The Current State of Audio Technology
Audio Compression
Since audio files are usually large, they must be compressed in order to be
delivered on the web. The most common compression type is MP3. MP3 compression
can reduce audio file size from about 15-20 Megabytes to 2-5 Megabytes. MP3
compression works by taking out the highs and lows that are inaudible to the human ear,
and also highs and lows that are "hidden" behind other sounds. For example, if you had
an audio file that contained simultaneous sounds of a train and a single bell, obviously,
the sound of the bell would be unable to be heard. MP3 compression takes out the sound
of the bell, thereby reducing the file sizes. Since the development of MP3 compression,
several web sites have become available for downloading MP3 audio files. Some sites,
like Napster, http://www.napster.com/ offers search engines for any MP3 files. Much
controversy exists over this site, with the possibility of a ruled shutdown under the
accusation that the free downloads infringe on the rights of the musicians and music
producers. On the flip side, recent research has shown that users of Napster who