How do I know if I have a variable bitrate MP3/OGG?
In some players, such as Winamp or XMMS, a bit readout is available on the player. If the bitrate changes during the course of the song, you have a variable-bitrate encoded file. The command file also recognizes the bitrate, and other details, of a MP3 or OGG. But why are most files on the Internet encoded at a fixed bitrate? This is because Variable Bitrate can still be poor-quality. Variable Bitrate files are more efficient, not necessarily better. If they have a low average “midpoint,” or setting of average quality, the overall value of the file is decreased. Many variable files can be of lower actual quality overall than a 192-encoded MP3. Therefore, high, fixed-bitrate files are more often distributed. In this case, 192 is a chosen standard in quality but some also exchange in 256. Is audio streaming in variable bitrate recommended? No. For audio streaming, fixed-bitrate is usually better to avoid short breaks in the music as the higher-quality sections are downloade. However, fro
