MAD (libmad) is a high-quality MPEG audio decoder. It currently supports MPEG-1
and the MPEG-2 extension to Lower Sampling Frequencies, as well as the so-called
MPEG 2.5 format. All three audio layers (Layer I, Layer II, and Layer III a.k.a.
MP3) are fully implemented.

MAD does not yet support MPEG-2 multichannel audio (although it should be
backward compatible with such streams) nor does it currently support AAC.

MAD has the following special features:
- 24-bit PCM output
- 100% fixed-point (integer) computation
- completely new implementation based on the ISO/IEC standards
- distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL)

Because MAD provides full 24-bit PCM output, applications using MAD are able to
produce high quality audio. Even when the output device supports only 16-bit
PCM, applications can use the extra resolution to increase the audible dynamic
range through the use of dithering or noise shaping.
