mp3 bit rate query.

[styley]

If I put an album onto my hard drive in mp3 format and at a bit rate of 128 kb/sec, can I then upload it onto an mp3 player or burn it onto a cd at a higher bit rate eg 320 kb/sec or am I limited to the bit rate that I initially stored it onto the hard drive at ie 128 kb/sec? Hope this makes sense.

[ACtheTROLL]

MP3 is a "lossy" format .... which basically means that when you encode a track ... the encoder "throws away" some of the detail information.

once it's gone ... it's gone .... you can resample the track at a higther rate .... but there will be no improvement ...
the file will just be bigger.

[styley]

Understood. Whats the most efficient format for storing music, so that you have good quality and low storage space.

[ACtheTROLL]

Most efficient or most accessible?
mp3 is almost universal ... (jpg, pdf, txt,mp3)
but best compression .... possibly wma

http://www.litexmedia.com/article/comparison.h tml
depends where you intend to use them.
my car, dvd, pc and phone all play mp3

I listen to audiobooks ... low bit/sample rates small files ....
my 512mb player stores 30-40 hours of speech!

reasonable music 1Mb = 1min ......