To configure MP3 encoding options, click the Settings button in the Virtual CD Configuration dialog, the Convert Audio Format dialog, or the Rip Audio CD dialog.
MediaMonkey has a broad range of MP3 encoding options, allowing you to choose from a range of optimized preset configurations, or to set encoding options manually. What follows is a description of each of the presets, to help you choose the setting that's right for you (if you want to learn the intricacies of manual MP3 encoding options, you can find information via several of the links below.
| Preset | Quality | Bandwidth | Recommendation |
| Compatible, CBR 96 kbps |
Fair | Low, inefficient | Useful if MP3s are to be played on a low storage capacity portable/device that is incompatible with VBR formats. |
| Compatible, CBR 128 kbps |
Average | Low, inefficient | This preset is fairly popular despite the average quality level, mainly because quality is adequate and it can be played on low memory portable/devices that are incompatible with VBR formats. |
| Compatible, CBR 160 kbps |
Good | Medium, inefficient | Useful for encoding MP3s at a decent quality level when the MP3s are to be played on a device that is incompatible with VBR formats. |
| Medium (fast), VBR ~160 kbps |
High | Medium, efficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at a high quality level, at which only some users will be able to distinguish it from the original. It encodes slightly faster than the Medium preset, but at a slightly reduced quality level. |
| Medium, VBR ~160 kbps |
High+ | Medium, efficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at a high quality level, at which only some users will be able to distinguish it from the original. |
| Compatible, CBR 192 kbps |
High+ | High, inefficient | Useful for encoding MP3s at a high quality level when the MP3s are to be played on a device that is incompatible with VBR formats. |
| Standard (fast), VBR ~192 kbps |
Very High | High, efficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at very high quality levels, at which only a small proportion of listeners will be able to distinguish it from the original. It encodes slightly faster than the Standard preset, but at a slightly reduced quality level. |
| Standard, VBR ~192 kbps |
Very High+ | High, efficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at very high quality levels, at which only a small proportion of listeners will be able to distinguish it from the original. |
| Extreme (fast), VBR ~256 kbps |
Near CD | Very high, efficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at near-CD quality levels for very discriminating music listeners (with plenty of hard disk space). Only a very small proportion of listeners will be able to distinguish these MP3s from the original. Note that it encodes slightly faster than the Extreme preset, but at a slightly reduced quality level. |
| Extreme, VBR ~256 kbps |
Near CD+ | Very High, efficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at near-CD quality levels for very discriminating music listeners (with plenty of hard disk space). Only a very small proportion of listeners will be able to distinguish these MP3s from the original. |
| Insane, CBR 320 kbps |
Highest | Insanely high, inefficient | Recommended for encoding MP3s at the highest level possible. It's for very discriminating music listeners (with hard disk space to burn). Only a very small proportion of listeners will be able to distinguish these MP3s from the original. |
| Phone, ABR ~16 kbps mono |
Poor | Very low, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for low quality recordings, when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. |
| Short Wave, ABR ~24 kbps mono |
Poor | Very low, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for low quality recordings, when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. |
| AM, ABR ~40 kbps mono |
Poor | Very low, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for low quality recordings, when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. |
| Voice, ABR ~56 kbps mono |
Fair | Very low, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for fair quality voice recordings, when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. |
| Tape, ABR ~112 kbps |
Average | Low, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for average quality music recordings, when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. |
| Hifi, ABR ~160 kbps |
High | Medium, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for high quality music recordings, only when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. Otherwise, the Medium or Medium (fast) presets are preferable. |
| Hifi+, ABR ~192 kbps |
Very High | High, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for very high quality music recordings, only when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. Otherwise, the Standard or Standard (fast) presets are preferable. |
| Studio, ABR ~256 kbps |
Near CD | Very high, fairly efficient, predictable | Useful for encoding MP3s for very discriminating music listeners, only when bandwidth used needs to be constrained to a predetermined average. Otherwise, the Extreme or Extreme (fast) presets are preferable. |
Ripping and Digital Audio Compression Formats
Hydrogen Audio (see the MP3 faqs)