MP3 Files
If you love music and would like to download your favorite tracks from the Internet - you need to learn about MP3. (For the technically minded - MP3 is short for Mpeg Layer 3 Audio). Basically MP3 is a compressed audio file.
With MP3 technology you can very easily and quickly record your favorite CD's onto your hard drive. Before MP3, this was a lengthy process which also required about 10 times more disk space. You do need a bit of power in your computer to do the job well and some decent speakers.
Now you can organize your favorite songs into order and listen to music all day long from your computer without using a CD. Alternatively you can save your playlist onto a CD if you have a CD-writer in you system.
There are many free MP3 players which you can download from the Internet which enable you to play MP3 tracks on your computer. Some of the most popular ones are called WinAmp, Windows Media Player and RealJukebox.
Portable MP3 players are also available, so you can take your favorite songs with you when you go out. These store up to 2 hours of your favorite music.
Once you've got yourself an MP3 player such as WinAmp on your computer you need to find some music. Although there are literally hundreds of sites offering MP3 music, it is becoming much easier to find what you want on the thanks to powerful programs like Napster. This handy tool locates the song you are after, and downloads it for you right into your computer.
There's a lot of free MP3 music on the Net, and plenty you can buy. MP3 music has become controversial of late, as copyright laws and pirating are in question.
Music files take a while to download, but as with downloading any file, you can get on and use your computer for other tasks while the download is in progress. MP3 music is rated alongside FM in terms of sound quality - you may be pleasantly surprised at what comes out of your speakers!
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