Burning - This term refers not to the process of rendering toast inedible, but instead, is usually used in reference to the act of writing information (data, music, etc.) to a Compact Disc.

Codec - The complicated mathematical algorithms used to create and read compressed digital audio files. There are several MP3 codecs that vary widely in their quality and efficiency.

Decoding - This is the process whereby the information in a compressed digital audio file is read so that it can be played and heard. Software MP3 players like UltraPlayer and Winamp decode and play MP3 files.

Digital Audio Extraction - See Ripping below.

Digital Signal Processors (DSP's) - These are plug-ins (see below) that can be added to audio player software to affect the sound playback. Some DSP’s allow you to clean up or enhance the sound quality, while others allow you to alter it in extreme ways (distortion, flange, etc.).

Encoding - This is the name for the process in which larger sound files are compressed into smaller ones. When you convert a file from WAV format into an MP3 file, you are encoding. When you record a song from a CD into MP3 format, you are ripping (see below) and encoding it.

File Format or File Type - These terms refer to individual audio files. The file format can usually be determined by a file's extension. The file extension is the set of letters and/or numbers after the period in a file name. The extension of the file "song.mp3" is ".mp3", which identifies it as an MP3 file. Some other examples of file formats (and their file extension) are CD Audio (.cda), Waveform Audio (.wav), Windows Media (.wma), and Real Audio (.ram).

Internet Radio - Unlike regular AM and FM radio broadcasting, which is limited by FCC requirements controlling frequencies and power ranges, all that is required to broadcast on the Internet is streaming audio software and space on an Internet server. This freedom has allowed thousands of stations to spring up in cyberspace. The entire range of musical and talk genres are well represented on the Internet. You can easily tune into Internet Radio using UltraPlayer.

Jukebox Software - Jukebox programs attempt to provide an all-in-one digital audio solution. They typically allow you to play files on your computer, store them in databases, create new files from your CDs, and transfer digital audio files to Hardware Players. All of this functionality usually precludes them from supporting the audio and visual plug-ins and customizable skins that Player Software applications feature (see Player Software below). The Jukebox Software applications of the future will combine these functional features with the more fun features of Player Software applications.

MP3 - MP3 is a digital audio file format. It is currently the most popular format on the web because of its high sound quality and small file size, and because MP3 encoders are easily available on the Internet. The file extension for an MP3 file is usually ".mp3".

MPEG - MPEG is a term used generically to identify files created using standards developed by the Motion Pictures Expert Group. The Motion Pictures Expert Group is an international organization that develops and maintains standards for digital formats for video and audio. The group was originally formed to maintain consistent formats to be used to compress and distribute films. Version and Layer numbers identify the group’s different compression formats for digital video and audio. The standards maintained by the Motion Pictures Expert Group allow engineers to build encoders and decoders for compressing and reading digital video and audio. If the standard for a certain format is followed, files created by one engineer’s encoder should be readable by another engineer’s decoder.

Player (Hardware) - In this context, hardware players are devices that can play digital audio files in various formats. Because of the compression used to make them small, your standard CD player cannot read MP3 files. New hardware players are being developed that will provide you with a stereo component to store and play your digital audio files. Most hardware players on the market currently fit into the Portable Player category (see below).

Player (Software) - Similarly, software players are programs that can play digital audio files on your computer. There are hundreds of these currently available on the Internet. Some are free, some are not. Most will play MP3 files and nothing else. Others provide you with comprehensive support for almost all of the existing digital audio file formats. The best players allow support for plug-ins (see below) and customizable skins. Players are different from Jukebox Software applications because Jukebox software applications typically include support for ripping and encoding MP3 files from your CDs, but sacrifice the plug-in and skin support that Players offer.

Plug-Ins - Plug-ins are accessories that add functionality to a digital audio player software. They range from input plug-ins that allow your player to read different file formats to output plug-ins that provide visual displays to accompany your music. Visualization Modules (Vis Modules) and Digital Signal Processors (DSP’s) are types of plug-ins.

Portable Player - This term does not refer to a fly-by-night, Vegas lounge lizard. Instead, it refers to Hardware Players (see above) that are small enough to be easily portable. They vary in size, but usually range between Walkman and pager size. New Portable Players are being released almost every day. They typically differ by what type of memory they use to store audio files. Some use compact flash memory (the same type used in most digital cameras), while others use traditional Compact Disc and Mini-Disc media. Newer models use small, removable hard drives.

Rio - The Rio (a Diamond Multimedia/S3 product) was the first MP3 portable player. As such, its name has become almost synonymous with portable players in general. The original Rio was limited in its feature set, compared to the portable players that are being released today.

Ripping - This is the common term for what most of us call "recording". Ripping is the process of taking audio data from your CD and making it into a sound file on your computer. It is called ripping because in most cases the audio data is digitally "ripped" directly from the CD. This process can be very fast (a 4:00 song might only take 0:30 to record). An analog recording process on the other hand records a song by playing the CD and recording the sound output. The analog process can only happen in real time (a 4:00 song takes 4:00 minutes to record). The digital extraction process is faster because it copies the data instead of recording the sound output. Most software applications that only rip from CDs create the new audio file in the WAV format. Software applications that rip and encode (see above) usually create the new audio file in the MP3 format. Another term for ripping is Digital Audio Extraction.

SDMI - SDMI is an acronym for Secure Digital Music Initiative. [The rest of this definition is taken from the SDMI mission statement...] The Secure Digital Music Initiative brings together the worldwide recording industry and technology companies to develop an open, interoperable architecture and specification for digital music security. The specification will answer consumer demand for convenient accessibility to quality digital music, enable copyright protection for artists work, and enable technology and music companies to build successful businesses.

Skins - Most digital audio player software applications offer support for skins (also sometimes called themes). Skins are different color and layout schemes that fit on top of a player without affecting the functionality. Some skins simply change the color of the software. Other skins add pictures of bands or celebrities to the software. UltraPlayer supports the use and creation of deeply dynamic skins. In UltraPlayer, all of the buttons, knobs, sliders, and even the display window can be placed in any location. This allows you to enjoy a customizable interface that is only limited by the imagination of the skin creator.

Streaming or Streaming Audio - Refers to the process of making a "broadcast" of audio available on the Internet. Basically, the broadcaster puts together a set of songs and plays them from her Internet server. She then makes the server available to other Internet users. The increasing availability and quality of Internet access has led to a massive proliferation of such broadcasters. This is because anyone with the right pieces of software and Internet server space (which virtually anyone with Internet access can obtain for free) can administer an Internet Audio Stream. Most digital audio player software applications can play Internet Audio Streams.

Themes - See Skins (above).

Visualizations/Vis Modules - Just like the light and laser shows that accompany your standard concert, Visualization Modules (or "Vis Modules" for short) enhance your listening experience. Vis Modules are sound-sensitive displays that accompany your music to provide a visual element to your audio. They can range in complexity from simple oscilloscopes to stunning, liquid landscapes. Vis Modules are a type of Plug-In (see above).

WAV - WAV is a digital audio file format. It is not a compressed format, so WAV files are usually very large. It is often used as an intermediate format when recording (see Ripping above) from a CD. WAV files can be compressed as MP3 files. The file extension for a WAV file is ".wav".

Winamp - Winamp was one of the first MP3 player software applications. It is developed and maintained by a company called Nullsoft. Since the debut of Winamp, hundreds of player software applications have emerged, varying widely in quality.

WMA - WMA stands for Windows Media Audio. It is Microsoft's digital audio file format. It is similar to MP3 in its' compression ratios and sound quality. It is much easier for music content providers to secure songs in WMA format than in MP3 format. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is built into WMA files and can be configured in a number of ways to specify how many times a song can be played, whether or not a song can be copied, etc. The file extension for a WMA file is usually ".wma".