Best way to share song via email?

If the file size is too large you will need to reduce it by compressing the file. Then it will be small enough to email. I guess you can also factor in your internet connection speed because that will determine how long it will take to send the file and also on the receiving end how fast they can download it.

The highest quality is going to be what is called an AIFF or WAV file. This is uncompressed data. This could be too large to send via email so we have to compress the file and chop off some of the data to make it smaller. When this data is chopped off it is typically the higher frequencies (>12k) that are removed. We aren't supposed to perceive its effect as much as the more critical to our ears mid range.

In itunes preferences we can choose the type and amount of compression we want. We can choose between AIFF, WAV, MP3, AAC, Apple lossless etc.

We can also choose the bit rate. The bit rate is how much compression you want. The bigger the bit rate the less data that is removed thus the larger that file will be. I prefer to compress at 256 kbps. This compresses the song enough without severely altering the sound. I cannot stand 128 kbps. The sound quality is noticeably reduced and it distracts from the original recording.

The best thing to do is try them all out. Save one in MP3 and look at the files size. Do the same with AAC which is apple's version of MP3. Apple Lossless is compression that we cannot hear the effects of. It is "lossless" quality.

I hope this helps.

For AAC, you need to make sure that the person you are sending it to has a compatible player.

X

When this data is chopped off it is typically the higher frequencies (>12k) that are removed.

Just for the record: Audio compression is a lot more complicated. If you did just that, it would (1) sound like it came over a telephone line (we hear a lot at >12 kHz) and (2) not be a good compression rate.

Of course 12 kHz was just a rough example to illustrate a point.

Well, it doesn't. 🙂

Well then pretend I never mentioned 12kHz...better?

No offense meant. I just didn't want to write a book explaining how complicated it is. I don't claim to know it all either! lol

Fine, since we're straying away from the original poster's question anyway. Just wanted to mention that MP3 and other compression techniques are far more complicated than cutting off a signal at some frequency (be it 12 kHz or any other).

OK..song is complete...uploaded it to iTunes...
What if I want to send it to somebody? (File too
big?)
What's the best way for some to listen to it?

Use iTunes to turn it into an AAC or MP3.

From the iTunes menu, select Preferences. Click the Advanced button, and choose Importing. From the Import Using pull-down menu select MP3 or ACC, and from the Setting pull-down menu choose a quality setting.

MP3s are more likely to be readable in a wider variety of media players than AAC, and lower quality settings (e.g. 128k will make smaller files than higher quality settings). You can fiddle with these controls to get a file with compromises on size vs. quality that you are willing to live with. Rule of thumb for a 128kbps MP3 files is about 1 Mb/minute of song.

(Oh, and at last attach the file to the email you're sending, and hit Send 🙂

Cheers,
Carl

iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)