Convert MP3 to OGG

MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer-3) is a digital format for storage of audio files as well as for audio streaming. The format was designed by MPEG programmers. It is one of the most required codecs for digital coding. The format is widely used in various file-sharing sites for evaluation downloading.

Due to lossy compression in this audio format, it is possible to compress CD tracks up to 1/10 of their original size while maintaining high playback quality. Moreover, it can be encoded at higher or lower bit rates to adjust the resulting quality. Overtones, which cannot be perceived by a human ear, are removed. Complex algorithms allow for smaller size of tracks. As a result, one compact disk can contain several hundred songs. MP3 is compatible with all most popular operating systems and supported by the most of modern DVD-players and music systems.

Prior to MP3 introduction, MPEG-1 had been widely used. That format contained not only audio data, but images as well. MP3 breaks an audio file into parts of the same length. When the processing is over, each part is packed into its own frame. It involves the technology of spectral limit that requires a continuous input signal to provide the use of two adjacent frames.

When spectral deleting is over, the file is to be compressed with mathematic methods. If necessary, compression rate can be changed, even inside the same frame. Files of 128 kbit/s have 11-fold compression. Further reduction of the file size will lead to significant deterioration in sound quality.

The format is available without any restrictions. It was created in 2002 by programmers of The Xiphophorus Company (xiph.org foundation) as an open source software project and given its name after a character from Terry Pratchett’s “Small Gods”. The format is intended for multimedia playing and editing; sampling frequency is 6-192 kHz. It was designed for live streaming with an option to store some tracks with their own tags within the same file. When the file is opened in a player, all tracks show, which gives the appearance of music being opened from different files.

Originally, it was used for the entirety of OGG-using files, but for the recent ten years, it has being associated mainly with files of OGG Vorbis. The function set is the same as one of AC3 and AAC codecs, which leave the popular MP3 behind. The spread of OGG is restricted a bit due to the fact that it is not supplied by Apple products.

At its core, the extension is a container for several streams of audio, video and metadata. It generates the sound of a medium or high level within the range of 16-128 kbps/channel and exceeds MP3 by sound quality. In order to reduce the file size, the program deletes a certain amount of data, and therefore, the compression is irreversible. The format is best suited for storage of musical tracks, but it can be used as well for voice recording.