MP2 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer II), developed from the MUSICAM project, was the broadcast audio workhorse of the 1990s and is still in service in DVB television and contribution links. It is simpler than its successor MP3 and, crucially, more robust under cascading — repeated decode/re-encode cycles, common in broadcast chains, degrade it less. It runs at higher bitrates than MP3 for similar quality (192-384 kbps), which broadcasters could afford. Consumers moved to MP3 and then AAC for efficiency, but MP2's resilience and entrenched hardware keep it alive in professional and legacy broadcast workflows decades after it might have retired.
