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Re: [ARSCLIST] MP3 bit rates and usage factors for Web pages
Richard L. Hess wrote:
Hello,
I'm undertaking the first phase of a larger digitization project that
will result in WAV files on a University digital archive and MP3 files
to be downloaded from a web page.
As I understand it at the moment (the tapes are being packed to ship to
me) the recordings are reasonable-to-good quality oral-history interviews.
The questions that I have are:
(1) What bit-rate of MP3 and other special coding settings do you/your
archive use for Web-based listening/downloading of these files?
(2) Do you have any restrictions about stream-only vs. download or stream?
(3) Do you have any utilization figures for general, long-form (not
clip) usage of oral-history interviews. I realize that your archive may
be of greater/lesser/equal interest than the one I'm doing, so this is
only a shot in the dark, but it would be interesting to know. Obviously,
if you've recovered the 18.5 minutes of the Watergate tape, that would
be a useless number to this exercise <smile>.
Any other comments would be appreciated including if you think there is
a better format to MP3 for long-term access.
First, my usual disclaimer: I am neither an archivist nor a librarian
but a serious collector who has been devoted for some years to
"spreading the wealth".
1) For historic musical material, I have found quality compression to 32
Kbps (22.05 ksps) the optimum compromise between size and fidelity. For
speech it would probably be acceptable to go lower, perhaps to 24 Kbps,
if space or traffic load suggests it.
2. Streaming is a bit more difficult to capture so those wanting to
re-hear the selection will add to your traffic. For any serious pirate,
streaming is no hindrance.
3. No guidance available, I'm afraid.
4. "Better" is a hard term here as in so many places. The advantage of
MP3 is its universality. The drawback is that the compressors are
optimized for music, not for speech. For example, at very low bitrates
(16 Kbps and below), RealAudio has higher comprehension. WMA provides
the appearance of DRM if that is of value to you. MP3 is most likely to
persist - at least to be playable - because of its roots in the video
industry; MP2 is likely to outlive its technologic interest for that
reason and any modern MP2 player will handle MP3 as well.
Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/