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MP3 format is officially dead as creators terminate licensing

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CIOL MP3 format is officially dead as creators terminate licensing

Change is the only constant. This idiom becomes all the more pertinent when we talk about technology. In the times of highly efficient AAC file format for music playback, MP3 format perhaps outlived its utility. And that is why the creators of iconic audio files have decided to kill the format.

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The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, part of the German research body which funded the technology, has terminated its licensing program for certain MP3-related patents after almost two decades.

CIOL MP3 format is officially dead as creators terminate licensing

The institute said that while the MP3 is still popular with consumers, it has been outpaced by "more efficient audio codecs" with more advanced features. Most modern devices use formats such as advanced audio coding (AAC) while there are plans for MPEG-H, a new audio standard being developed for more efficient storage and immersive 3D audio.

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"Those can deliver more features and a higher audio quality at much lower bitrates compared to MP3," the institute said. AAC is now the main format for services such as iTunes and Youtube files.

But those still listening to their old MP3s shouldn't worry. License termination doesn't mean the format ceases to exist. It will be a slow transition, especially in some parts of the world where MP3 files are still prominent. But the idea is to eventually phase out MP3 altogether in favour of AAC.

The MP3 rose to prominence in the late 1990s and is credited with revolutionising the way we listen to music by reducing file sizes by as much as 95 percent, allowing music listeners to fit dozens of albums on compact digital devices like Apple iPods, instead of carrying those bulky walkmans or CDs with them.