Which bitrate do you use for mp3?
For my iPhone I converted all my music to 320 kbit/s but I used to put my sound demos on soundcloud (128 kbit/s only).
Now I found that even via my PC speakers I can hear a BIG difference (soundcloud seams to transcode the 128 kbit/s file again).
VBR = variable bit rate is best for .mp3.
Also thew latest LAME encoder is recommended.
What the several platforms do to our original material is another question, but I'd say the higher quality of the original the better the altered material...
But I could be wrong.
as a side note: mp3 encoders don't like heavily brickwall limited material.
soundcloud def has its own compression going on. I have uploaded a non compressed file, as well as an mp3, and what it did to the full Res File was pretty bad. It actually effected the small file less. I pretty much always encode at 320 or whatever the highest MP3 setting is in my DAW. It is near CD when being played back by something not adding its own compression and file reduction. The lower the bit rate, the more brittle the top end will be and the thinner the low end in my experience. Cymbals start to sound washed out and not pleasant. If you can, always encode the highest unless something specifically asks for a lower file.
