Hi Folks,
We are in the possession of a large collection of Indian classical music recordings currently in mp3 format, which amounts to more than 2000 hours of music. We are planning to set up a system which will stream this content over the internet & the local network. The question is should we retain the data(tracks) in it’s existing format or shift them to a different codec?
Leave them alone. MP3 is already compressed and damaged. Any time you convert between different compressions/codecs, the damage goes up. The decision was taken out of your hands by the person who produced the compressed tracks instead of an uncompressed format like WAV or AIFF. The damage – as much as there is – is permanent. Your job is to not make it worse.
Koz
Thanks, i’ll keep that in mind
Marm
Standard modem speed connections–including cable modems and xDSL systems–do not have the capacity to deliver pure, uncompressed CD-quality 16-bit, 44.1 kHz audio. In order to stream across the limited bandwidth of the Web, audio has to be compressed and optimized with codecs
Since small file size is so important on the Internet, practically all of the formats we’re interested in employ lossy compression
As for lossless audio codecs (like WAV or AIFF). They are difficult to develop (and thus expensive to license), they require substantial computing power on the user’s machine, and the file savings are not as great as with lossy compression.
Hence, MP3 lossy compression is necessary for knocking large audio files down to Internet-appropriate size
anything close to 320 kbps CBR is as close to perfect for internet streaming although 128kbps is industrial standard…Pandora, Last.fm etc
Hence, MP3 lossy compression is necessary for knocking large audio files down to Internet-appropriate size
…for delivery. Not for production. MP3 is a delivery format not intended to go any further than listening. The original work should have been recorded in an uncompressed perfect format to make it possible to easily produce any other format.
The problem with MP3 masters is multiple compression damage. If you assume the originals are in 128 and you decide to produce “smaller” versions for delivery, say 64, the sound damage is the summation of the two distortions. Far worse than 64 by itself from a perfect master.
“How do I get rid of the bubbling and honky sound when I re-edit YouTube downloads?” You don’t. That’s what happens when you compress twice. Audacity is not a good candidate for editing already compressed masters. Audacity converts formats internally and you can’t stop it. If you need to cut MP3s down to shorter songs, you should try one of the MP3 editors like MP3Split
http://mp3splt.sourceforge.net/mp3splt_page/home.php
If you need to compress to smaller files at the same show, you may be stuck with the increased damage.
Koz