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Understanding digital audio formats

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Understanding digital audio formats

When it comes to digitally distributing our music it is important that we understand what they are
the different formats, which are the most used and which are the best in terms of the
Relationship between size and quality.

PCM digital audio

WAVE

The name comes from the acronym waveform audio file format and is a used file
usually on computers with the Windows operating system.
WAV or WAVE files contain audio in LPCM format (Linear Pulse Code
Modulation) This is a way to encode an analog audio signal to the domain
digital by using equidistant samples over time of amplitude values
of the analog signal.
The quantity of samples is given by the sampling rate or sampling rate,
while the amount of possible amplitude values is determined by the
Bit depth or bit rate.
The sampling frequency of the CDAUDIO for example is 44.1 kHz and 16 bits. exist
higher sampling rates such as 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz up to 192 kHz at
this system.
On the other hand, WAV files are uncompressed audio and are generally used in
stages of recording, editing, mixing and mastering for being of high quality.
The higher the sample rate and the greater the number of bits, the file size will be
our hard drive
In general for professional uses at least a frequency of
44.1 kHz sampling and a depth of 24 bits preferably.
The standard extension for this type of file is: .wav

AIFF

The name comes from Audio Interchange File Format or audio file format
interchangeable, this format was developed by Apple computers and is used to save
and manipulate audio on computers.
It is like WAV a file type without compression or lossles therefore allows
Processing for professional applications such as recording, editing, mixing and
mastering as well as for professional video uses.
Another similarity with WAV files is that it is PCM audio (press code
modulation) that for practical purposes it is the same as the LPCM.
The standard extension for this type of files is .aiff

MP3

Also known as MPEG1 or MPEG2 audio layer, it is a form of coding
of digital audio in which psychoacoustic models discard information from
Audio that is presumed is not audible to most users.
As an example a file created with a resolution of 128 kbits / s is equivalent to 1/11
the size of a file on an audio CD.
The main purpose of using this type of coding is to reduce the size of the
files and be able to send / download faster, especially through
from Internet.
Being a file type reduced in quality IS NOT RECOMMENDED for
recordings, editing, mixing or mastering of professional audio.
For this reason we recommend NOT to use it to send us your clues to
mix / master

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DIGITAL AUDIO FORMATS

Currently, thanks to digital audio formats, we can store and listen to our music on numerous devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and music players.

What are digital audio formats?

Digital audio formats are basically containers. And the differences between them are fundamentally in:

Whether or not they are compressed.
If they are compressed, in the quality of compression.
The type of labeling they can support.
Digital audio formats

MP3

It is the best known, popular and most used. They are known by their extension “.mp3”.

It was developed by Moving Picture Experts Group, to be part of the well-known MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 standards.

Its fundamental characteristic lies in the fact that the technology behind it compresses the sound sequence, resulting in a really small file, which normally occupies half of the original file. To achieve this, it is necessary to lose certain sounds, which supposedly cannot be heard by the human ear.

Audio formats

WAV

Developed by the companies Microsoft and IBM, this format, whose name comes from the acronym WAVE (Waveform Aujdio File Format), is currently one of the audio formats that have no compression in the data, so they have excellent quality.

They are known for their “.wav” extension.

On the other hand, this format has the particularity that it includes support for almost all current audio codecs. This makes the WAV one of the most used formats in the field of professional sound, since the sound is captured with parameters of 44100 Hz and at 16 bits, the same quality can be obtained as on a CD.

On the contrary, one of the disadvantages of this format is that it has a limitation in recording, since it can only capture a maximum of 6.6 hours at maximum quality in the same file.

Audio formats

AIFF

The AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) format is very similar to WAV. It was born as an answer from Apple to the Microsoft WAV, being initially only compatible with MAC computers. Currently it can also be used on Windows.

Due to its characteristics, AIFF, together with FLAC and WAV, are usually the most used formats in the professional field of audio.

