iTMS Encoding at 63 Kbps???

[Diomedes]

I purchased an item from iTMS last week, and was astounded to see it was encoded at 63 Kpbs, by the Nero AAC Encoder! What is this all about??

 

[iMeowbot]

If you check the size of the file and divide by the run time in seconds, do you come up with a different number that seems closer to 128? Sometimes the frames used for displaying bit rates are a little off.

If the file size really is too small, then I guess CD Baby screwed up when they encoded it.

 

[Lacero]

Would it have anything to do with this?

Nero Integrates MPEG-4-AAC Audio Codec for Superior Audio Compression

The Nero AAC encoder will be capable of more than 10X real time encoding, therefore allowing a user to rip and encode a complete CD in around 7 minutes. Optimized for the latest CPU's including the Intel P4, MMX, SSE, and SSE2 -- Nero AAC is fully compliant with both MPEG-2 AAC as well as MPEG-4 AAC, and features 16-448 Kbits/s bit rate, constant and variable, with a special fit-to-size option.

 

[balamw]

Would it have anything to do with this?

That press release is from 2002.

The nero AAC encoder is more "advanced" than QT/iTunes in that it supports VBR and ABR modes over a wide range of bitrates Maybe this one was ABR or VBR which threw iTunes off since it doesn't expect it.

Nero also supports HE-AAC as well as LC-AAC, which could support lower bitrates for similar quality, although those claims have yet to be fully demonstrated.

EDIT:

check the size of the file and divide by the run time in seconds

The info was in the attachment 4.8 MB/570s~70kbps. Either the file is ABR/VBR and has lots of silence in it, or CD Baby really screwed up.

B

 

[Diomedes]

I reported it to iTMS Support. I've noticed a couple other tracks encoded with Nero at odd bit rates (127, for example).

I hope this was a mistake, because I love that track

There isn't a lot of silence in it, and since I've never encoded with VBR, I would have no idea of how to tell the difference.

 

[balamw]

I reported it to iTMS Support. I've noticed a couple other tracks encoded with Nero at odd bit rates (127, for example).

Dumb question. Does it really run 9:30? If not, and it actually runs 4:45 it's the time, not the bitrate that is off somehow.

B

 

[Diomedes]

Dumb question. Does it really run 9:30? If not, and it actually runs 4:45 it's the time, not the bitrate that is off somehow.

B

No, not a dumb question, since there have been a few tracks from iTMS that don't match their advertised running times (or vice-versa — once downloaded, they are actually longer than advertised on iTMS).

This one, however, is it's actuall length. I went and downloaded the rest of the EP, and all are encoded the same.

However, I have to say...it was only when I actually SAW the bit rate on my iTunes library listing that I noticed it. The sound was degraded, but initially I attributed that to the source recording. Subsequent listenings revealed the sound quality. I remedied it by increasing the volume in the track's properties and trying different equalizer settings. (Equalizer settings don't transfer to the iPod, do they?)