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Audio coding

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Audio coding

There are many different ways to store digital audio.

The digitized sound is a set of signal amplitude values,
taken at regular intervals.

PULSE-CODE MODULATION
Let us set aside for recording one value of the signal amplitude in memory
computer N bits. Hence, with the help of one N-bit word one can describe
2
𝑁 different meanings. Let the amplitude of the digitized signal fluctuate in
within the range from 0 to 1 of some conventional units. Imagine this range
amplitude changes in the form of 2
Equal intervals. Now, for everyone’s record
separate amplitude value, it must be rounded to the nearest
quantization level (see quantization noise). This process is called
quantization in amplitude (level). Amplitude quantization – process
replacement of real values of the signal amplitude with values approximated to
some precision. Each of 2
𝑁 possible levels is called a level
quantization, and the distance between the two nearest quantization levels
called the quantization step. If the amplitude scale is divided into levels
linearly, then the quantization step is ∆ =
1
2𝑁
… This way of digitizing a signal –
sampling of the signal in time in conjunction with the homogeneous method
quantization – called linear pulse code modulation (PCM)
(Linear Pulse Code Modulation – LPCM) or just PCM (PCM).
To record sound on digital media or transmit via communication channels (see.
SPDIF interface) data in parallel code are encoded when
shift register, clocked by an auxiliary generator. At the exit
shift register, packets of coded pulses are formed in
sequential code.
2
Standard Audio CD (CD-DA) since the early 1980s
years of the 20th century, stores information in PCM format with a frequency
44.1 kHz sampling and 16-bit quantization.
There are varieties of PCM that use uneven
quantization step (Nonuniform PCM). Non-uniform (non-linear) method
quantization provides for dividing the amplitude scale into levels, according to
nonlinear (usually logarithmic) law. This way
quantization is called logarithmic quantization. Using
logarithmic amplitude scale, in the region of weak amplitude it turns out
a greater number of quantization levels than in the region of strong amplitude (in this case,
the total number of quantization levels remains the same as in the case of a uniform
quantization). The relative error is const.
An alternative A / D conversion method is
differential (difference) pulse-code modulation DPCM
(Differential PCM). In the case of DPCM, it is not the amplitude itself that is quantized,
and the difference between the current and the previous measured. In complete analogy with
PCM, difference PCM can be combined using both uniform and
and uneven quantization. For audio data, this type of modulation
reduces the required number of bits per count by about 25%.
3
Difference coding has many different options. For example, adaptive
DPCM (ADPCM, ADPCM) – a kind of DPCM with variable pitch
quantization. Changing the pitch allows you to reduce bandwidth requirements
transmission at a given signal-to-noise ratio.
A block of digitized audio information can be written to a file without
changes, that is, a sequence of amplitude values describing
audio waveform, i.e. uncompressed. For this it is usually used
.WAV format. Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, WAV, from waveform) –
a container file format for storing a recording of a digitized audio stream,
RIFF subspecies. This container is typically used to store uncompressed
sound in pulse-code modulation. However, the container does not impose any
restrictions on the used encoding algorithm

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The best popular audio formats

The best popular audio formats

I looked around the forest of audio formats for normal use and chose the 5 most important ones. It is true that, in part, a bit simplified, a bit rough in presentation. I refrain from differentiating the exact settings of the respective codecs, that would be too complex.

I also don’t want to get into the nasty topic of DRM. The most important one I dropped is probably Vorbis. . Of course, I assume that the correct settings are used when encoding and that a high quality level is selected.

1st place:
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3)

The most widespread digital format, with good encoding (for example, with LAME) in high bit rates, a format of the highest quality and transparency.

Quality (4.5 / 5 points)
Popularity (5/5 points)
Compression (4/5 points)
Total: 13.5

2nd place:
AAC (advanced audio coding)

It became famous especially for its use in the Apple iPod, a codec that has small advantages over MP3 at low bit rates due to technical developments.

Quality (4/5 points)
Popularity (4.5 / 5 points)
Compression (4.5 / 5 points)
Total: 13

3rd place:
WMA (Windows Media Audio)

Windows proprietary format. Of course, Microsoft has the reins here, so variable format doesn’t run on all playback devices. Otherwise, no major strengths and weaknesses and, for example, the standard format with Napster.

Quality (4/5 points)
Popularity (4/5 points)
Compression (4/5 points)

Total: 12

4th place:
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) !!

As the only lossless codec on this list. FLAC works in something like a ZIP program: the original can be restored from the compressed file by approximately 50% without restrictions. In times of low hard disk space, a real alternative, especially since many playback devices can play this format. My winner of hearts, the popularity will certainly increase in the future.

Quality (5/5 points)
Popularity (3.5 / 5 points)
Compression (3/5 points)

Total: 11.5

5th place:
Wav

The original format of the normal audio CD data. Impeccable quality and still widespread thanks to the well-known compact disc. It actually started out of the competition because it’s completely unzipped.

Quality (5/5 points)
Popularity (5/5 points)
Compression (0/5 points)
Total: 10

All about all audio file formats

Dematerialized music has evolved considerably for almost 15 years and has played an important role in the daily life of every individual. We’ve all heard more or less about FLAC, MP3, WAV, etc.! Few people really know the difference between each size, its pros and cons …

This article is intended to enlighten you to make the best possible choice for extracting and compressing your audio files.

