Here are a few helpful digital music definitions. If you can’t find the term you’re looking for in this glossary, try one of these others.
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Audio frequency (AF) - Sound that is within the normal range of human hearing, usually between 20 Hertz (Hz) and 20 kilohertz (kHz).
Bit rate - The average number of bits that one second of audio data will consume. Standard MP3 bit rates are 64kbps (kilobits per second), 96kbps, 128kbps, and 160kbps. The higher the bit rate, the better the sound quality.
Bits per second (bps) - A measurement of the speed at which data is sent over transmission lines. A bit is the smallest unit of information on a computer. See also: Bytes per second (Bps).
Burn -The process of writing a DVD, CD-R, or CD-RW (see definitions below). CD and DVD writers are sometimes called burners.
Bytes per second (Bps) - A rate of data transfer, not to be confused with bits per second (bps). A byte is a number of bits that are usually treated as a unit. Bytes of eight bits usually represent either one letter or two numerals. See also: Bits per second (bps).
CDDB - An online database of music CD information. When you play a music CD on a CDDB-enabled player such as the HP Media Center PC, the CD is automatically identified and its information downloaded, including the artist, track lists, credits, etc.
CD-Recordable (CD-R) - A CD-R can store data as well as digital audio files. But information can only be recorded once; the disc cannot be reused. See also: CD-RW.
CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) - You can write, rewrite, and erase more than a thousand times on this medium. The data on CD-RW discs is only readable by CD-RW drives; sometimes computers need the identical software that was used to create a disc in order to read it. See also: CD-R.
Compression - The process of reducing the range of audio signals in a recording, thus decreasing the size of the file. MP3 compression eliminates frequencies inaudible to the human ear, though a bit rate below 128kbps produces a discernible loss in sound quality. See also: Bit Rate, MP3.
Constant Bit Rate (CBR) - A type of encoding that maintains a fixed bit rate throughout a file, so that data is sent in a steady stream. But because more complex passages may be encoded with fewer than necessary bits, and relatively simple passages may be encoded with more bits than are necessary, CBR can potentially result in lower-quality sound. See also: Variable Bit Rate (VBR).
Digital Rights Management (DRM) - Technology that protects a piece of intellectual digital property such as a music, video, or text file. With DRM, copyrighted material downloaded from the Web may be restricted so that it cannot be freely distributed.
Digital Video Disc (DVD) - A second-generation CD that holds 4.7 gigabytes or several hours of high-quality video.
Encoder - A software application that converts an audio file into another format. For example, an MP3 encoder converts a WAV file into an MP3 file.
Hertz (Hz) - The frequency of electrical vibrations (cycles) per second. One Hz is equal to one cycle per second.
ID3 Tag - Information embedded in an MP3 file, such as artist, title, track, etc. An ID3 tag editor lets you add and change this information. Without an ID3 tag, an MP3 would be recognizable only by the name of the file itself. ID3 tags are important to playlists because they identify pieces of music.
MP3 - MPEG-1, audio layer 3, is a form of digital audio compression that reduces the size of audio files without drastically compromising sound quality. MP3s reduce unnecessary data that is imperceptible to the human ear.
Normalize - To boost the volume of a track so that it's as loud as possible without distortion. This maximizes sound quality, eliminates noise, and produces an even volume among tracks from different sources.
Playlist - A custom index of musical pieces that play in a certain order. You can arrange your own playlists by artist, genre, mood, or any way you choose using an HP Media Center PC or software such as Musicmatch.
Ripping - To extract digital audio tracks from an audio CD. A software program that extracts audio files from a CD is called a ripper.
Streaming Audio - Live audio received over the Internet without downloading it. Streaming does not save a copy of the audio on your PC, while downloading a file does. Internet radio stations generally use streaming audio to broadcast.
Track - On an audio CD, a track is a single section of audio (typically a single song or piece of music) that you can jump to immediately.
Variable Bit Rate (VBR) - Variable bit rate specifies the sound quality level but allows the bit rate to fluctuate. During complex passages, VBR uses a higher-than-average bit rate but during simple passages uses a lower-than-average bit rate. The result is that VBR produces an overall higher, more consistent sound quality compared to CBR at similar bit rates. See also: Constant Bit Rate (CBR).
WAV - A standard format for digital sound, developed by Microsoft. WAV files produce extremely high sound quality but take up more space than MP3s.
WMA - Developed by Microsoft, Windows Media Audio (WMA) is a sound-file format that is even smaller than MP3. WMA offers near-CD-quality sound at an encoding rate of only 64kbps (as opposed to MP3's 128kbps), cutting the file size in half. Optional copyright protection is included in the WMA code, allowing the owner to restrict the use of protected material.
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