5 Macintosh applications for mp3

These applications are just a selection of the programs availible for creating mp3 (or mp2 or mp1) audio on the Macintosh platform (a computer running the Mac OS).  Using the applications listed below to create unauthorized copies of copyrighted works is a crime and is pretty mean.  The artists, technicians and engineers that create recordings often make a living from the money made in the sale of their creations; please repsect their property and compensate them for their work by buying instead of stealing.  Also, consult the readme files and software itself to determine the nature of its liscense.  If in doubt, contact the creator of any intellectual property before doing anything with it.  Enjoy.  top

BladeEnc for Mac 1.2 - by Petteri Kamppuri and Tord Jasson

(no longer on-line at http://www.helsinki.fi/~pkamppur/BladeEnc.sit)

The best one tested.  It encodes nicely, seems to have been made by a very proficient programer, and free.  Better than mp3 encoder 0.12 because it is self contained.  While you can adjust settings, with the defaults it works well, and is supposed to be able to handle raw audio (but not straight from an audio CD as some of the others do).  It is free.  Allows drag and drop coversion.  AIFF, WAV, and raw PCM (pulse code modulation) files supported.  Mp3 (MPEG audio layer three) supported at many bitrates: 32 kbps, 40 kbps, 48 kbps, 56 kbps, 64 kbps, 80 kbps, 96 kbps, 112 kbps, 128 kbps, 160 kbps, 192 kbps, 224 kbps, 256 kbps and 320 kbps (kbps means kilo bits per second).  top

mp3 encoder 0.12 - by Johan Lindvall

Not self contained; requires a plugin from Macromedia (SWA Export Xtra, a Shockwave audio exporter for SoundEdit, a sound editing program).  The only one not tested because dependance on an external file makes it more trouble than the others.  It is freeware.  It only has been designed to work with 16 bit AIFF files.  mp3 (MPEG layer 3 audio) supported.  top

MPegger(tm) 1.1.1 - by Proteron LLC

Works well, but it is a demo allowing 20 encodings at full length, then it will cut you off at 1 minute if you do not buy it.  Good, but not free, and therefore not as convienent as BladeEnc for Mac 1.2, but is supposed to be able to encode straight from CD (which is of little legal use, unless you have your own sounds or music on disc).  For layer three encoding allows Constant Bitrate (CBR) or Variable Bitrate (VBR) to be set.  AIFF files, PCM (pulse code modulation), and Sound Designer II files supported.  Mp2 and mp3 supported (MPEG Layer 3 and MPEG layer 2).  top

MPEG Audio Creator - by MABA Software Dreer and Oliver Dreer

(no longer on-line at http://www.pure-mac.com/MPEGAudioCreator2.0.sit.hqx)

Likely works as well as the rest of the bunch.  Seems to work, but on the default settings it changed the speed of the test file; the others did not.  Calls itself "kind-of-shareware," free but the author would like donations.  It is supposed to be able to handle audio directly from CD. Seems to only support AIFF files, and only has been tested for 44 kHz at that, but alleges to allow "real-time" recording, which one imagines to mean live sounds from a mic or other source. Mp2 and mp3 supported, but not for all functions (for MPEG Audio Level II and III).  top

MPecker Drop Decoder 1.6.4 - by @Soft, Inc. and Rafael W. Luebbert

(no longer on-line at http://mac.tucows.com/files/tucows_mpdrop.hqx)

The only application of its type I have seen.  Dropping an mp3 onto this application causes it to decode it and make an AIFF file.  This can be useful for manipulating the audio in SoundEdit, or another audio editing application.  It is freeware.  Accepts as input mp1, mp2 and mp3 files (MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 LSF layer 1, layer 2 or layer 3 audio files) and is supposed to "correctly recognize and decode all ISO-standard mpeg audio files."  Outputs AIFF format, Sound Designer II format, or Wave format files.  top

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