Wma

The WMA (Windows Media Audio) format is a format of music files created by Microsoft.

One of its main features is that those files that have been compressed in WMA format occupy less space than MP3s, which also means reducing their quality. Therefore, it is a lossy audio compression format.

OGG

OGG audio formats are compressed audio files, which means that they have a size that allows them to be transmitted via WIFI, but at the same time avoid the damage that is usually generated in the compression process.

For example, Spotify uses these OGG formats.

Audio formats

OPUS

Opus is a new codec that use the Ogg container. It was developed by the same creators of FLAC, with the help of Mozilla and Skype.

This new format stands out for its low latency, being ideal for online audio transmissions.

FLAC

When we talk about the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format, we are referring to an audio compression free codec without loss of quality.

Emerged within the community responsible for the OGG project, FLAC has become one of the strongest competitors of the WAV format, due to its advantages in terms of its sound quality.

Its objective is to reduce the size of the original file, eliminating data that are usually known as “waste”, without causing loss of quality.

This is the format used by the Tidal platform, the best service for high quality audio transmissions.

Audio formats

A THE C

The Alac (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) format is basically Apple’s alternative to FLAC. It is the format used by Itunes and for Apple Music broadcasts.

The most used audio formats

As you can imagine, when we talk about digital formats in the field of sound, the range is wide. When choosing the one that best suits our needs we have to think about several issues. To do this, the first thing is to know the most used audio formats.

CPA Online sound postproduction course We begin by clarifying the concepts of Bit Depth and the Sample Rate, fundamental to understand how audio formats work. These are two measures that indicate the quality of a digital audio file.

When we read the specifications of the audio formats and we find, for example, 32-bit / 192kHz and 24-bit / 96kHz, these figures refer to the “bit depth” and the “sample rate” respectively. They tell us how much information the different formats transmit and the sound quality. The higher the number of times a device plays the samples, the higher the quality.

Audio formats

MP3: these files weigh very little for any device to read. The negative part is that the quality of the compression pro is sacrificed.
CPA Online sound postproduction course

WAV (Waveform Audio File Format): are higher resolution files than MP3s, a piece of audio that is encoded with what is known as Pulse Code Modulation (PCM). The analog audio pieces are encoded and converted into digital so that they can have the Sample rate and the Bit Depth.
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format): It is very similar to WAV and also uses the PCM to encode analog audio parts and present them in digital format. In fact, the AIFF and WAV files are more or less interchangeable.
In short, when we talk about a file in WAV or AIFF audio format we talk about a piece of sound of good quality.

Most popular audio formats

There is a huge amount of audio formats. The most common are formats such as MP3 (MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) and WAV. Usually, the type of format corresponds to the file extension (the letters of the file name after the period, for example .mp3, .wav, .ogg, .wma).

A codec is an algorithm for encoding and compressing data in an audio format. Some file types are assigned a specific codec. For example, the MP3 format always uses the MPEG Layer-3 codec, while the MP4 format can use a range of different codecs.

Many times, the notions of codec and format are used as interchangeable. Especially when a format always uses a single codec. However, it is necessary to understand the difference between a format and a codec. In simple terms, a format can be compared to a container in which a sound or a video signal that uses a particular codec can be stored.

Some formats, such as MP4 or FLV, can store both audio and video sequences.

If you don’t know what program you should use to open one format or another audio, we recommend that you use our audio converter. It is compatible with almost all existing formats.

Depending on the type of compression, two types of codecs can be distinguished:

Lossless Codecs

This group of formats records and compresses a sound in such a way that it allows the preservation of its exact original quality when decoded.

The most common lossless coding formats are:

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec – Audio codec, lossless and free),
APE (Monkey’s Audio – Mono Audio),
ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec – Audio codec, lossless Apple).

Loss Codecs

When compressed with loss, a sound undergoes some modification. For example, compression cuts the sound frequencies that are inaudible to the human ear. When decoded, the file will be different from the original in terms of the information stored in it, but it sounds almost the same.

