Introduction
The history behind mp3 cd players is set in Germany where the MP3 technology was first invented. Although Karl-Heinz Brandenburg, Thomas Sporer, Ernst Eberlein and Bernd Kurten began to develop their project through which music could be recorded and distributed in a digital way in the late 80s, it was only in 1998 when the MP3 was patented.
In 1999, the first mp3 cd players were put up for sale, offering people the chance to listen to their favorite songs when they’re on the go. What started asa researching project entitled EUREKA ended up being the starting point for the technological process in music industry that we still experience today.
What is MP3
We all have mp3 cd players these days, but how many of us know what a MP3 really is? You don’t need to be a computer expert to get a general idea regarding this concept. The name of the MP3 resides in the fact that it represents a MPEG Audio Layer III. In a few simple words, the MP3 technology has the ability of taking audio files and making them smaller.
The MP3 doesn’t change the quality of the audio files despite the fact that they are compressed which is why mp3 cd players allow you to listen to a great number of your favorite songs depending on the memory size of your mp3 player. Thanks to the EUREKA project which was developed in Germany, you now have the ability of listening to your music wherever you go.
MP3 Over Time
It was in 1987 when The Fraunhofer Institut started working on the EUREKA project, based on finding a way of turning audio files into a digital form. You have probably heard of the term MPEG before but didn’t know what it meant. This title stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, a subcomittee which was established in 1988.
The actual beginning of the mp3 cd players was in 1989, when The Fraunhofer Institut managed to patent their MP3 invention. Dieter Seitzer helped Fraunhofer with the coding behind this patent, developing the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 technologies in 1993 and 1994.
The U.S bought the patent for the MP3 technology in 1996 and this was starting the point where many other countries started buying the same patent, as a way of allowing people to buy mp3 players and upload their favorite MP3 files on them. However, The Fraunhofer Institut insisted on getting acknowledgement for their work through the license rights that have to be paid by all the mp3 player providers.
Conclusion
The interesting fact that only in 1998 MP3 tracks started to be distributed in this form, giving people the chance to get their hands on this new and improved way of listening to music. Later in 1999, the first mp3 player that you could carry around with you was released on the market, giving you the chance to take your music with you wherever you go. The mp3 invention has actually revolutionized the music industry and still represents even to this day the main way of distributing and recording audio files.
