MP3, the audio standard that is turning the music industry on its head has truly arrived - and it is here to stay. Want to be a part of the music revolution? Well here are a few pointers to help you on your way!

Playing MP3 Files

1. Get yourself an MP3 player, such as Sonique. This is a piece of software similar to a media player.

2. Install your player. Run the executable (.exe) file and the player will be installed on your machine.

3. Get yourself some music - FAST! Use the search bar and type in your favourite band or song (whole or partial) and hit the search button. If we don't have it, nobody does.
E.g. if you were looking for Public Enemy You could type in "Public Enemy", "Public" or even "Pub".

4. Play the music. Open up the MP3 file in your player then hit the play button - It couldn't be more simple.

Creating your own MP3 files.

This is again a simple process. All you need is the correct pieces of software - a ripper and an encoder.

First of all you need to copy a track form a CD onto your hard disk. This is done using a ripper.

You will then end up with a WAV file.

The next step is to compress and convert the WAV file into an MP3 using an encoder.

Encoders and rippers are available for download from this site.

MP3 Extras.

Once you have your player and are feeling comfortable with it, there are a vast number of add-ons that can enhance the MP3 experience.

Skins - These are basically a cosmetic cover for your player. Once added they change the appearance of its interface. There is some cool stuff out there.

Playlists - A playlist is a piece of software that allows you to organise MP3 files adding increased functionality to your player.

For example you can create your MP3 compilations by creating a playlist saving it to disk.

These and a number of other utilities can be found in our MP3 software section.

Once you have your favourite playlists why not take your MP3s on the street?

The recent addition of portable MP3 players has added an extra dimension to the MP3 phenomenon.

Find out about these products in our MP3 hardware section

CD quality music without the restrictions of CDs - what more could you want?

Happy searching!