Some of the most common lossy formats are:

MP3
Wma
OGG
AAC

WAV is one of the first audio formats. It is mainly used to store uncompressed audio tracks (PCM) that are identical to audio CDs in terms of quality. On average, a minute of WAV format sound requires about 10 megabytes of memory. CDs are usually digitized in WAV format and then can be converted to MP3 with an audio converter.

MP3 (MPEG Layer-3) is the most widespread sound format in the world. MP3, like many of the other lossy formats, compresses the file size by reducing sounds inaudible to the human ear. Currently, MP3 is not the best format in terms of file size for sound quality, but since it is the most widespread and compatible with most devices, many people prefer to save their files in this format.

WMA (Windows Media Audio) is a format owned by Microsoft Corporation. It was initially introduced as the substitute for the MP3 format, with the highest compression characteristics. However, this fact has been compromised by some independent tests. In addition, the WMA format is compatible with data protection through DRM.

OGG is an open format that supports audio coding by several codecs. The Vorbis codec is the most commonly used in OGG. The quality of compression can be compared to the MP3 format, but it is less widespread in terms of compatibility with various audio players and devices.

AAC is a patented audio format system that has higher capabilities (number of channels, frequency of discretion) compared to the MP3 format. Usually, it achieves better sound quality with the same file size. AAC is currently one of the loss-coding algorithms that offers the highest quality. A file encoded with this format can have the following extensions: .aac, .mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .m4p, .m4r.

FLAC is a common lossless format. It does not modify the audio sequence and the sound encoded with this format is identical to the original. It is frequently used to reproduce sound in high-end audio systems. Its playback compatibility on devices and players is limited, therefore, if desired, it often becomes other formats before listening to it on a player.

Most used audio formats

In this article we will talk about the most popular Audio Formats and used for both Music production and Entertainment.

Lossless Audio Formats (lossless)

Also known as Loosless, they are audio formats without loss of sound, its main feature is that it resembles original audio with excellent quality.

Its main disadvantage is the size of the file since when capturing it and converting it into digital audio format, files from 50 to 100 megabytes become depending on the number of minutes and resolution.

Normally it is usually captured with a resolution of 16 bits at 44,100 hertz which is the audio quality handled by a compact disc.

Although today it is usually captured at 48,000, 92,000 and up to 192,000 herts that can vary to 16, 24, 32 and up to 64 bits.

WAV (audio file format)

Undoubtedly this is the best known and most standard format, it was created by Microsoft and is called audio formats without signal loss.

Its main feature is that it closely approximates the capture audio signal, which gives us great sound quality. Therefore it is an audio format widely used for audio editing with Music Production Softwares.

Its main disadvantage is its weight is that 5 minutes of audio is approximately 50 megabytes, which becomes a format that takes up a lot of storage space.

AIFF (audio interchange file format)

This format was created by Apple, it is also an audio format without signal loss.

It closely resembles the original sound at the time of capture but also occupies almost the same space as the Wav.

CDA (audio cd track)

Perhaps you have seen this format before, however it is not exactly an audio format rather it is a shortcut which is part of the audio data of a compact disc. This format is created when you burn a CD with some software such as Nero or Alcohol 120%.

When exploring an original compact disc on your computer you will find these files with that extension.

However, when copying these files to your computer you will not be able to reproduce them since they are only small shortcuts that do not contain the music information, they are only used by stereos, homemade modulars or cars.

In order to have these files you will have to convert this format to one that is readable by your computer, which can be Wav or Aiff or other audio formats with some CDA conversion software to other formats.

FLAC (free losseless audio codec)

This audio format is the most popular since it has no signal loss but with compression, which greatly decreases the file size apart from the fact that it is possible to reverse the compression to have the original version again.

It works very similar to the ZIP file but optimized for audio with the advantage that you don’t have to unzip it in order to listen to it.

