MP3 Patents Expire: Who Cares?

The MP3 format, once king of digital audio, is now royalty-free. Patents have expired, yet the news barely registered. Why? Streaming services and faster internet speeds have rendered the need for small, efficient audio files largely obsolete. The shift to cloud-based services and the near-invisibility of file sizes means most people don't download or even think about file formats anymore. While significant for developers of niche audio tools, for the average user, the change is largely irrelevant. MP3's free status is a historical footnote, a testament to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.