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1. What is an MP3 file?
MP3 is an audio compression file format (short for MPEG Audio Layer 3) developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group, an organization that sets international standards for digital formats for audio and video. The file-shrinking technology itself was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. In short, the MP3 algorithm takes a digital audio file and reduces its size, while maintaining the quality of the recording.
Standard audio files store several frequencies of audio information. Many of these frequencies are extraneous because they are incapable of being perceived by the human ear. The MP3 format intelligently removes the least audible frequencies, rendering a much smaller file capable with very little noticable quality loss.
2. What are the advantages of MP3?
Depending on the quality and bit depth of the encoded audio, MP3 files of spoken word recordings are generally thirty times smaller than uncompressed digital audio. This means that MP3 audio sermons are capable of being downloaded across the internet, or stored in large numbers on a CD. (For example, one CD can hold around 74 minutes in standard audio CD format, or approximately 30 hours in MP3 format)!
A smaller file size means that MP3 files are much more portable and transferrable in comparison to standard audio tape. With the growing trend of MP3 players on the computer, in portable devices, in the car, and in the home for music and spoken audio, MP3 is quickly becoming one of the primary standards for audio reproduction. And, unlike other proprietary formats such as Windows Media Audio, Liquid Audio, and RealPlayer, MP3 is an open standard. Essentially, this means that no one corporation controls it. For this reason, there are more MP3 listeners, software programs, and hardware devices than any other CD-quality digital audio format in the world.
3. How do I play MP3 files on my computer?
4. How do I import MP3 files in my portable MP3 Player or iPod?
Portable MP3 players or iPods are great for listening to audio messages. Simply download the message you want to listen to to your computer, and follow your MP3 Player's instructions for importing. (For iPods, simply click the import button).
5. How do I play MP3 files in my stereo or my car?
You cannot play MP3 files in your stereo or your car without an MP3 player, since a standard CD player will not play the MP3 format. However, you can purchase an MP3 player exclusively for playing MP3 CDs for the home or car stereo. Also, some CD players are now being sold that have the capability of playing MP3s. Some DVD players also have this capability.
6. Why do you not offer files in Real Audio format?
Right now, we currently do not have the resources to produce multiple versions of each message. We have chosen the MP3 format for its growing standardization and portability. The advantage of formats such as Real Audio are their ability to stream audio from the web. Depending on the MP3 player you have installed on your computer, MP3 files are also capable of being streamed as well. Check the documentation that comes with your MP3 player for instructions on enabling this feature, if available.
7. When do you typically post new MP3 files to your site?
Typically, we upload the messages on the Monday or Tuesday following the Sunday worship service. If there is a message that you have a question about, please contact the Webmaster for more details on when it will be published.
8. How long does it usually take to download a 35 minute sermon?
Depending on connections speeds, a 35-minute sermon usually takes as little as a couple of minutes (for high-speed connections such as DSL and Cable) to approximately half-an-hour (for dial-up 56k modems).
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