Part 4/9:
The nuclear fusion of compressed audio files and CD technology began with the rise of CD-Rs and CD-RWs. The capability of burning data onto these discs meant that consumers could create MP3 CDs—discs filled with folders of MP3 files. They harnessed the maximum capacity offered by a data CD (about 700 MB) which, when filled with MP3s, allowed for entire playlists to be easily transported.
However, while the hardware to decode these files existed in various stereo systems and CD players, the actual format of “MP3 CD” was more of a concept than an official standard. The technology simply allowed users to create CDs full of MP3s, but the players’ ability to read these discs was often labeled in ambiguous terms, leading many users to overlook this capability.