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A German Foundation, which owns the patent for MP3 audio format and licenses it, has announced that it’s abandoning the licenses to the format. The foundation has supported the use of better formats like AAC family or MPEG-H. While this move won’t end the use of MP3 instantly, it’s a symbolic move that’ll help other audio formats grow.

MP3, the de-facto music file format that helped Apple and Spotify become music giants is approaching its inevitable death. It’s not that people are ditching the use of MP3 and its popularity is decreasing, but its license is being terminated.

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, the German foundation which owns the patent for MP3 audio format and licenses it, has announced that it’ll be no longer be supporting the format. Wondering why? Because they believe that better ways to store music have appeared on the scene and MP3’s retirement should help those formats.

Here’s what Fraunhofer Institute’s official statement has to say:

On April 23, 2017, Technicolor’s mp3 licensing program for certain mp3 related patents and software of Technicolor and Fraunhofer IIS has been terminated.

Fraunhofer Institute says that most of the well-known streaming, TV, or radio service providers are now using ISO-MPEG codecs like AAC family or MPEG-H.

MP3’s termination won’t be killing its usage instantly. People will continue to use MP3 as they don’t need a license. However, this move is symbolic and is in favor of superior audio formats. Still, MP3 music format is something we grew up with and it’ll find a place in history books.



[fossBytes]

In my opinion, mp3 still has a long life and this is just a very good reason to extend its life even more. Haven said that, I'm very of fan of lossless codecs

@pgrillo unfortunatly it will live for a while but its oudated in any way, quicktime AAC is a good replacement since years, but still many stick to MP3 casue they don't know much about lossy audio anway

Something I saw happening for the last 3 years with the awareness of lossless growing. AAC is definitely the best choice.

No this can not happen and I don't think it (ever) will, because many Audio stores sell MP3.
Buts its the right choice I think cause M4A can store more data and higher frequencies in less size.

.mp3 will live as long as digital audio formats do. Mp3 is, in fact, the soul of portable audio, no matter how you deal with portable audio these days in your daily life.

People once said vinyl was dead. I think all formats will live on somehow in the future.

I heard this a month or two and it honestly greatly concerns me...

Since my entire music library (210,000 songs and approx 1.6TB or so) is ALL mp3...

I don't understand what they think is going to take over... AAC? Really? Who the f wants that instead of mp3?