Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

New Products

MP3 Turns 10 Years Old

Happy Birthday MP3!

ERLANGEN, Germany, July 12, 2005 — On July 14th, the name “MP3” celebrates its tenth anniversary. On this day back in 1995, the researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS decided to use “.mp3” as the file name extension for their new audio coding technology. Soon MP3 became the generally accepted acronym for the ISO standard IS 11172-3 “MPEG Audio Layer 3”.

.mp3 emerged as the unanimous winner of an internal poll at Fraunhofer IIS. In an email dated July 14th 1995, the new file extension was proclaimed:


< !-quote-!>quote:

Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 12:29:49 +0200

Subject: Layer3 file extension: .mp3

Hi all,

this is the overwhelming result of our poll: everyone voted for .mp3 as extension for ISO MPEG Audio Layer 3! As a consequence, everyone please mind that for WWW pages, shareware, demos, and so on, the .bit extension is not to be used anymore. There is a reason for that, believe me 🙂

Juergen Zeller

(translated from German)< !-/quote-!>


This naming can be seen as the conclusion of years of research and development in a team of up to 40 engineers. The format’s international standardization in 1992 ensured worldwide compatibility – this fact and the public MP3 source code guarantee that billions of existing MP3 files can still be played by generations of audiophiles to come.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

In 1992 MP3 was in fact so far ahead of its times, that the industry considered the technology far too complex for practical application. It turned out, however, that its development was the bottom line advancement in audio coding – no other coding method so far could uncrown MP3 as the standard for digital music on the computer and on the Internet.

With the MP3 player, a brand new market was created. In 2004 more than 3 million MP3 players were sold in Germany alone. And the success story will continue: the prognosis for 2006 estimates over 80 million MP3 players to be sold worldwide.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

Bookshelf Speakers

DALI KUPID delivers compact, high-performance Hi-Fi sound with custom drivers, dual-flare bass, and broad amp compatibility under $400.

BenQ W4100i 4K Projector Ceiling Mounted BenQ W4100i 4K Projector Ceiling Mounted

New Products

Experience cinematic 4K HDR at home with the $2,999 BenQ W4100i 4LED projector featuring AI Cinema Mode, deep blacks, 3D support, and smart streaming.

Pro-Ject Balanced Turntable System with Tube Box S3 B Phono stage and Uni Box S3 Integrated Amplifier Pro-Ject Balanced Turntable System with Tube Box S3 B Phono stage and Uni Box S3 Integrated Amplifier

New Products

Pro-Ject’s new tube based phono preamps support both MM and MC cartridges for top-tier analog performance with a balanced option.

FiiO M27 DAP FiiO M27 DAP

DAPs

FiiO M27 DAP combines flagship DACs, FPGA architecture, 5W balanced output, and hi-res audio. Full specs and pricing set for September.

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Fe in gray and black Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Fe in gray and black

Earbuds & In-Ear Headphones

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE are smart ANC wireless earbuds with deep bass, clear treble, AI translation, and hands-free controls for Galaxy users.

Sony INZONE H9 II Wireless Gaming Headset and E9 Wired IEM Sony INZONE H9 II Wireless Gaming Headset and E9 Wired IEM

New Products

Sony expands its INZONE lineup with the H9 II Wireless Gaming Headset and E9 IEMs, featuring FNATIC tuning, 360 Spatial Sound, and pro-level gaming...

Gift Ideas?

Amazon Prime Day is July 8-11, 2025

Daily Deals

Amazon Prime Day is a four-day shopping event from July 8-11, 2025 offering the biggest discounts of the year on consumer electronics.

You May Also Like

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more →

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers