Max Help

# Max Help: Encoding

- Ripping |
- Tagging |
- Encoding |
- File naming

MP3 is a lossy format. Max uses LAME, an open-source encoder, to encode MP3s. To enable Max to generate MP3s from your rips, select the MP3 checkbox under Formats in Max's preferences.

## Configuring MP3 Output

MP3 configuration is located in the MP3 section of the preferences.

### Variable Bitrate

Variable bitrate is the recommended setting for MP3 encoding using LAME.

To generate a variable bitrate file, set the Target to Quality and choose the desired quality using the slider, with 0 being the lowest quality and 100 being the highest. Quality settings of 70-100 should produce CD-quality encodings.

### Constant Bitrate

To generate an MP3 with a constant bitrate, set the Target to Bitrate then use the slider to choose the desired bitrate. Bitrates set to 128 and higher will generally produce CD-quality MP3s.

### Average Bitrate

If you'd like to set an average bitrate, set the Target to Bitrate, choose your desired average bitrate, then uncheck the "Restrict encoder to constant bitrate" checkbox.

### Encoding Engine Quality

After choosing a bitrate or quality, LAME can use different algorithms for encoding.

Fast will result in lower quality and a shorter encoding time, and should only be used when you need to encode quickly. It is equivalent to LAME's `-f` option.

Standard will result in decent quality in a fair amount of time, and is the default. It is equivalent to LAME's `-q 5` option.

High uses the slowest and best possible versions of all algorithms. It is equivalent to LAME's `-h` option.

### Mono

Mono encodings result in significant compression and loss of quality by consolidating the two (stereo) channels in one (mono) channel.