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MP3 (MPEG Layer 3) is a widely used digital audio compression format developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as part of the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 standards. It reduces audio file size significantly by removing sounds that are less audible to the human ear—a process known as lossy compression—while preserving acceptable sound quality. This balance of small file size and decent audio fidelity made MP3 the standard for music storage, streaming, and sharing across digital platforms.
MP3 files can be played on virtually all digital media players, smartphones, computers, and car stereos, and were central to the rise of digital music and portable music players in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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