Download your favourites and hit the road! 

If you've discovered the world of MP3 downloading from the internet, you'll know just how wide a range of audio is there for the surfing. Maybe you love to seek out rare tracks from your favorite bands, or unearth yet-to-be discovered talents. Perhaps you copy tracks from your home CDs to make a customised compilation. The result, though, is the same  - compiling MP3 files is a convenient way to enjoy the music you want. 

Now MP3 music can be your constant traveling companion  - even in your car - thanks to MP3-compatible in-dash receivers. Kenwood are at the forefront of in-car MP3 technology, so you'll be able to buy safe in the knowledge that you are backed by the biggest name in car audio. Don't forget, if you're into creating your own compilations at home for playing in your car, you'll appreciate the fact that a single CD-R/RW disc can hold approximately 10 hours of MP3 music, so you can stop changing discs to find particular tracks. 

A bit rate of 128 kbps is a good compromise between file size and sound quality. The Kenwood receivers work with the most commonly-used bit rates. 

To create an MP3 CD, you'll need a computer with a CD-R/RW drive (popularly called a "burner"), and appropriate software. You can choose to transfer files that you find in different sites on the Internet, or create MP3 files from tracks on your favorite CDs. This way, you can design your own musical mix using inexpensive CD-R/RWs. Typically, you'll create folders (just like the folders or directories on your computer) for easy access to songs. 

In-dash receiver playback options 

There are many ways to listen to MP3 in your vehicle. One of the most popular is with in-dash MP3-compatible receivers that use either MP3-encoded CD-R/RW discs or memory cards of MP3 files. Keep in mind that even though it looks the same externally, a CD-R/RW of MP3 music will not play on a standard car CD player. That's because a traditional CD receiver can't read the compressed MP3 format. 

• Text information: When you create your MP3 CD, you'll be able to name your discs, folder, and files. (The number of characters at your disposal depends on your particular recording software). However, not all receivers will display this information. To select your tracks by the titles you've assigned, look for a receiver that decodes and displays "ID-3" tag information.
  
  

• Search functions: Determine how the receiver allows you to search for particular files. Some will skip only from file to file, while others allow fast forward or fast reverse search through MP3 files or files/folders. The search function could be important if you're looking for a single file contained in hours of music.
  
  

• Portable and add-on options: If you have a portable MP3 player or an outboard player that mounts in your vehicle, you can listen to MP3 music through in-dash receivers that feature auxiliary inputs. Simply use the appropriate signal cable (this comes with RCA plugs) and connect a portable or add-on to the receiver's auxiliary input, located at the back of the receiver.

WMA format Developed by Microsoft, WMA (Windows Media Audio) is an audio encoding / decoding system that compresses data by up to 20 times. Encoding can be achieved by using Windows Media Player (version 7+), bundled with Windows Me/XP or available as a free download for Windows 98/2000. Some general points to bear in mind when using these formats:

• Include 'WMA' or 'MP3' in the filename when creating files

• Receivers are compatible with ISO9660 and Level 1 / Level 2, but incompatible with Romeo &Joliet

• Receivers are compatible with the 'disc-at-once' and 'track-at-once' systems, but incompatible with the 'packet-write' system

• Due to the automatic Sort function of the writing software, the playback of MP3 files may be in a different order to that in which they were recorded.

• Playback of files recorded at bit rates greater than 192kbps may suffer from interruption.