MP3s suck the soul from your music, finds new study
A new study by the Audio Engineering Library claims that MP3s and similar formats negatively impact "the timbral and emotional characteristics" of music.
The study, succinctly titled The Effects of MP3 Compression on Perceived Emotional Characteristics in Musical Instruments, looked at various "compressed sounds pairwise over ten emotional categories at several bit rates."
The AEL found that while MP3 compression enhanced the effects of neutral and negative "emotional characteristics" (such as shyness or sadness) it weakened the punch of positive ones (such as happiness or tranquillity). The emotion of 'anger' was totally unaffected, apparently.
Differences were also found across instruments, with the trumpet most affected and the horn "by far" the least affected.
The study offers a reason for these bizarre emotional alterations - the "background 'growl' artifacts added by MP3 compression."
Neil Young was right, basically.
- Lucius enlist The War On Drugs' Adam Granduciel for new single, "Old Tape"
- Ashnikko unveils final song in their Halloweenie series
- Biig Piig flicks between English and Spanish on new single, "Decimal"
- Grimes on rehashing beef with Poppy: "I’ve tried to be a girls girl here. I will not fight back"
- Mabel joins forces with Ty Dolla $ign on "Stupid Dumb"
- Shawn Mendes announces forthcoming concert film
- Tove Lo links up with Dom Dolla on "Cave"
Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday
Chat Pile
Cool World
Holly Macve
Wonderland
The Hard Quartet
The Hard Quartet
