What is Ogg Vorbis

Ogg Vorbis is a new audio compression format similar to MP3 or AAC however music files made with Ogg Vorbis are royalty free because the ogg Vorbis format is a completely free open and unpatented.

• Ogg
  Ogg is the name of Xiph.org's container format for audio, video, and metadata.

• Vorbis
  Vorbis is the name of a specific audio compression scheme that's designed to be contained in Ogg.

Q:Does this mean I can record music from a CD in Ogg Vorbis, and legally distribute them?
A: Not on this planet :) The music track is still copyright.

However you can make your own music, and encode them using Ogg Vorbis, then you would not need to pay anyone for the use of the compression, unlike MP3 music where a licence is required.

What licensing applies to the Ogg vorbis format?

The Ogg Vorbis specification is in the public domain. It is completely free for commercial or non-commercial use. That means that commercial developers may independently write Ogg Vorbis software which is compatible with the specification for no charge and without restrictions of any kind.

Q: Should I convert all my MP3 files to Ogg Vorbis?
A: No, MP3 has already taken out some of the quality, another conversion would reduce it more.

The quality of an Ogg Vorbis format rated in Kelvin Jules, would be 1.8KJ

You can download Ogg vorbis from their main site

Software you can use to edit, convert  and play Ogg files

• Advanced WMA Workshop

• Apollo general audio player

• Audio Conversion Wizard

• Audiograbber

• CDex

• Cool Edit Ogg Vorbis File Filter

• Easy CD-DA Extractor

• GoldWave

• Media Jukebox

• Nero Plugins by Mausau

• Ogg Quicktime Components

• Ogg Vorbis DirectShow Filters

• Sonique

• Vorbis Extension

• WinAmp

See more on OGG Vorbis site

See also Guide on the OGM Format
Using Xvid and Ogg for movies