Smaller Files for an MP3 Player

Can you use Audacity for that and save it as an MP3?

Or a different recording program.

Just a thought..........

If you have a choice, go with WMA format, it achieves better quality than MP3 for the same file size -- which means WMA files can be significantly smaller in size than those for MP3 of the same quality. If you are ripping from CD audio, use Windows Media Player 10 to do this. WM10 allows one to chose either MP3 or WMA in any of a number of rates. I do not recommend converting from one lossy compression format to another. This often can result in artifacts and a general loss of quality. Better to start with the linear (eg., CD audio) source and convert this directly to the lossy compression format of choice.

you could also use goldwave and drop the bit rate, a 64 br file is considerably smaller than a 320. If it is for a walkman then IMO the quality is not so important as it background music whilst travelling and I am not that bothered wether I can hear the 3rd Glockenspeil correctly, more that I can hum along over the traffic noise.

for MP3 bitrates, It's down to personal preference. 64 I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, 98 I can live with but it's not ideal, 112 and 128 sound virtually identical and are perfectly good as long as they're not quiet recordings. Variable bit rates based around those settings will save a bit of space without noticably sacrificing quality.

WMAs are good filesize-wise, but bear in mind they take more computing power to play and consequently will run your batteries down a lot quicker on anything portable. I've heard it said that that's an urban myth, but it's perfectly true in my experience - my player lasts just over half as long when it's got mostly WMAs on it. Same battery type, same volume, virtually identical, almost constant playing during the work day - MP3s last all day on one battery, WMAs I'm changing it by early afternoon. Every time, I hate them :)

Slightly off topic, but not a whole lot, it is about music.

My sister is bringing an MP3 player with her when she goes to Winnipeg for the summer. It's a small mp3 player, but I'm going to try and help her get the most out of it. I had a decent mp3-wma convertor program but my trial ran out, and I can't reinstall it. Does anyone know of a good program that reduces file size?

Thanks

Paul

you could download windows media encoder from microsoft.its free and will convert your files no problem its actually a very cool program surprised no one mentioned it :?