Its main disadvantage is the incompatibility to reproduce it in any audio software or mobile devices, therefore you must have installed an application capable of playing it with the appropriate codec.

Audio Formats with Loss (loosy)

Also known as Loosy, they are audio formats with sound losses but with compression as the main feature since these files are reduced considerably such as a Wave or Aiff file could be compressed from 50 to 5 megabytes.

Being compressed by means of some audio compression codec eliminates all irrelevant and imperceptible information for the human ear.

You should practically have a fairly sensitive ear to be able to differentiate losses.

These formats are mainly used for portability in Usb memories, Compact Discs or audio devices such as Ipod, MP3, Cell phones, Tablets, Lap Tops and even Desktop Computers and some car stereos or CD, DVD, Blue Ray players, among others.

MP3 Audio Format

It is the most popular and commercial format used since the 1990s, precisely in 1993 created by the Fraunhofer IIS Institute by Karlheinz Brandenburg.

Its main feature is its low data weight and its compatibility with most audio playback software such as Itunes, Windows Media Player, the extinct Winamp among others.

However, it should be mentioned that this format when compressed eliminates audio information that may be almost inaudible by the human ear.

BITRATE (BIT RATE)

It is practically the one that determines the quality of the MP3 that can be from 8 to a maximum of 320 kbps (kilobytes per second).

It is usually compressed at 128 kbps which is a standard for internet radio, streaming platforms such as Soundcloud or Spotify that usually convert to this quality by default.

At the lowest amount of kbps, streaming is guaranteed to be fluid for most internet connections, but it also loses sound quality.

Although considering this happens to second term since many of the users usually reproduce it with headphones in the street, school, public transport, motorcycles or computer speakers in offices at low volume.

If you are a professional DJ I do not recommend mixing with this format since you will not get the best results in amplified sounds, preferably acquire the versions without loss of signal to strengthen your live presentations.

CBR AND VBR METHODS

The CBR (constant bitrate) method practically converts the audio with the constant dynamic range, while the VBR (bitware variable) method varies its dynamic range.

The advantage of the CBR method is that it converts with greater speed and a lighter audio file is obtained although its disadvantage is that its quality is diminished.

The advantage of the VBR method is that when the audio file is converted, a higher sound quality is obtained since it retains the dynamic range, that is, if your theme has sounds with lower and higher intensity, they will continue to obtain a more dynamic sound.

Another significant advantage is that you can include metadata such as ID3, which you can store information such as the title of the song, the name of the band or artist, year, album and a small image which can be the cover that when reproduced in Itunes or Windows Media Player will be displayed.

AAC format

It is a compression audio format with loss of signal which produces a sound very similar to the original.

The ACC format is an extension of MPEG-2 created by MPEG (moving picture experts group), it is often used for Internet radio broadcasting and by Apple for Ipods with Itunes software, also used by Ahead Nero, Winamp and Nintendo DSi.

Another use is for encoding MP4 videos and recently for the new STEMS audio format created by Native Instruments which is a multitrack format used by DJs.

WMA Audio Format

We cannot ignore the WMA (windows media audio) format that was basically the alternative to MP3.

On this format I will not deepen as it is very little used and incompatible in most mobile devices.

It is only compatible with devices such as Windows Phone, Xbox and Microsoft operating systems. However, if you download a multimedia application for example on your Android phone that supports WMA, then you can listen to it.

The WMA audio format has 3 versions:

WMA Pro: Supports multiple tracks like AC-3
WMA Lossless: Compress with loss of signal
WMA Voice: Aimed at human voices which is used
on Skype and WhatsApp.

AC3 Audio Format

The AC3 audio format also called Dolby Digital which is an alternative to MP3 since it allows the inclusion of multiple audio tracks generally 5.1 for Surround surround audio

What is the difference between MP3 and FLAC

What is the problem with the popular MP3 or why FLAC is of better quality? Actually, in addition to these 2 formats, there are others with different specifications that differentiate them from each other.

