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Your email address will not be published.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

Powerbeats Fit Wireless Earbuds 2025

New Products

At $199, Powerbeats Fit wireless earbuds improve durability and comfort for active users, but AirPods Pro 3 still lead in features and overall performance.

LG CineBeam S UST Projector Lifestyle LG CineBeam S UST Projector Lifestyle

New Products

LG CineBeam S is a compact 4K ultra short throw projector with RGB laser, smart streaming and Dolby Atmos for tight spaces.

XGIMI TITAN Projector XGIMI TITAN Projector

New Products

With 5,000 ISO lumens, full DCI-P3 color, and support for screens up to 250 inches, the TITAN is built to handle almost any venue.

XGIMI Horizon 20 Series Projectors 2025 XGIMI Horizon 20 Series Projectors 2025

New Products

Priced from $1,699 to $2,999, XGIMI’s HORIZON 20 Series projectors offer high brightness, HDR and Harman/Kardon audio with Google TV.

criterion-wes-anderson-archive-collage criterion-wes-anderson-archive-collage

Movies

Wes Anderson’s 10-film Criterion Collection 4K UHD Set includes remastered classics, 25+ hours of extras, and exclusive essays.

Fosi Audio IM4 IEMs Fosi Audio IM4 IEMs

IEMs

Fosi Audio launches the $99 IM4 open-back IEMs with beryllium drivers, dual chambers, and OFC cables, challenging Meze, DUNU, and Campfire.

Gift Ideas?

Early Holiday Gift Guide 2025

Gift Guides

Whether you’re upgrading your home audio setup or hunting for the perfect gift, get a head start on shopping for popular and stylish tech...

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