MP3

Perhaps you have heard your child or your child's friends use unfamiliar terms and expressions—such as "MP3," "Ogg Vorbis," "Kazaa," and "CD ripping"—and wondered just what they were talking about. Perhaps you have also heard about lawsuits stemming from the distribution of MP3 files and wondered if your child is involved in anything illegal. This section on MP3 technology is intended to help you understand what an MP3 file is, how one works, and how such a little file could cause such a big controversy.

Learn about File Sharing

Select a question below to learn more about MP3. Use the navigation to the left to learn about other technologies.

1. What is an MP3?
2. What do I need to listen to MP3s?
3. What is so great about MP3s?
4. Will my child get in trouble with the authorities if she or he downloads an illegal MP3 from the Internet?
5. Do MP3s serve any educational purpose?
6. How are MP3s made?
7. Is MP3 the only file-compression format?

How are MP3s made?

Most music MP3s are "ripped" from a compact disc; that is, a computer user will use special software to encode the music to MP3 format and then save it to the computer's hard drive. Some devices, however, can record directly to MP3 (such as a handheld MP3 recorder). Once on a computer's hard drive, MP3 files are ready for distribution on the Internet. In the future, MP3 may become a popular format for the distribution of audio books.

To find out more about books in MP3 format, go to:
http://mp3.about.com/

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