This allows a large reduction in file sizes when compared to uncompressed audio. In the aspects of MP3 pertaining to audio compression-the aspect of the standard most apparent to end-users (and for which is it best known)-MP3 uses lossy data-compression to encode data using inexact approximations and the partial discarding of data. MP3 (or mp3) as a file format commonly designates files containing an elementary stream of MPEG-1 audio and video encoded data, without other complexities of the MP3 standard. A third version, known as MPEG 2.5-extended to better support lower bit rates-is commonly implemented, but is not a recognized standard.
Originally defined as the third audio format of the MPEG-1 standard, it was retained and further extended-defining additional bit-rates and support for more audio channels-as the third audio format of the subsequent MPEG-2 standard.
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio.
