How to Judge the Quality of Mp3s in an Online Record Pool
With the changes in technology today, the quality of music has taken a backseat to the ‘got to have it now’ society we live in. That is, some record pools have a tendency to post a song regardless of the source it is coming from because of the perception that they have to be the first to showcase it. This becomes a problem when the record pool doesn’t care what kind of quality the record is in.
It’s important to investigate the quality of the songs being posted. There is a huge difference in sound quality between a 128 kbps and a 320 kbps or VBR mp3. Just because a record pool may claim to have an “exclusive” (almost impossible in the Google age), what’s the point of having it when the second you play it: a) The song is distorted, b) The song is so low you have to crank the volume up which takes away the quality of an already poor studio mix c) The vocals are way too loud, d) All the above.
Most record pools permit you to browse through their collection prior to you signing up. Take into consideration how their libraries are sorted out. This could help you save lots of time when searching for a particular genre of music. Also, pay close attention whenever they provide a ‘search’ tool. How different ways would it allow you to look for a track (i.e. Title, Artist, Genre, BPM). Most of all check and pay attention that they don’t post a majority of “filler” music.
Since VBR (or Variable Bit Rate) mp3s are gaining popularity, we’ll briefly explain the difference between CBR (Constant Bit Rate) and VBR mp3s. VBR is form of encoding that is designed to achieve a better sound quality vs. file size ratio, than CBR mp3 encoding (ie 256kbps). The bit rate is continuously changing throughout the song in relation to the nature of the audio. For example, if there is silence the bit rate is lowered. The opposite is true during, let’s say, the chorus of a song. The bit rate is then raised to the highest quality possible to capture the best sounding mp3. In contrast, CBR mp3s remains the same through an entire record. VBR is meant to give you the best of both worlds: high quality and minimal use of disk space.
Now that you understand how to judge the quality of mp3s in a record pool, it should be easier to narrow down your choices. Also, if you’re unable to find the answers you are looking for; make sure to email the website directly.
An online record pool which is able to achieve all these things is mostly likely a perfect fit for any DJ. These are some of the secrets of the leading online record pools.
To know more about secrets behind online record pools click here
