[News] MP3 is dead, long live AAC

[StyM]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/12/...long-live-aac/

MP3, the format that revolutionized the way we consume (and steal) music since the 90s, has been officially retired -- in a manner of speaking. The German research institution that created the format, The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, announced that it had terminated licensing for certain MP3-related patents...in other words, they didn't want to keep it on life support, because there are better ways to store music in the year 2017. Rest now forever, MP3.

In its place, the director of the Fraunhofer Institute told NPR, the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format has become the "de facto standard for music download and videos on mobile phones." It's simply more efficient and has greater functionality, as streaming TV and radio broadcasting use the format to deliver higher-quality audio at lower bitrates than MP3.

Basic research in audio encoding began at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in the late 1980s. Researchers there and from the Fraunhofer Institute joined forces, and their result was the humble MP3 standard. The format takes up 10 percent of the storage space of the original file, a monumental reduction at the time. According to Stephen Witt's book How Music Got Free, corporate sabotage and and other failures almost stonewalled the MP3 into irrelevancy. Finally, Fraunhofer just started giving away software consumers could use to rip songs from compact discs to MP3 files on their home computer, after which the format took off.

By the end of the 90s, however, those tiny files were zipping around the nascent internet, spawning a gold rush of digital piracy. It ruled illegal sharing for years as sites like Napster and Kazaa hosted popular peer-to-peer services allowing folks to download songs with a click. Of course, the format also enabled development on the legal side of the aisle as online vendors scrambled to lawfully meet the connected public's need for digitally-acquired music.

[Darakian]

Or opus

[AliG]

Interesting. I see this more as open sourcing mp3 than killing it per say, as I'm sure third party developers will look to provide continued support.

MP3 is a bit outdated, but imo there's too many who still use it for the format to disappear overnight.

[Sparky]

I'll bet most of the cars out there that support MP3 don't support AAC.

Just a guess.

[AliG]

I'll bet most of the cars out there that support MP3 don't support AAC.

Just a guess.

In what sense? Most infotainment modules are just audio pass-throughs, so it's not like you actually do the audio decoding on the vehicle.

Now there are plenty of aftermarket radios that you can store files. No idea if those support AAC or not (but I'd be willing to bet most do).

[Sparky]

Aftermarket isn't the issue. I'm talking factory head units. How many people use aftermarket? You and me, sure, but most people do not, and most stock head units will likely have no idea what to do with AAC files. The software on the system has to be able to recognize the file format after all.

[AliG]

Aftermarket isn't the issue. I'm talking factory head units. How many people use aftermarket? You and me, sure, but most people do not, and most stock head units will likely have no idea what to do with AAC files. The software on the system has to be able to recognize the file format after all.

Right, but most factory infotainment modules are just audio passthrough via Bluetooth. I suppose you could theoretically burn a CD with AACs, but the auto industry has been trying to kill CD players for a while now. Pretty much only older architectures or new designs that have older generation customers will continue to have it. For example, CD player is now an option on some of the Lincolns - and is not necessarily included with some higher end audio packages.

[Sparky]

Well yeah if you're doing audio via bluetooth that's not an issue. I meant locally stored audio files, whether that be an older MP3 CD or a more current USB flash drive.

Personally, I don't care to use my phone for music in my vehicle (heck I don't store that much music on my phone anyway). I find it more convenient to have the stuff local to the head unit.

[turbox997]

Well yeah if you're doing audio via bluetooth that's not an issue. I meant locally stored audio files, whether that be an older MP3 CD or a more current USB flash drive.

Personally, I don't care to use my phone for music in my vehicle (heck I don't store that much music on my phone anyway). I find it more convenient to have the stuff local to the head unit.

I concur with most cars having support for MP3 but perhaps not for AAC. Like you said, many factory headunits that could read data, read MP3 via CD or a USB drive, as well as aftermarket units I've owned. Newer cars should be able to redeem this via a software upgrade but most automakers seem slow to make such fixes/upgrades.

[kromosto]

MP3 AAC who cares anymore... spotify, pandora, google play music etc. are the only thing that matters for the users.

[AliG]

I concur with most cars having support for MP3 but perhaps not for AAC. Like you said, many factory headunits that could read data, read MP3 via CD or a USB drive, as well as aftermarket units I've owned. Newer cars should be able to redeem this via a software upgrade but most automakers seem slow to make such fixes/upgrades.

As I noted above, this isn't typical auto industry slowness (lord knows we have a lot LOL). If anything, over the air software updates will make that a lot better. I just don't think most OEMs are planning on CD players being supported that much longer. Aftermarket is a different story.

MP3 AAC who cares anymore... spotify, pandora, google play music etc. are the only thing that matters for the users.

I wouldn't go that far - many of my data limited friends can't use streaming services. But I do think the vast majority of people broadcast the audio from their phone these days, whether it be locally stored or cloud based.

[Particle]

Or opus

Seconded. If it can be lossy, use Opus. If it needs to be lossless, use FLAC. There is no need for anything else for general purposes these days.

[madcho]

Seconded. If it can be lossy, use Opus. If it needs to be lossless, use FLAC. There is no need for anything else for general purposes these days.

Agreed. MP3 can be good for small embbded devices.

Memory those days cost almost nothing. So lossless is the best idea. And a lot of cars can play it.

I store all I can in flac. I thow out MP3 wih lower bitrate than 256 / 384kb/s