[Icecast] Frauenhofer signing off on mp3, ogg stream player for Macs?

[Ross Levis]

Rather off topic, but I wonder if this means MP3 encoding is now licence free and encoders can be included in commercial software with no licence.

-----Original Message-----
From: Icecast [mailto:icecast-bounces at xiph.org] On Behalf Of Jack Elliott
Sent: Tuesday, 16 May 2017 9:46 a.m.
To: Icecast streaming server user discussions
Subject: [Icecast] Frauenhofer signing off on mp3, ogg stream player for Macs?

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits has stopped providing licenses for MP3 technology, "[...] noting that more superior audio formats have rendered the MP3 obsolete. Speaking to National Public Radio (USA), the Fraunhofer Institute said AAC has since become the 'de facto standard for music download and videos on mobile phones.' "

http://www.networkworld.com/article/3196788/consumer-electronics/mp3-player-ipod-licensing-dead.html

This raises a point I wanted to ask about. Icecast supports mp3 (it's the current lowest-common denominator for media players, yes?) and ogg. 
I'd like to send a higher-fidelity stream from our music festival remotes, but ogg isn't an option because the station's media player, iTunes (running on a Mac) doesn't support ogg.

Is there any work being done to support AAC in Icecast? Oh, wait. Use of AAC in an encoder requires paying a licensing fee. Drat.

So we have mp3 (free, sounds crummy, everything plays it) and ogg (free, sounds better, but does anyone know of any programs for Macs that can play an ogg stream?)

--
That Jack Elliott
(541) 848 7021
KPOV 88.9 FM High Desert Community radio Producer, The Wednesday Point Host, The Sunday Classics

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