Comparing MP3 Bit Rates
A great feature about the MP3 format is that it
allows you to sacrifice audio quality for disk space.
You make this trade-off by choosing a number, called the
"bit rate," between 8 and 384. The higher the bit rate, the better the sound
quality and the bigger the file. Set it too low and you
might be disappointed in the performance. Set it too high and you'll outperform the CD! This is the guide to
finding your ideal bit rate balance.
Sound Clip by Iz
The audio clip used throughout this topic is from a wonderful artist I
discovered in Hawai‘i who has a very long name but goes by Iz
for short.
You can hear more
of his music by following the Amazon link.
You will hear for yourself the difference
between a high quality MP3, a low quality
MP3 and the levels in-between.
I also provide some interactive calculators where you can estimate
how much space it will take to store your MP3
collection.
Choosing an ideal bit rate is an important decision
that should be made before you begin building your MP3
collection. The decision is not one you can easily
change later.
So go ahead, get those headphones out and
see which bit rate best pleases both your ears and your hard
drive.
MP3s are Small in Size
Compared to CD Tracks
The chart below says it all. Even a "CD
Quality" MP3 file is 5 times smaller than
the same track on a CD. If your only requirement is that
your MP3 sound quality is virtually identical to your
CD, 256Kbps is your bit rate.
File Sizes: MP3 vs. Audio CD
12.3MB, Wave File, CD
Bit rate. Listen
2.2MB, 256Kbps MP3. 18% of original. Listen
286KB, 32Kbps MP3, 3% of original. Listen
Exact Copy
MP3 (CD Quality)
MP3 (Low Quality)
|
|
Comparing File Sizes:
Original CD Track to MP3
File
This clip is one minute
and 16 seconds. It is 12 megabytes as a audio CD. A
very high quality MP3 file is only 2.2 megabytes.
See if you can tell the difference!
|
Finding Your Ideal Bit rate
The chart below shows the most of the
bit rates available for the MP3 format and my rating of each
bit rate's suitability for storing music. Click on the
"Listen" link next to each row to hear the sample. And
let me stress again, you must listen to these samples
in headphones to hear the subtler differences.
File Sizes: MP3 Bit rates from High to Low
1.7MB,
75% of CD quality. Listen
1.1MB, 50% of CD quality. Listen
860KB, 36% of
CD quality. Listen
574KB, 25% of CD quality. Listen
286KB, 13% of CD quality. Listen
256Kbps (CD)
192Kbps (FM)
160Kbps (Good)
128Kbps (Fair)
96Kbps (Poor)
64Kbps (Lousy)
32Kbps (Terrible)
|
|
Comparing File Sizes:
Original CD Track to MP3
File
Listen with your
headphones to really appreciate the difference
between each bit rate.
|
MP3 Disk Space Calculators
In deciding on a bit rate, you need to weigh two things:
- What level of sound degradation you're willing
to accept (if any)
- How much space you have available to devote to
your MP3s
The MP3 clips above should have helped you answer the
first. The calculators below will help answer the
second.
These are only estimates based on 60 minutes per album for the Album Calculator and 4 minutes
per song for the Song Calculator.
Disk Space by Album
Enter the number of
albums and your MP3 bit rate to find our how
many megabytes (or gigabytes) your CD collection
will consume. The calculator assumes a 60 minute
CD.
Albums
Bit Rate
Total
Click Here!
Disk Space by Songs
Estimate disk
space usage by song count. It assumes 4 minutes
per song.
Songs
Bit Rate
Total
Click Here!
| You are viewing the Knowzy topic: |
|
| Subtopics
|
Opinion and Commentary
0 Items
Instructional Guides
0 Items
Multimedia and Tools
1 Item
Comparing MP3 Bit Rates
Comparison Charts
Originally Published: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Last Updated: Sunday, July 01, 2007