MAGIX today announced the addition of mp3 SURROUND into its comprehensive range of applications. Providing studios, artists and consumers with the necessary tools to easily create multi-channel, surround-quality mixes for a broad spectrum of applications, mp3 SURROUND also offers complete backward compatibility to any existing mp3 software and hardware devices.

mp3 SURROUND supports high-quality, multi-channel sound at bit rates comparable to those currently used to encode stereo mp3 material, resulting in files half the size of common compressed surround formats. mp3 SURROUND was developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in collaboration with Agere Systems and introduced in December 2004. The technology enables 5.1 channel surround-quality sound for web-based music distribution, broadcasting systems, PC-related audiovisual or gaming applications, consumer electronics and automotive systems.

“As professional and amateur musicians continue to rely more and more on the PC for performing editing and mixing functions, they will be seeking the latest technologies to help them achieve the ‘perfect’ sound,” said Jurgen Jaron, CEO MAGIX. “We are pleased to add mp3 SURROUND to our already vast library of professional and consumer music and video editing tools. The mp3 SURROUND capabilities are a perfect match for our popular Sequoia and Samplitude software programs, as well as for our video editing software like Movie Edit Pro 10.”