

This technically means the sound quality is reduced in order to achieve such a small size, but the tradeoff is typically acceptable, which is why the format is so widely used. What makes MP3 files different than some other audio file formats is that their data is compressed to reduce the file size down to just a fraction of what formats like WAV use. Due to its popularity, a variety of phones, tablets, and even vehicles provide built-in support for playing MP3s. The abbreviation stands for MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III.Īn MP3 file is normally used to store music data, but there are lots of free audiobooks that come in this format, too.

What Is an MP3 File?Ī file with the MP3 file extension is an MP3 Audio file developed by the Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). This article describes what MP3 files are, the best ways to open one, and how to convert one to M4A, WAV, and other formats.
