the wooded plectrum used to play the lute traditionally, or to the slim wooden strips used to make the instruments back part. It could also mean the top which is made of wood.

Research has suggested that d is the Arabized form of the Persian rud; string, stringed instrument, or lute. In Azerbaijan, where it is called an ud, the instrument is very popular. It has been in use in Azerbaijan since the 7th century.

It is very likely that the Arabs brought the instrument with them to Western Europe in 711 AD, as created the Umayyad Caliphate of Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula. Instruments that look like this musical instrument, the ancient Roman pandura and Greek pandoura, may have wound there earlier to the Iberian Peninsula. It has been established, though, that Al-Andalus royal houses fostered the environment that promoted the instruments popular use.

Zyriab was the most renowned player of the instrument in Al-Andalus. He put up Spains very first music conservatory. He also added the instruments fifth course and developed playing technique.

This European version of this instruments became to be known as the lute -- luit in Dutch, luth in French, laute in German, liuto in Italian, and alaud in Spanish. Also of French origin is the word luthier or a stringed instrument maker. The use of frets distinguishes the European lute from the Middle Eastern version.

Legends tell of Lamech, Adams sixth grandson, conceiving the instrument. His son died, and in his grief, Lamech hung the body of his son from a tree. The shape of the bleached skeleton of his son gave him the idea to make the first oud. - 18424

About the Author:

Oud is a musical instrument that is pear-shaped and belongs to the string family. It is ethnic as it is believed to have originated from the Middle East and moved its way to Europe. It does produce a unique and distinguished sound of music. Simply visit this site at http://www.yourworldinstruments.com to know more about it.

Learn To Play Acoustic Guitar - A Guide For Beginners

By Payo W Perry

If youre planning to learn to play acoustic guitar I hope this article will serve to help you by highlighting whats really important in order to succeed that in goal. A lot of beginners suffer the same frustrations some of which can be terminal and result in you wanting to give up.

High up in importance is going to be the quality of your instruction and believe me there are some really terrible methods for learning guitar out there " online, on DVDs, in books you have to be careful. Choosing a poor method or tutor can spell disaster for your chances of learning successfully.

If you cant find a good local tutor to go to for lessons then there are a few good quality sites online to learn to play acoustic guitar. Check out their sample lessons to see if the style, level and pace of the lessons succeed in teaching you. Learning online is also more economical and you can fit it around your daily schedule with relative ease.

The ideal situation is to have a combination where you learn from a variety of different sources simultaneously. For example, 1-1 lessons with a real tutor plus online guitar lessons or books and DVDs. Youll need to be self motivated and committed to daily practice which not everyone is (!) but assuming some kind of inspiration is driving you to learn acoustic guitar everything should be fine!

It generally doesnt take too long to get chords and strumming down to a point where you could play along to popular songs. As with most musical instruments though, the sky is the limit regarding how far you can progress. Its a personal decision and will depend largely on your musical ambitions.

Aside from quality guitar lessons the most important will be in knowing how to practice correctly. Practicing is a technique you have to learn! Learning how to practice correctly will shorten the time to takes you to learn to play acoustic guitar enormously, it may even mean the difference between success and failure. - 18424

About the Author:

The writer is a successful and popular guitar teacher. His unique system to play acoustic guitar for beginners is known as Guitar in a Nutshell. You can visit the website to find lots of free video tutorials and lessons plus subscribe to a series of learning acoustic guitar secrets!