WMA and MP3

[hip_man]

The full name of WMA is Windows Media Audio , it is a new file format based in ASF (Advanced Systems Format) that wraps an audio bitstream. Some WMA files may also employ Windows Media Audio 7 and 8 codecs,but most of this format employ Windows Medis Audio 9 codecs.
Windows Media Audio 9
This codec samples audio at 44.1 or 48 kilohertz (kHz) using 16 bits, similar to the current CD standard, offering CD quality at data rates from 64 to 192 kilobits per second (Kbps). The resulting sound quality is 20 percent better than audio sampled with Windows Media Audio 8 at equivalent data rates.

The Windows Media Audio 9 codec (WMA 9) supports variable bit rate encoding (VBR), which enables even higher quality audio at smaller file sizes by automatically varying the encoding bit rate according to the complexity of the audio data. With VBR, the encoding bit rate increases to capture complex sections of data and then decreases to maximize the compression of the less complex sections, producing compact, high-quality compression.

WMA 9 is backward-compatible with previous Windows Media Audio-compatible decoders, which means that WMA 9 content can be played with previous versions of Windows Media Player or older consumer electronic devices that support Windows Media. As with all Windows Media 9 Series codecs, it supports the Windows Media digital rights management platform, which is used to securely package and distribute copy-protected digital media.
Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless
The audio quality of content that is compressed using this codec is the best of all Windows Media Audio codecs. It creates a bit-for-bit duplicate of the original audio file so that no data is lost, which makes it ideal for archiving content masters.

Depending on the complexity of the original, content will be compressed at a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. Although this is lower than the ratio achieved with other Windows Media Audio 9 Series codecs, it provides the same benefits of compression while leaving the data intact.

MP3 is an audio format that we all familiar with,but if you often listen to the two different formats of music ,you may find that the quality of the mp3 is not so good with with WMA. yes , the cocecs technique of the WMA is better than mp3, So now ,more and more WMA format music appear on the net ,may be not so long a time later , WMA will take the position of mp3 . but now ,we need mp3 ,because we all do not want to throw out newly-bought mp3 player outof window. Another reason is that the WMA player is not portable ,have you see someone take his PC with him just to listen to his favorite WMA songs ? So, a WMA to MP3 converter is also needed . thest kinds of converters becomes more and more recently,you may find many with your search engine.And i wii recommend to you this one: ImTOO WMA MP3 Converter v2.0 ,it can easily convert all popular audio file formats to MP3 or WMA. Beside converting WMA to MP3, ImTOO WMA MP3 Converter also supports decoding WAV, MP4, M4A, MP2, OGG, APE, AAC, and VQF etc. If you have another better ,tell me , thank you .