14 DAY TRIAL // The fact that the MP3 file format reigns supreme in the music market is not news. Despite having its position constantly "attacked" by additional formats such as AIFF, AAC, WMA and so on, nothing has changed so far. However, a new star on the firmament looks like posing a serious threat to the MP3 for the very first time - MT9.
MT9 comes from the Korean company Audizen and, as far as the preliminary specs announce it, it looks like taking things to a completely new level. As a matter of fact, the MT9 is the short,[admark=1] "file format-approved" name for the Music 2.0 standard, promising a completely new experience with your fav tracks and a dramatically changed approach to the audio multimedia experience overall.
If we were to detail a bit what's with the MT9, the best explanation would start with "Multi Track" phrase: the Music 2.0 is all about a multi-track version of a song, providing the user with access to these tracks, yet without altering the original song.
In simpler words, the MT9 could be regarded as a hyper-professional and high-tech karaoke-ready file format, but one that also allows the listener to cut off any of the existing tracks. Now, imagine the possibilities that come with such a neat thing, with all singers and especially other instrument players being able to jam along to their fav songs but without over-lapping their performance on the other artists'.
The idea is nothing new though, as "bandoke" (a version of karaoke where some of the instruments were missing, instead of the vocal track) has been invented more than 20 years ago and was made popular by tracks of important heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden. The novelty comes from the fact that MT9 runs with a six-channel audio equalizer, with each channel being engineered for voice, chorus, piano, guitar, bass and drums. You can access any of them and run the MT9 as a karaoke or a bandoke, as you wish.
And as if all this was not enough, the albums you're going to buy in the MT9 format are DRM-free (what's up, RIAA?) so you can use them as a CD or cassette tape that you can lend to your friends and so on. Several patents have already been applied and some more will follow as Audizen is trying to make the Music 2.0/ MT9 an international audio standard as well, to provide a really neat competition with the existing ones. So far, Samsung and LG Electronics have shown a vivid interest in MT9 and all things related to it, so we can actually assume that something has really changed in the audio file formats war. Once more, DRM-free!
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