One-page reference: fast facts on MP2 vs MP3, a decision table for when each is acceptable in 2026, and the rule to read the codec field not the file extension.
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The book · Volume 4 of 7
Audio for Video: A Complete Guide to Sound in Video Products: From PCM and Codecs to Loudness, Accessibility, and Real-Time Voice Processing
This MP3 and MP2 legacy cheat sheet compares the two codecs, shows when each is still acceptable in 2026, and reminds you to read the codec field rather than the file extension. Volume 4 covers this topic in depth: PCM, sampling and bit depth, lossy codecs from MP3 to AAC and Opus, loudness and LUFS, and how to pick a codec for each delivery path. Written by Nikolay Sapunov, CEO at Fora Soft.
Deciding what to do with MP2 and MP3 audio in your library?
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