| Friday, October 10, 2008 | |||||
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I was perusing your catalog and came across a term I'm unfamiliar with: "MP3 CD." What’s the difference between an MP3 CD and a regular audio CD? Basically, there are two kinds of Compact Discs produced by two different “burning” processes (though using the same CD media): data CDs and audio CDs. Data CDs are used for your basic kind of office data storage and usually contain Microsoft documents, PDF files, programs--and even mp3 files. What’s more, data CDs can store many more mp3 files than audio CDs can. But the mp3 files stored on data CDs cannot be played on standard portable CD players or car stereos with CD players. This is because standard CD players cannot read data CDs and can only play audio CDs (though some newer CD players have the capability of reading data CDs composed of mp3 files, a.k.a. MP3 CDs). Audio CDs actually use a converted form of the mp3 files called “audio tracks.” It is this form of audio that standard CD players can read and transform into sound signals that speakers can transmit as sound. However, these audio tracks take up a lot more space on a CD than mp3 files in data form such that while hundreds of mp3s can fit on a data CD, only approximately 10-12 mp3s (~70min) can fit on an audio CD once converted into audio tracks. So, if one simply wants to store as many mp3s as possible on a CD, one should burn them onto the CD using the data CD process. But if one actually wants to be able to pop a CD into a car stereo to listen to it, one will generally want to burn audio CDs. Mars Hill Audio produces MP3 CDs (data CDs composed of mp3 files) whenever there is a large collection of mp3s that need to be distributed in order to reduce costs for customers (CDs, packaging, mailing). For example, a whole year’s worth of Mars Hill Audio Journal containing twelve hours of content would require about twelve audio CDs to hold them, but only a single data CD, so we ship the Back Issue Sets of MHAJ as MP3 CDs if customers want the versatile mp3 format. Of course, you can copy the mp3s on the MP3 CD to your computer and then burn them from there as an audio CD. |
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To subscribe to the MARS HILL AUDIO Journal call 1.800.331.6407 or order online Download a free MP3 sample of the Journal Request a demonstration issue on cassette or CD
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| © 2008 MARS HILL AUDIO | |
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