There has been a long-standing debate over the quality of music files available for download online. On one side of the debate are those who argue that the quality of a music file is directly related to its bit rate. On the other side are those who argue that the quality of a music file is not related to its bit rate, and that the only important factor is the quality of the source material.

At the heart of this debate is the question of what factors influence the quality of a music file. One of the most important factors …