[Answered] Completed projects: Volume on zip file v each

[linny]

BC, DPL, reader I am. Listener not so much, but I'm trying to do better. As such, there is a lot about completed projects it appears I don't understand.

I downloaded a book via zip file: https://librivox.org/he-fell-in-love-with-his-wife-by-edward-p-roe/ and was surprised to find that most of the files were at or below the 86dB threshold. I then downloaded a couple of the chapters individually and found the difference between these files and the zipped files was ~3dB difference. Is this normal? I also noticed the bit rate and sampling rate is changed on the zip file. Again normal? For me, it's weird, but if someone can please tell me it's ok then I'll accept your word for it and move about in my own little world happy and content.

[Availle]

Yes, that's normal.

The original files we send to archive are the _128kb mp3 files. From there, archive derives all other files, among them the _64kb mp3 files.
During this conversion to _64kb, the volume drops by about 3db, it's something we cannot influence since it's something archive is doing rather than us.
the .zip file you can download from our catalog is the one containing the latter _64kb mp3 files; not sure why, but it may be historical - that archive didn't do a _128kb mp3 file when we started out. You can download a zip file with the original 128kb files directly from the archive page.

[linny]

Thank you, Ava.