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MP3s and playersAn introduction

Matthew “Buzzy” NielsenAssistant Director, North Bend Public Library

08/20/2010

What is an MP3?

You can listen to music on these

What is an MP3?

Compact disc

Vinyl record

Cassette

MP3 player image source: Rugby471 on Wikimedia Commons

Or, with MP3s, on these

What is an MP3?

Computer

Mobile phone

MP3 player

MP3:A format for saving audio digitally (i.e. not physically, like a record).

What is an MP3?

Bit rate

Bit rate:Bits per second, a measureof the quality of the mp3.

What is an MP3?

Bit rate

96 Kbps...

128 Kbps...

192 Kbps...

320 Kbps

low quality

radio quality

CD quality

very high quality

Kbps = kilobytes per second

bit rate = file size (MB)

What is an MP3?

How do I play MP3son my computer?

How do I play MP3s on my computer?

Windows Media Player

Comes installed on Windows computers.Download from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/

How do I play MP3s on my computer?

iTunes

Comes installed on Mac computers.Download from http://www.apple.com/itunes/

How do I play MP3s on my computer?

Winamp

For Windows computers only.Download from http://www.winamp.com/

What is an MP3 player?

What is an MP3 player?

MP3 player:A portable device that can be used to listen to audio (oroften video) files.

Lots of options to choose from!

What is an MP3 player?

Creative

iRiver

Apple

Microsoft

Sansa

And manymore brands

iPods vs MP3 players?

iPod = MP3 player by Apple

iPod Touch

What is an MP3 player?

iPod Nano iPod Classic

MP3 players vs smartphones?

Smartphone = Handheld computer(that happens to play MP3s)

What is an MP3 player?

Android iPhoneBlackberry

What is an MP3 player?

Demonstration:Playing music on an MP3 player

Why should I use MP3s?

Why should I use MP3s?

Reason #1:Portability

Portability

Why should I use MP3s?

≈ 15 songs ≈ 1,000 songs

Why should I use MP3s?

Reason #2:Transferability

Transferability

What should I use MP3s?

Computer

Mobile phone

MP3 player

Why should I use MP3s?

Reason #3:Cost

Cost: CD ...

Why should I use MP3s?

... vs MP3

Why should I use MP3s?

You can buy individual songs

Where can I get MP3s?

Where can I get MP3s?

Method #1:“Rip” them

(i.e. copy them from a CD you own)

Ripping CDs

Where can I get MP3s?

“Ripping” converts the songs to MP3and saves them on your computer.

Amazon

Where can I get MP3s?

http://www.amazon.com

iTunes

Where can I get MP3s?

http://www.apple.com/itunes

emusic

Where can I get MP3s?

http://www.emusic.com

Your local library, for audiobooks

Where can I get MP3s?

http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com

Where can I get MP3s?

Demonstration:Buying an MP3 from Amazon.com

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

Method #1:Syncing

(i.e. synchronizing your MP3 player with yourmedia software, such as iTunes)

Syncing

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

Syncing checks what songs you have on your MP3 player versus what's on

your computer and copies (or deletes) what's on your player.

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

Method #2:Drag & drop

(i.e. copying files from your computer to yourMP3 player, like moving onto a USB stick)

MP3 player as USB drive

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

MP3 player as USB drive

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

How do I get MP3s onto a player?

Demonstration:Copying a song from a

computer to an MP3 player

What's a podcast?

What's a podcast?

Podcast = iPod + broadcastAudio that get sent periodically to your computer or MP3 player at your convenience.

Listen when you want

What's a podcast?

What should I considerwhen buying a player?

Factors to consider

What should I consider when buying a player?

Memory (GBs)

Navigation

Higher memory = more songs. Consider how many songs you might want to keep on it.

Is it easy to figure out how to play & find songs?

Factors to consider

What should I consider when buying a player?

Transferring

Features

Is it quick & easy to get songs on & off of the player?

Can it play videos (MP4s, others)? Other types of audio (WMA, OGG)? Can you download other applications to it?

Factors to consider

What should I consider when buying a player?

Read reviews from Amazon, Consumer Reports, Best Buy, CNET, and other sources.

Questions?

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