Audio and Marketing Fun

[filkertom]

Okay, we're all going to become a little more expert at audio codecs today.

I'm looking at increasing the bitrate for downloadable MP3s, as some folks have indicated that they'd like the increased fidelity. But several of those same people have put in votes for FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) or Ogg Vorbis formats, having higher fidelity with smaller file sizes. (VBR, variable bit-rate encoding, sounds as if it's too much trouble on both sides to be worth it.)

(I actually can create Ogg Vorbis right now -- Acid Pro and Sound Forge save to that format. And it doesn't look like I'd need much to create FLAC, but you've always known that. ;) WinAmp plays .ogg files out of the box, and .flac files with just a simple plug-in [at the FLAC site].)

So, a little survey here:

1. Dial-up or broadband?
2. Do you purchase, or have you been considering purchasing, download music from Tom Smith Online?
3. What, if any, is your preferred music format for purchased downloads?
4. If MP3, would you pay more for higher-bit-rate MP3s?
5. Would you like the option for multiple audio formats?
6. If so, please indicate all audio formats you would be interested in. The big three here are MP3, OGG, and FLAC, but I'm open to suggestions.
7. I can write AC3 files, which are basically surround sound. Do you have surround sound on your computer, and, if so, would you be interested in that as a download option?

Update: Keep it coming -- this is fun and useful. To clarify a couple of things -- Acid Pro and Sound Forge are Sony/Sonic Foundry's high-end audio programs. Frankly, the best audio software I've ever found. And they happen to not do AAC/MP4. I have other programs that do so, but it's not worth the time, trouble, or results to go back and forth between them -- I'm trying to get the best sound I can here. :)

Comments

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

1. Broadband

2. Have considered purchasing. But money and opportunity have not had a confluence where the site's concerned; to date, all my purchases have been on CD. No bias there, when something cool is on the site and I can afford it, I will buy.

3. I like lossless formats. Doesn't matter which (of the major ones); I can convert them myself.

4. I might pay higher for, say, a 320kbps MP3 than a 128kbps one; I would be harder pressed to justify paying significantly more for 192kbps. (I understand the larger sizes will affect your bandwidth costs. Don't know the actual numbers, but I can see how it could push you hard.)

5. The only sort of multiple formats I think I would prefer is one lossless, one MP3 version. I'm especially not a fan of WMV, and AAC is Right Out. (Both formats being created by hated monopolists, this ought not to be too much of a surprise.)

6. MP3, OGG, FLAC are all good. I can also handle SHN and APE (both lossless) and wouldn't be averse to learning to handle other formats if they have significant advantages.

7. I don't have surround sound on my computer -- today. But when I go buy a new system, I might, so having the files can't hurt (as long as there's enough backwards compatibility that I could listen to them now). But if it causes you ggreat grief to create them, then I'd come in as "not necessary."

More as I wake up further (still on night schedule left over from the weekend; caffeine is imminent).