---
title: ".mp3 file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .mp3 file is a MPEG-1 Audio Layer III. The lossy audio format that made digital music portable, and still plays on everything. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/mp3/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .mp3 files

**.mp3 file: MPEG-1 Audio Layer III**

The lossy audio format that made digital music portable, and still plays on everything.

## What opens a .mp3 file

- **Windows:** Media Player (built in), VLC, foobar2000
- **macOS:** Music (built in), QuickTime Player (built in), VLC
- **Linux:** Rhythmbox / Music (built in), VLC, Audacious
- **In a browser:** Any web browser

## What a .mp3 file is

MP3 came out of the Fraunhofer Institute and the MPEG standardisation process around 1993 and dominated music for two decades. Its patents all expired by 2017, so it is now free to use, and no device made in the last twenty-five years fails to play one. Newer codecs such as AAC and Opus sound better at the same bitrate, but nothing matches MP3 for sheer compatibility.

## Converting it

A .mp3 file is commonly converted to .wav, .flac, .m4a, .ogg or .aac. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .mp3
- **Full name:** MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
- **Category:** Audio
- **MIME type:** audio/mpeg
- **Created by:** Fraunhofer IIS / MPEG
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .mp3 file?

On Windows use Media Player (built in); on macOS use Music (built in); on Linux use Rhythmbox / Music (built in). The lossy audio format that made digital music portable, and still plays on everything.

### What is a .mp3 file?

MPEG-1 Audio Layer III. MP3 came out of the Fraunhofer Institute and the MPEG standardisation process around 1993 and dominated music for two decades. Its patents all expired by 2017, so it is now free to use, and no device made in the last twenty-five years fails to play one.

### Can I convert a .mp3 file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .wav, .flac, .m4a, .ogg or .aac, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.wav — Waveform Audio File](https://atoneplace.net/file/wav/)
- [.m4a — MPEG-4 Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4a/)
- [.flac — Free Lossless Audio Codec](https://atoneplace.net/file/flac/)
- [.aac — Advanced Audio Coding](https://atoneplace.net/file/aac/)
- [.ogg — Ogg Vorbis Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/ogg/)
- [.opus — Opus Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/opus/)
- [.mid — MIDI Sequence](https://atoneplace.net/file/mid/)
- [.m3u — Media Playlist](https://atoneplace.net/file/m3u/)
- [.wma — Windows Media Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/wma/)
- [.aiff — Audio Interchange File Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/aiff/)
- [.m4b — MPEG-4 Audiobook](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4b/)
- [.amr — Adaptive Multi-Rate Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/amr/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)