What is an MP3 audio file?
1. What is an MP3?
An MP3 is simply a type of computer file. Its full title is “Moving Pictures Experts Group audio layer 3” but “MP3 is a lot simpler. Sometimes you will see a specific file looking like this: Songname.mp3
The song name changes but the little extension at the end – mp3 – stays constant. So you may have “Amazing Grace.mp3” or “Little Teapot.mp3” and so on. Whatever the file is called, the important thing is that it is in MP3 format.
2. Are MP3s songs?
Usually they are, but they can be any sound. You can get MP3s of movie themes, birds and animals, or even doors opening and closing. Just remember that an MP3 is a sound file of some sort.
3. Are there any other sound files available?
Yes. The most common sound file on the Internet is something called a WAV file. This is the format developed by Microsoft® to work on Windows® machines. It is short for WAVE file and is usually pronounced the same way.
Another format you’ll see is the WMA file, short for “Windows Media Audio®,” another Microsoft invention.