changing bitrate

I've been lucky enough to get a mobile phone this Xmas which plays mp3's.

I just drag and drop them onto the supplied usb memory card and pop it in the phone.

Most of my music downloads are 128 bitrate which is the highest level the phone will take.

What free software can anyone recommend to change the bitrate of some of my mp3's which are of a higher bitrate?

I have been using cheetah audio converter on my mp3 player.

I had to link to this site because strangely every other site dosent carry the installer anymore.(better get it before they dont have it either)

http://www.cnet.com.au/downloads/info.htm?swid=10418415

Quick download, even quicker bitrate conversion. Excellent prog.

Thanks rridgley.

Nice one. Although you can use Itunes and just set it too 128K and have the songs Imported towards Itunes and.. then transfer to the cell phone.

Any mp3 encoder (FhG, LAME) via just about any cd ripping program (CDex, EAC) should also be able to do it also. Just remember to keep the original mp3's, and to add a comment such as: This is a Transcoded mp3

Andavari your going to hate me for this but..

When you change an mp3 from 256 to 128 is there a quality difference if you would have changed an original cd to 128?

Any mp3 encoder (FhG, LAME) via just about any cd ripping program (CDex, EAC) should also be able to do it also. Just remember to keep the original mp3's, and to add a comment such as: This is a Transcoded mp3

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Too late Andavari, I've already got rid of one original!

Why is it important to keep the originals? (I've tested the converted bitrate one and it plays)

Too late Andavari, I've already got rid of one original!

Why is it important to keep the originals? (I've tested the converted bitrate one and it plays)

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Because you loose quality when you encode them to smaller bitrates. If you have the originals than you still have high quality recordings that you can put in any format you want and it will still sound good.

Andavari your going to hate me for this but..

When you change an mp3 from 256 to 128 is there a quality difference if you would have changed an original cd to 128?

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Look below at my reply to hazelnut.

Too late Andavari, I've already got rid of one original!

Why is it important to keep the originals? (I've tested the converted bitrate one and it plays)

25121[/snapback]

Keep the originals!

Like rridgely already stated you loose quality, but not only that it introduces more artifacts (ringing, annoying sounds and such).

Since you aren't dealing with a lossless file for instance a wav ripped directly from the audio cd the source mp3 already has had information thrown out, how much so depends upon the bitrate and quality settings used.

If the source mp3 was encoded with for instance a LAME VBR quality switch such as -V 2 (equals the old --alt-preset standard and --preset standard) which is typically transparent in comparison to the original audio cd (e.g.; you can't tell the difference from the encoded lossy mp3 and the original lossless audio cd) then I don't really see a problem of reducing the bitrate for portable usage, but deleting the original in favor of the newly trancoded file is a big no no.

Because you loose quality when you encode them to smaller bitrates. If you have the originals than you still have high quality recordings that you can put in any format you want and it will still sound good.

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True, but the original mp3 quality solely depends upon how the source mp3 was encoded in the first place. See the List of recommended LAME settings.

Thanks andavari.

When you change an mp3 from 256 to 128 is there a quality difference if you would have changed an original cd to 128?

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Actually I didn't answer your question, I must have not seen:

"is there a quality difference if you would have changed an original cd to 128"

Encoding from the original cd to 128k is the best choice because there are already bits thrown out to create the 256k mp3. It's however an individual choice since you can more quickly convert ("transcode") from 256k to 128k without having to re-rip a track or the whole CD, however if you want the absolute best quality 128k encoded mp3 re-rip from the original cd, or from lossless audio files already stored on the hard disk.