MP3 file format (.mp3)
The universal lossy audio format.
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What is an MP3 file?
In short: An MP3 file (.mp3) is an audio file in the MP3 format. MP3 discards the parts of a sound that psychoacoustic models say you are least likely to hear, then compresses the rest. It can be converted to WAV or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Standardised in 1993 by the Fraunhofer Institute as part of MPEG-1, and free of patents since 2017.
MP3 discards the parts of a sound that psychoacoustic models say you are least likely to hear, then compresses the rest. It was the format that made digital music portable, and while newer codecs beat it at every bitrate, nothing matches its compatibility.
What MP3 is good at
- Plays on absolutely everything, including decades-old hardware
- Now completely free of patent restrictions
- Predictable file sizes at a given bitrate
Where MP3 falls short
- Beaten by AAC and Opus at the same bitrate
- No support for surround sound
- Cannot store audio without loss
When to use MP3
Use MP3 when compatibility matters more than efficiency, which for music files it usually does. 192 kbps is transparent for most listeners.
How to open a MP3 file
Everything that plays sound.
| Windows | Opens everywhere. |
|---|---|
| macOS | Opens everywhere. |
| Linux | Opens everywhere. |
| Phone | Opens everywhere. |
| In a browser | Every browser plays MP3. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
Converting an MP3 to another lossy format compounds the damage, because the second encoder is guessing at audio the first one already threw away.
Questions
What is a MP3 file?
The universal lossy audio format. Files use the .mp3 extension.
How do I open a MP3 file?
Most audio software opens MP3 directly. If yours does not, convert it here to something more common. It takes a few seconds and nothing is uploaded.
Can I convert MP3 for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is MP3 lossless?
No. MP3 is a lossy format, so saving discards some detail to save space.