Do Not Send Me MP3s – MP3 Explanation

Please do not send me MP3’s and learn why they are not good for mastering. I often get MP3s sent by clients for free samples and I decided to create this video to share why I will not master MP3s.

MP3s are heavily degraded in quality. First I quickly explain what an MP3 is with a Wikipedia definition. Then I go into what files are acceptable to send to me as an MP3. Lastly, I share how what happens when you convert to an MP3 with phase cancellation.

This is a perfect example of what happens every time you convert to an MP3 so imagine converting multiple times. You only want to convert to an MP3 once after the mastering stage. Check out the video to learn more.

#Timecodes

0:00 Start
00:42 What is an MP3?
02:18 What I Will Master
03:09 When MP3s Are Acceptable
03:31 Example of MP3 Quality Loss

#StepByStep

1. What Is An MP3. MP3 compression explained.

2. What I need to master a track.

3. When you can send MP3s

4. Example of how MP3s are lossy files and how much you lose upon a conversion

Thanks for watching this video on sending me mp3s. Make sure to subscribe on YouTube HERE.