Hello everyone
I hope you're all doing well!
The reason of this post is to inquiry concerning one of my mp3 files.
When I open it up with Winamp, to check the information of the file, where it says Format Info the following information appears at the end of it.
192kbit, 8257 frames
44100Hz Joint Stereo
CRC: No, Copyrighted: No
Original: Yes, Emphasis: None

In some other files, the "Original" has a value of "No"
My question is... what does it mean?
Thanks in advance!

Short answer: Not much.

Long answer: In an mp3 file there is a bit that (according to the specifications) is supposed to be set only if the file is located on the same media it was created on. If that bit is set, then Winamp will display a Yes value. In practice, no program changes that bit when the file is copied, so it doesn't really mean anything. Whether it is set or not depends on the whim of the encoder.

So, in plain English, that means that those files with a value of "Yes" come straight from the original CD on which it was created?
Thanks in advance for clarifying!

In practice, it means nothing.

I think it's supposed to be an implementation of SCMS, an early, extremely weak form of DRM. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Copy_Management_System

Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

It means that one certain bit is turned on in the first encountered frame header in an MP3 file. Don't read too much into it. It's a value that was never used for its intended purpose. Some old encoders might turn the bit on (and even some newer ones with the right options set). However, the value does nothing in Winamp or any other media player that I know about.

"...and I, Benski, will remove this dead horse from Winamp..."

It's strange, but one my albums have settings is Original: Yes and i can't play it at my website (flash player). All other albums with preferences NO works perfect. Do you know how i can change those preferences to NO?

Mp3/Tag Studio (Windows only) can. Turn on "Detailed mp3 info" & browse to the mp3. Where it says "Original:" you'll see "Yes" highlighted in white - click on "Yes". To the right a "Write to file" button will appear. Press it.

It's probably best to back up the mp3 first.

There is probably other software that can do this, but this is what I'm familiar with.

Thank you very much! It works perfect!

I'm very surprised that anything would even look at that bit.

Me too. Furthermore it seems as though the flash player is treating this bit as if it means "made from a copyright source" and then using this as a basis for some kind of DRM. I'm thinking that unless it's just a bug in Flash then the above is the only real meaning that could justify that behaviour?

This theory is easily testable.

LAME allows to set or not set those flags when encoding, so it's easy to create files with and without the flag.

If it indeed doesn't play the ones with the flag, then, it's a(n intentional) bug.

Else, that file had just a problem the bitstream.

Hmmm yeah there is another bit already used for marking as copyrighted, so it would make absolutely no sense for flash player to try and do some kind of DRM based on the "original" bit. This seems crazy to me - I guess it must just be a bug.

Ceslovas, can you confirm that the only change that you made to the track as to tun off the "original" bit and that this alone fixed the problem with the flash player.

A further bit of information that may or may not influence your debate, but is worth adding to this thread for future searchers... The "Write to file" button has options - "Write flag changes to header only" (Default) or "Write flag changes to whole file". If the latter is selected then when you commit, a sanity check asks:

This warning is given for all of the three changeable flags "Private", "Copyrighted", & "Original".