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MP3 is officially dead, say creators of format
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The creators of MP3 technology have declared the file format obsolete. (Shutterstock/File)
I
n the mid-90s, the MP3 was declared dead. But that was before the release of the iPod, which turned MP3 into the default file format.
Recently, however, the creators of MP3 have announced that it was truly the end of the format.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, the group that originally bankrolled the development of MP3 technology in the late ‘80s said that its "licensing program for certain MP3 related patents and software" had been "terminated."
Read also: Spotify may soon serve up ‘lossless’ music
As an alternative to the MP3 format, Bernhard Grill, one of the developers of MP3 technology at the Fraunhofer Institute, recommends that people turn to Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), which he also helped create.
He told NPR that AAC was the "de facto standard for music download and videos on mobile phones” and that it was "more efficient than MP3 and offers a lot more functionality.”
AAC is the default setting for bringing CDs into iTunes. (sul/kes)
