For us 90s kids, some endings symbolized the end of our childhoods. The final Harry Potter book was one of those endings. However, this one beats all of those. The MP3 has officially been put to rest by its creators. The music format that spawned CD-ripping, Napster, Kazaa, Limewire, and the entire modern music industry has been succeeded.
The MP3 format was created by The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits. Now, the institute has announced that it terminated licensing for patents related to the format. The successor to the MP3 has actually already been in existence for some time. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the new standard music format with its better quality, efficiency, and functionality.
The MP3 created an entire device category, the MP3 player, which led to the iPod. However, Apple has offered AAC through iTunes since very early in its life. This means the changeover should not be noticeable in the slightest, but if you download music it will most likely be an AAC file now. Also let’s be honest, the vast majority of people are streaming their music now anyway. Pour one out for the MP3, and realize that now us 90s kids are officially getting old.
Source: Engadget
