Whats the difference between MP3 and WMA files, and what do I need to know about bitrates?
MP3 is the original format for portable music devices, and as such is widely compatible with nearly every player on the market. WMA is Microsofts newer proprietary format, which is less compatible with older players. Bitrate refers to the amount of compression given to a file in order to make it small enough for storage on a portable audio player the higher the number, the better the sound quality, but the larger the file-size. Most users find that 128 is the optimum bitrate to use, giving satisfactory sound quality and acceptable file-size, but if youre an audiophile, you might want to experiment with higher bitrates, whilst sacrificing the amount of music you can fit on your player. WMA file-sizes are smaller than the equivalent MP3 files, and as such are preferred by many users.
