MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
MP3 is a lossy audio format that compresses sound by removing frequencies the human ear barely notices. It remains the most universally compatible audio format for music and voice.
Extensions
.mp3
MIME type(s)
audio/mpeg
Compression
Lossy
Transparency
Not supported
Advantages
- Small file sizes at good perceptual quality
- Playable on virtually every device, app, and car stereo
- Widely supported for podcasts, music, and voice recordings
Disadvantages
- Lossy compression discards some audio detail
- Not ideal for professional audio mastering
Common uses
- Music and podcasts
- Extracting the audio track from a video
- Voice memos and recordings
How to open a MP3 file
Plays natively in every browser, phone, and media player without additional software.