MP2

MPEG-1 Audio Layer II

An audio coding format developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as a part of the MPEG-1 standard. It is a lossy audio compression format, meaning that some audio data is discarded to reduce file size while maintaining acceptable audio quality.

MP2 was widely used in the early days of digital audio broadcasting and is still used in some applications today. However, it has been largely superseded by more advanced and efficient audio codecs, such as MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III) and AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), which provide better audio quality at lower bit rates.

MP2 is particularly known for its use in the audio component of Video CDs (VCDs) and some digital television and radio broadcasting systems. While it has been mostly replaced by newer codecs for consumer audio applications, MP2 remains in use for specific professional applications, such as in broadcasting and some audio archiving systems.