MP3 History - All About MP3 Music, Files, Downloads and Digital Music

What does MP3 stand for?

It means, MPEG Audio Layer III. MPEG is an acronym for Motion Picture Experts Group (or
Moving Pictures Expert Group, depending on who you ask). Layer III, is concerned with audio
encoding and compression.

Who invented MP3?

The standard was designed by the MPEG group, but they didn't actually develop the algorithm.
That was done by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS-A in Germany, and they hold
the MP3 patents for their standardized algorithm (ISO-MPEG Audio Layer-3 (IS 11172-3 and IS
13818-3).

When was it developed?

Fraunhofer started work on it in 1987, and it was released sometime in 1991.

When was it adopted commercially?

It is generally acknowledged, that the late 1990's saw the first real world uses of MP3. Sony
introduced it's hardware MP3 players, software developers began releasing MP3 player
software to a wide audience, etc. The world wide web is what really drove the popularity of the
MP3 format though. As more and more people became connected to the web, more and more
MP3 format songs started showing up on websites, and more people became aware of the
format.

How many songs are available in MP3 format?

Virtually all of them! There is software available that allows you to rip audio and songs from CD,
cassette, vinyl records, off the radio, you name it, so most music has already been converted by
someone, and is usually available on the internet (we won't go into the legal issues here).