VBR MP3s?

[Macette]

I need to make some good-quality MP3s with small file sizes (for streaming over the web). My brother reckons Variable Bit Rate MP3s might be the way to go.

I've tried downloading a couple of LAME encoders from Versiontracker, but they are LAME (har har)... what do people recommend for getting the smallest MP3s that still sound okay?

 

[MacBandit]

Re: VBR MP3s?

Originally posted by Macette
I need to make some good-quality MP3s with small file sizes (for streaming over the web). My brother reckons Variable Bit Rate MP3s might be the way to go.

I've tried downloading a couple of LAME encoders from Versiontracker, but they are LAME (har har)... what do people recommend for getting the smallest MP3s that still sound okay?

Just use iTunes and use custom settings for importing. Definitely use VBR. Also if you don't need stereo change it to mono if you have to have stereo make it combined stereo. Filter frequencies below 10Hz and you might even reduce the sample rate to 22kHz if you still need to reduce it further. I don't know what size or quality you are looking for so I don't know what bit rate to recommend. If it's spoken word like audio book or class notes or something you can go to 32Kb/s and mono without it being a problem.