The Official MP3.com Guide to MP3 [Paperback]

Michael Robertson and Ron Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

MP3 is changing the world and the way you listen to it. The popular, easy-to-use technology lets you easily download songs and even entire albums of near-compact disc-quality music from the Internet. The Official MP3.com Guide to MP3 launches you into this music explosion with in-depth discussions of the latest software and hardware, as well as user-friendly tutorials on how to download music and even sell music online. The most comprehensive resource on MP3, this book tells you which websites to visit and provides valuable tips for the music lover, casual surfer, musician and computer enthusiast. Beginners can get up to speed on MP3, and experienced users will benefit from discussion on advanced features.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

MP3 music files. Have you heard all of the hoopla and felt just a little bit left out? Does all the talk about this new technology leave you feeling sheepish because of your lack of knowledge? If you're confused about that new Netscape Communicator plug-in called Winamp, The Official MP3.com Guide to MP3 is without a doubt the book for you. Leaning toward the practical side of MP3s, Michael Robertson and Ron Simpson have written a book that will help the rest of us get a firm grasp on this emerging technology.

By using simple explanations and concise tutorials, the authors introduce us to the music compression format that has changed the face of the music industry. Each of the first four chapters in the book is a standalone unit designed to illustrate one or two basic concepts, for example, how to upgrade the encoder files of the shareware version of Audiograbber with a freeware MP3 encoder that allows 128 kbs rates and higher.

The book discusses some of the competition that MP3 is facing from other compression schemes such as Liquid Audio, RealAudio, and Sony's VQF. Robertson and Simpson also delve into the MP3 phenomenon from a musician's point of view, giving suggestions and tips on how any musician or band can use MP3 and the Internet to showcase and distribute its music to a vast audience with a minimum of fuss or expense.

Configuration options and basic functions are explained, as well as Winamp, Sonique, MusicMatch Jukebox, and some of the other players that get honorable mentions. All of the slightly more advanced concepts such as ripping, CODECS, editing ID3 tags, adding equalizer treatments, streaming, skins, and plug-ins are treated in the same easy-going manner, which is always lucid and never condescending.

One of the more useful topics involves using MusicMatch to convert directly from music CDs to an MP3 file in a one-step process. Without MusicMatch this involves a two-step process that creates a 10 meg-per-minute WAV file on your hard drive--which subsequently requires conversion to the MP3 format (a very handy trick that conserves hard-drive space).

Beginners will love this book with its easy-to-follow tutorials, and more experienced users will find helpful tips and tricks scattered throughout the pages. --Robert D. Gately

Topics covered: Introduction to the MP3 format; examination of the portable MP3 players on the market; the history of MP3; the legalities involved in creating your own MP3s from your favorite CDs; techniques for configuring your MP3 player; downloading from the Internet; and playing and ripping your own MP3 files.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: MP3.com (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096705740X
• ISBN-13: 978-0967057408
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,124,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Computers & Technology > Digital Music > MP3

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars MUSIC & VIDEOS ONLINE (YouTube...), August 18, 2009

By 

Bonella M. Marcotte (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Official MP3.com Guide to MP3 (Paperback)

This book, Mp3 for Musicians: Promote Your Music Career Online gets a high rating, at least, by a friend of mine who wants to put his music online. In the index pages, it has six reference listings for video.

I ordered the book for a friend, and another as a reference for myself. This is worth checking out--307 pages, plus a few advertisements, AND, a CD is included.

12 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive MP3 Resource, December 20, 1999

By 

D. Woodruff (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Official MP3.com Guide to MP3 (Paperback)

This is probably the most resourceful guide to MP3's and the MP3 world that one can buy. It clearly defines almost any aspect of the MP3 that you might wonder about. This is one you should definitely check out!