In this article we will talk about the most important formats and their characteristics, in this way you can choose the one that suits you.

What is bitrate?

The difference in the size of the files is noticeable

You’ve probably heard this term before, but if you don’t remember it or don’t know what it means, I’ll explain it. Bitrate is translated as the bit rate, that is, the amount of bits or data that are processed in a unit of time. When referring to audio, we usually use the measurement of kilobits per second (Kbps). For example, the music available on iTunes is usually 256 Kbps, which means that there are 256 kilobits of information stored in every second of the song.

The higher the bitrate of a file, the more space it occupies on your hard drive. Usually, a music CD uses a large amount of memory space, so since the early 1990s, researcher Karlheinz Brandenburg developed the audio compression standard we now know as MP3. When an audio file is compressed, the space destined for it is smaller, however, this means that it loses part of its sound quality. For that reason, the different audio formats available are divided into 2 categories: with losses and without losses.

Lossless Formats

Lossless or lossless formats, as they are known in English, retain the sound quality of the original source intact. This means if you compress a CD in any of these formats, your digital music files will have the highest quality.

FLAC. Free Lossless Audio Codec is the most used sound codec, making it one of the best options for storing music without losing quality. Unlike other formats such as WAV and AIFF, the compression it uses decreases the space it occupies. In addition, it is free and free software, so anyone can use it and is compatible with a considerable number of players.
WAV and AIFF. These 2 formats do not use compression, so it could be said that they are exact copies of the original sound source. Although both are of the same quality, what differentiates them is the way they store the data. AIFF was created by Apple, while WAV is used universally. The problem with these formats is that since they do not have any compression, they take up too much memory space. They are normally used in audio editing.
A THE C. Apple’s lossless format is very similar to FLAC because it uses compression, the detail is that it was created by the company founded by Steve Jobs. Although its compression method is not as efficient as that of FLAC (it occupies more space), the advantage is that it is compatible with iTunes and iOS devices.
Formats with losses

Lossy, or lossy, formats are the most common, most systems and players recognize them and compress a lot, which allows large amounts of music to be stored in a small space. One advantage is that if your bitrate is high enough, it will be difficult to distinguish the difference you keep with the original source.

MP3 Its name without abbreviation is MPEG Audio Layer III, and it is the most popular lossy format, so much that it has become the benchmark in the category of digital or downloadable music on the Internet. Although it is not the most efficient format of all, it is the one with the highest compatibility, so it is the first option to choose between lossy formats.
AAC Advance Audio Coding is similar to MP3, although a bit more efficient in compression, which means that your files take up less space while matching the quality of the MP3. Although not as popular, it has the advantage that Apple players support it.
WMA As the name implies, Windows Media Audio is the proprietary format of Microsoft. It is very similar to the 2 previous formats and does not really offer any advantage over them. The disadvantage is that it is not so popular, so it is not compatible with many systems.

Which one should you use?

After having reviewed the main formats of both categories and their characteristics, we conclude that the type of file to use will depend on the habits and tastes of the user. In general, MP3 and AAC are widely recommended, because they are compatible with most players and the quality of both becomes quite good if it is encoded with a high enough bitrate (192 Kbps onwards). If your demands in audio quality are not the highest, any of these 2 formats is ideal thanks to the little space they occupy.

Storing your music collection in FLAC will require many GB of storage

However, storing music for posterity in MP3 or AAC may not be the best idea, since converting from one format with losses to another with losses will produce files with much lower quality. On the other hand, FLAC is the best for preserving music for the future, because it will keep the quality intact and allow converting to other formats in the future, in addition to occupying less space than WAV or AIFF.

If your interest is to enter the world of audiophilia, without a doubt lossless formats are the option. Thus, it is necessary to consider that to notice the difference between a high quality MP3 file and a FLAC, you must have high fidelity headphones or speakers and have a trained ear. Of course, the storage issue is also important, the amount of gigabytes or terabytes you will need to store all your music will depend on the size of your collection.

