Of course, nowadays, that situation drastically changed with the rise of numerous streaming services and high-speed internet connection. This means that we have to be less concerned about the file size and more about the requirements of the streaming services. Secondly, you have to keep in mind that the more sound quality you want, the more information the mixdown will have.
This, in turn, means that the sound quality directly correlates with the file size. Anyway, as you can clearly see, the best sound quality is not achievable without some compromises. But what do we have to sacrifice? In digital audio, a codec is an algorithm that translates computer code into an audio signal and vice versa.
Based on the codecs, we can easily divide all audio formats into three different categories. First of all, we have uncompressed audio formats. This kind of files represents the most accurate audio but at the cost of a significantly larger file size. Secondly, there are lossless audio file formats. These files are significantly smaller than uncompressed formats, but they use compression.
They use some very clever algorithms that allow them to structure redundant and recurrent information in a way that makes lossless files up to half of the size of uncompressed audio without any noticeable difference in sound quality. And finally, we have lossy file formats. In the age of dial-up internet connection and relatively small HDDs, lossy files were the most used file formats.
Actually, they still are, but with the evolution of modern technology, they slowly became obsolete. OGG is usually the smallest audio file format. But due to its lack of compatibility, users usually go for MP3 when picking a audio format that can still deliver enjoyable quality of music while keeping file size compacy. If you are mastering and mixing raw audio, go for uncompressed audio format.
If you are an audiophile and want to store songs on the computer or digital audio player DAP , you should go for lossless compressed audio format like FLAC. Although they still take up significant space, they are a much more superior choice for storing high-res audio in bulk than uncompressed format. However, if you are not too critical with your listening experience and you have limited storage space, lossy compressed audio files are the way to go. They take up less storage space on your computer hard disk and portable music player.
They take up less bandwidth, so they transfer faster on the internet, and when using wireless technology. As you can see, different audio formats have their strengths and weaknesses. All have their uses. When listening to music is a major part of your life, you will always want music with you. Having the option to use different audio formats, allows you to incorporate music into every listening situation, especially when you are on the go.
Now you know the different formats, you can choose which one works best for the required situation, and what results to expect. Which headphones are the best high quality headphones to use to enjoy the benefits of FLAC audio files and where you can hear a drop in quality if you play MP3?
Side note: bitrate is not everything — look at the difference between old avi and the modern x mp4 video formats… Avi can have a high bitrate and be huge and STILL look like crap compared to a much smaller, lower bitrate mp4 — the source file and codec efficiency are much more important than just bitrate. Thanks for publishing this article. I now finally have a clear understanding of the limitations of the various codecs. Very well done. What kind of files for CDs or SACDs specifically should be explained as Audiophiles either use one of these types of discs for their two channel systems which overwhelmingly play most music over the years in two channel stereo.
Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Audio File Format Explained In this article, we will look at the most common audio file formats in use today and find out is there indeed a best audio format. We will explore: What is exactly an audio file format? What is considered HD audio and what does audio file format has to do with it? Understand the difference between Uncompressed , lossy , and lossless files Comparison between popular types of audio files What songs format should one be using?
What are the best audio format? Well, this is the article for you. Quick Links Use these quick links to quickly navigate around the article. What is an Audio File Format? Audio file types From: sguru. Related: How Do We Hear? The Human Hearing Mechanism Explained. Standard versus HD streaming From: amazon. Data compression From: premiumbeat.
Representation of lossless compression From: retromanufacturing. Representation of lossy compression From: retromanufacturing. Audio files sizes compared From: ask. Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in , she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a year career as a professional dancer and aerialist — any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music.
When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half — a football writer whose talent knows no bounds. What Hi-Fi? Becky Scarrott. See all comments 7. This is a significant distortion sorry Apple had no part whatsoever in the development of the standard. The standard was established in and was part of the standards for MPEG-2 and subsequently MPEG-4, but was not adopted as an audio-only format until Apple used it as the default standard for iTunes and the iPod.
They definitely popularised it, but they did not invent it or even contribute to its development. You forgot an interesting audio format: Opus. Opus Wikipedia entryOpus codec official site.
SeaBee said:. FLAC is great Otherwise it's pretty much the perfect format. Apple strikes again :rolleyes:. Get started for free with Filestack today. Skip to content. Sign Up Free Log In. All Posts. What audio file format is best for use on the Web? What is the most popular audio format? How do I convert an audio file from one format to another?
Audio File Formats. OGG Similar to. How to Choose the Right Audio File Format Choosing the right audio format depends entirely on what you plan on using the audio for. Consider a couple of scenarios: If you are a professional that is planning to edit the audio for a podcast for example , then use an uncompressed format. When you are finished, you can export to an easier-to-distribute compressed format.
If you are an audiophile wanting to listen to your music collection in hi-fidelity, choose a format that uses lossless audio compression. You will use less storage than an uncompressed format, but still retain the full quality of the original recording.
If you are not concerned with perfect audio quality, plan on sharing the file on the Web, or need to conserve disk space, choose a format that uses lossy audio compression.
AIFF There are certain times when it is best to use one file format over another, and often, you have to convert between file formats.
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