MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC: we talk about all audio file formats
As you organize your digital music collection, you can dive into a variety of audio file formats. Almost everyone has heard of MP3, but what is OGG, AIFF, or MQA?
If, after reading the list, you have the suspicion that all these formats for obtaining such chic abbreviations were studied in different universities, we will help to dispel it. This material will clarify the essence of some popular music formats, the difference between them and why it is important to know them.
Regardless of what you’re listening to, low-bitrate MP3, slightly better tracks in AAC, or high-resolution audio in FLAC or WAV, it’s time to find out exactly what you get in each case and how to choose the optimal format.
Let’s evaluate the pros and cons of each.
A quick overview of file formats and codecs
In order not to beat around the bush, we’ll provide a quick guide to all file formats and the differences between them at first. If you want to know more, here is a more detailed description of the differences in size, sound quality and compatibility.
–AAC (not high resolution audio format). Apple’s popular alternative to MP3. Compressed and lossy, but with higher sound quality. Used to download from iTunes and stream from Apple Music.
–AIFF (high resolution). Apple’s alternative to WAV with more complete metadata. It is not an uncompressed and lossy format very popular with large files.
–DSD (high resolution). One-bit format used in Super Audio CD. Available in 2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz and 11.2 MHz sample rates. Due to the use of a high quality codec, it is not currently used for transmission. Uncompressed format.
–FLAC (high resolution). Lossless compression format supporting high-resolution supporting sample rates and metadata storage; the file size is half that of WAV. Due to the absence of royalties, it is considered the best format for downloading and storing albums in high resolution audio. Its main drawback is the lack of support for Apple devices (and therefore the incompatibility with iTunes).
–MP3 (not high resolution audio format). Popular compression and lossy format with small file size and far from the highest sound quality. Convenient for storing music on smartphones and iPods.
–MQA (high resolution). Compressed format for storing high resolution files in an easier way to transmit. Used by the Tidal Masters service for high resolution audio streaming.
–OGG (not high resolution audio format). He is sometimes known as his full name: Ogg Vorbis. An open source alternative to MP3 and AAC that is not covered by patents. This 320 kbps format is used in Spotify broadcasts.
–WAV (high resolution). The standard format in which all CDs are recorded. Great sound quality, but large files due to lack of compression. Weak support for metadata (versions, song titles and artists).
–WMA Lossless (high resolution). An uncompressed version of Windows Media Audio, the compatibility of which is not often found on smartphones and tablets.
Compressed and uncompressed audio files
Let’s start by looking at three categories into which all audio file formats can be grouped. They are determined by the degree of data compression and the associated loss of sound quality.
If a special algorithm (or codec) was not used to compress the audio in your file, this will lead to a double result: first, there will be no loss of sound quality, and second, your space will soon be exhausted. HDD.
In essence, the uncompressed recording corresponds completely to the original audio file, in which real sound signals are recorded in digital representation.
WAV, AIFF or FLAC: uncompressed formats
WAV and AIFF are the most popular uncompressed audio file formats. Both are based on PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), a known mechanism for directly converting audio to digital format. WAV and AIFF use similar technologies, but the storage methods are slightly different. In these formats, you can record CD-quality files with higher resolution.
The WAV format was developed by Microsoft and IBM, and is therefore used on Windows-based platforms; it is the standard CD recording format.
The AIFF format was created by Apple as an alternative to WAV; And while AIFF files are less common, they provide more comprehensive metadata support, allowing you to store album art, song titles, and the like.
These fortmats take up a lot of space.