In conclusion, the format you intend to use will depend on your musical demands, both in quantity of music and in its quality. You just have to remember that the important factors are compatibility and avoid converting between 2 formats with loss and, above all, enjoy music in the way you like best.

WHAT IS THE BEST FORMAT TO LISTEN TO MUSIC?

There are many, but after trying almost all of them, here we tell you which is our preference for quality and file size.

As part of our new discovery, we want to share what our experience has been in the vast market of formats offered in digitalized music. The not so common OGG used by Spotify; the AAC incorporated by Apple Music and even the MP3 used by the Google Play Music and Amazon Music service. They all offer different qualities so you will undoubtedly notice a difference when listening to your favorite songs.

We could even include uncompressed formats such as FLAC, AIFF, or even DSD and WAV. Apparently superior qualities, since, if you are like us who do not have a specialized audio equipment for this purpose, it does not make much sense to bring a file of more than 50 MB on your sixth generation iPod with a capacity of 64Gb.

Removing that from the medium, this article we want to dedicate it exclusively to compressed formats in order to show the benefits and benefits of knowing how to choose the best of all. It is important because, taking it into account, it can also help you solve the dilemma of which streaming music service would suit you best.

3. MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III)

Mp3 Starting with the most common of all, the MP3, a format that although we can give it the merit of being the first to emerge to digitize the music, it is not so in terms of quality. It is also true that its size makes it the best for allowing a song of five minutes occupying about 10 Mb on average of your internal memory of the cell phone and / or music player. However, its coding and the way in which it cuts digital information to be able to offer a small weight file is one of its clearest disadvantages.

In practice, this is reflected when you put a song like Angel de Massive Attack, where the bass is deep and in detail – that is, you have the “boom” caused by the lower frequencies, in addition to the pick of the strings of the low- you don’t enjoy generating artifacts that distort the signal.

For that reason, the MP3, German format founded with the idea of offering music in the first digital era of computers, is not the best there is in the market … By the way, not long ago it was announced that its creators declared it dead.

2. OGG Vorbis

Ogg was like the direct competition in its time, of MP3. Created by a programmer and vocational musician from the United States named Chris Montgomery, it is clear evidence that when your passion is combined with your work, the results are extraordinary.

Recalling a little the history of OGG to contextualize, it emerges in the nineties as a need to find a better way to encode and compress digitized information. And maybe that is one of the reasons why Spotify chooses this format to play and stream the music: friendly, versatile and small in size, it is definitely better than MP3.

The quality of the same role we mentioned earlier is far exceeded. Not only the bass frequencies sound better defined, but the media and the treble ones are balanced a little – so to speak – to offer better sharpness and detail of the instrumentation in general.

However, it is not the best there is in the market, since besides it is difficult to achieve, there is something that is lacking to be our first choice: we would say that, it is something like the “tone” of the sound.

1. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)

aac is our first choice. With a sound coding that allows you to eliminate less information from an analog signal, the result is quite noticeable when you compare a song with this extension, with that of the other two formats. The bass sounds completely deep and defined without distorting anything, in addition to the medium and treble being highlighted allowing a wider dynamic range than the MP3 and OGG.

It is the holy grail of compressed music formats. We would even dare to say that the AAC offered by the iTunes Store and Apple Music is as good in quality as a FLAC or WAV. If you put one followed by the other, the only notable difference you can find is the amount of the volume. While an uncompressed format offers you more sound, that other format invented by the Fraunhofer Institute in conjunction with Sony, Dolby and AT&T, has slightly less volume, but with the same quality.

So, the AAC is the best format you can get: it has a fairly small file size; it has a “tone” of music that enhances all the details of the instrumentation and voice in the songs; and having even specializations by sound engineers at Apple to include in their record materials their “Masterized for iTunes” versions, there is no way to make a mistake when choosing it as our favorite.