Product Description

MP3 For Dummies, 2nd Edition covers all the essentials you need to know to find, download, create, share, save, and hear MP3 files. You'll find out about the enhanced features of the new release of MusicMatch Jukebox as well as the newest portable and home stereo MP3 players. This and updated edition also covers the newest features on MP3.com as well as coverage of the "bad boys" of MP3 -- notably the Napster file swapping service. The book's CD includes MP3 players -- MusicMatch Jukebox and WinAmp -- as well as a sampling of free MP3 files to test out.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #418212 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

From Library Journal
MP3 is a great compression standard that preserves quality sound at very small file sizes, which download quickly across the web. MP3s have quickly made their way off the web onto portable devices such as the Rio, the Nomad, Windows CE, and many more. Like Rod Underhill and Nat Gertler's The Complete Idiot's Guide to MP3 (Computer Media, LJ 11/1/99), Rathbone's volume discusses everything you need to know: downloading, creating MP3 sites, and setting up your own MP3 radio station on the net.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"For more in-depth information, check...another good reference: 'MP3 For Dummies' by Andy Rathbone." -- USA Today, June 27, 2000

From the Back Cover
PC, Mac, and Linux players plus sample tunes on CD-ROM

Get the scoop on portable players and file-swapping software

The fun and easy way™ to find, create, and share MP3 music files Now updated with coverage of Napster, Gnutella, the new generation of portable players, and the latest legal controversies, this friendly guide shows you step by step how to get started with MP3 and make the most of the technology — whether you're a music lover or a musician. all this on the bonus CD-ROM Your complete MP3 starter kit, including: MusicMatch Jukebox, SoundJam MP, Xaudio, and Winamp shareware players Sample MP3 files, plug-ins, and skins Live links to MP3 Web sites Pentium PC running Windows 95 or later; Power Macintosh running System 7.6 or later. See the About the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

Customer Reviews

A Great Book for the MP3 Community!
Andy Rathbone has written a fine book for MP3 devotees, MP3 for Dummies, that provides the very basic of information that people need to get started on this fast booming craze. Rathbone offers his readers an extraordinary amount of information that the average person on the street can make use of.

MP3 has become hot news! Websites have opened up for business and offer the latest files, players and programs are being produced, the number of court cases involving copyright infringement are on the rise, one local university has blocked student access to one file distribution site due to bandwidth problems, and yes, some books have been written on the subject.

MP3 for Dummies provides detailed information about buying, downloading, creating, sharing, and selling MP3 files. Readers will learn about a number of places where they can buy and download MP3 files and where they can have customized CD's created for distribution. Readers also have the opportunity to create their own CD's provided that they have the right equipment to do so.

Speaking of equipment, readers will learn about the latest and the best MP3 players and storage devices on the market. Furthermore, they will be able to choose and use portable MP3 players and learn how to hook them up to home, office, and car stereo equipment for easy listening!

Other helpful information in the book includes the debunking of certain MP3 copyright and piracy myths, choosing and using MP3 utilities, finding Websites that distribute MP3 files, learning how to compose your own kind of music, and a variety of tips. The accompanying CD contains Windows, Linux, and Mac shareware versions of popular MP3 players, a bunch of MP3 sample tunes, and live links to Websites that distribute MP3 files!

The information in this book is first-rate! The cartoons, humor, and wit are great too! Readers will learn to experience the cool sounds of MP3 and chuckle at the same time! The book will also contribute to their better understanding and appreciation for Web development and computer technology. This is a great beginner book for the MP3 community!

Excellent!
The Dummies Guides can be a mixed bag, but this one is very clear and informative. I especially liked the chapters on recording one's own MP3 files, something that some of the other books don't cover in as much detail. Great intro, with enough 'meat' to keep you going for quite a little while.

Cream of the MP3 Book Crop
It seems as though a lot of publishers have tried to jump on the MP3 bandwagon this year. Some have given the subject reasonable treatment. "MP3 For Dummies", however, is the first book that really gets it right. Simple enough for a complete beginner, the book covers everything you could possibly want to learn about MP3's. Whether you are an artist who wants to put your songs on the internet, or just someone who wants to learn how to download songs to your computer. This book covers everything. I was especially glad to see that it covered the legal issues surrounding MP3's. This is an important area that many folks are confused about. All in all, a fantastic MP3 handbook!