Multimedia Contents within MP3 Files: From Simple Audio Track to a Media Rich Product

摘要

E-music distribution is becoming more and more popular over the Internet and a recent research states that e-music will soon replace audio-CDs. Some complains that simple audio tracks can never compete with a complete product like audio-CDs, which provide audio, but also lyrics, images and CD-covers. In this paper we focus on the MP3 open format and we propose a mechanism to transform a single MP3 file into a media-rich product. Several multimedia contents (for instance lyrics, images, CD-covers, updated information, karaoke service) can be embedded into MP3 files without affecting the current MP3 file structure, so that the MP3 file can still be played out by any MP3 player. The effectiveness of our approach is shown through a developed java MP3 player.