MP3 versus M4A
The ubiquitous MP3 format for audio files has and still remains the mainstay of audio podcasting.
The MP3 format was an obvious choice for the early podcasting pioneers. Not only did it provide the reknowned quality of audio at high compression rates, but it was utilising a format that was widely accepted and supported on different platforms and operating systems. Ironically, the notoriety gained by the use of MP3 files for music downloads raised the profile of the format, ensuring that this became widely used and accepted by the general public.
Nowadays there is a discernable increase in the number of podcasters who are beginning to use the M4A or AAC format for audio podcasts. AAC stands for "Advanced Audio Coding" and is promoted as the successor to MP3 for audio coding at medium to high bit rates. Files in the M4A formats are relatively easy to produce and encode with Mac OS X based software. The audio quality and file compression is a good match for the MP3 format, depending on the bit rates and frequency range adopted.
Whilst there is reasonable comparability with these two audio formats at the production and post-production stage of creating a podcast, the popularity of the MP3 format means that there is currently a much greater range of hardware and software capable of playing these files, including many audio CD and DVD players in the domestic market.
Whilst there are propriety of software solutions that can cater for both MP3 and M4A formats, such as iTunes for example. However, it would seem that publishing a podcast as an M4A file could reduce the "market" by limiting the potential user base and the exposure of the podcast to listeners world-wide. We will just have to watch what happens next with the impact of new audio technologies of course!
The MP3 format was an obvious choice for the early podcasting pioneers. Not only did it provide the reknowned quality of audio at high compression rates, but it was utilising a format that was widely accepted and supported on different platforms and operating systems. Ironically, the notoriety gained by the use of MP3 files for music downloads raised the profile of the format, ensuring that this became widely used and accepted by the general public.
Nowadays there is a discernable increase in the number of podcasters who are beginning to use the M4A or AAC format for audio podcasts. AAC stands for "Advanced Audio Coding" and is promoted as the successor to MP3 for audio coding at medium to high bit rates. Files in the M4A formats are relatively easy to produce and encode with Mac OS X based software. The audio quality and file compression is a good match for the MP3 format, depending on the bit rates and frequency range adopted.
Whilst there is reasonable comparability with these two audio formats at the production and post-production stage of creating a podcast, the popularity of the MP3 format means that there is currently a much greater range of hardware and software capable of playing these files, including many audio CD and DVD players in the domestic market.
Whilst there are propriety of software solutions that can cater for both MP3 and M4A formats, such as iTunes for example. However, it would seem that publishing a podcast as an M4A file could reduce the "market" by limiting the potential user base and the exposure of the podcast to listeners world-wide. We will just have to watch what happens next with the impact of new audio technologies of course!
posted by Dave Jobbings at 10:51 AM