There are different types of layouts that can be grouped into several large families:

– uncompressed files

-lossless compressed files

– Lossy compressed files

audio formats

-Uncompressed files

WAV: WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) is an audio file format created by Microsoft for Windows. This format is usually an uncompressed container. Therefore, an audio CD with a duration of about 80 minutes in WAV weighs plus or minus 800 MB

Advantages: the file remains in its original form, no loss of information (no loss)

Disadvantages: The WAV file is an uncompressed format that gives it a large size and therefore takes up more space in the storage space.

AIFF – Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is the Mac OS equivalent of the WAV format. Therefore, it has the same characteristics as this. The pros and cons of this format are the same as for WAV.

– Lossless compressed files

FLAC: The FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format is without doubt the most beneficial file for the user. Firstly, in terms of WAV and AIFF, this format is a lossless format, ie the digitization of the file does not imply any loss of information from the audio spectrum. The file is scanned and returned as is. The second advantage of this format is the size it occupies in the storage space. Nondestructive compression is applied to this type of format as a ZIP file, making the scanned file about 2 times less space than a WAV file. Therefore, for 80 minutes of music on CD, the occupied space will be approximately 400 MB. Finally, this format is universal, compatible with most multimedia players, it is compatible with all operating systems except iOS,

Advantages: file size, identical reproduction of the original file during scanning, free and compatible with almost all media players and operating systems

– Disadvantages: none

ALAC: The ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) format is simply the Apple equivalent of the FLAC file.

– Lossy compressed files

MP3: The MP3 format (Mpeg Layer 3) is a well-known format. It is a format with destructive compression, that is, a recording from which musical information has been removed thanks to the so-called psychoacoustic compression algorithm (taking into account the peculiarities of the human ear), so that less scanning is needed to create a lighter file to obtain . This format is most commonly used for dematerialized music, as it allows a significant space saving in the storage space with a size of about 150 MB for an 80 minute CD. Compression can be more or less destructive depending on the speed used, which can range from 4: 1 (320 Kbits / sec) to 12: 1 (128 Kbits / sec).

-Advantages: it takes up little space on the hard disk and does not affect the quality of the songs with a dynamic range and a limited variety of timbres

– Disadvantages: paid MP3 license, destructive compression for “richer” songs.

AAC: The AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format is a format close to the MP3 format, but provides additional definition with an identical compression rate. Apple uses this specific format in the iTunes Store, but also on YouTube. the extension can be written in various forms, such as .AAC, .M4A or MP4

-Advantages: better compression quality than MP3

-Cons: compressed file format at a loss

Which format for digital music should you choose?

AAC, MP3, MP3 Pro, Ogg Vorbis, WMA. In the digital age, choosing one or the other of these standards is not easy. Especially since their properties lend them to one use instead of another. Detailed review

Which format for digital music should you choose?

MP3 is far from alone in the world. Feeling that compressed digital music is likely to change the record market, many developers have begun designing formats designed to offer the best compromise between the amount of data used and the sound quality. Thus, AAC for Apple, WMA from Microsoft and other OGG Vorbis communities were born. So many standards that have their advantages and disadvantages and that it is advisable to know them well before choosing the most appropriate coding software for your needs.

First, remember that an audio CD uses uncompressed data. Music is digitized on its surface at a rate of 44,100 samples per minute. Second, each of these samples is encoded in 16 bits (2 bytes) and in stereo. This gives a total of 176 KB per Second music, or about 10 MB per second. Minute. Even if an increasing number of Internet users use broadband, websites that sell music for download cannot afford to offer 40-minute four-minute songs. Compression formats allow this amount of data to be shared by a factor ranging from 8 to 15, with little or no loss of quality.

All of these compression algorithms work on the same principle: eliminate frequencies that the human ear does not perceive at all, or very little, and level the frequencies close to each other for identical values to increase compression. These are the so-called “destructive” algorithms. In other words, when converting a compressed audio file from an audio CD to an audio CD format, the resulting data will not be the same as the original file. Depending on the formats and needs, compression may be more or less important. It is defined by what is called bitrate, that is, the flow of information per. Second of music. It can range from 32 kbps (kilobits per second) to 320 kbps. Detailed review of the different formats.

MP3

Commonly designed by the Fraunhofer Institute and Thomson and standardized in 1992, it is a derivative of audio compression used for MPEG-1 format videos (MP3 also stands for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3).
This is the format offered by the main configuration panel. In fact, we can define a bit rate (“bit rate” in jargon) that ranges from 32 to 320 kbps. From 128 Kbps the sound quality becomes enough to encode songs. At 192 Kbps, the quality is similar to an audio CD. At this compression rate, one minute of music equals 1.4 MB of data. But it is also possible to choose a variable bit rate called VBR (variable bit rate). In this case, the encoder increases the compression ratio in less complex music regions, reducing the size of the final file slightly. The benefit depends largely on the type of song: 5 to 10% with an extract from classical or jazz music, not much with rock or rap.
The great advantage of MP3 remains its compatibility with all portable audio players, but also certain hi-fi systems, car radios and DVD players in the living room. Almost universal, it appears on all free download sites such as Kazaa or eDonkey. On the other hand, this format sinks slightly at the level of high frequency recovery and is therefore less suitable for e.g. Classical music.
Free MP3 encoding software includes WinAmp and MusicMatch JukeBox. Lastly, note that there are several MP3 coding algorithms, with “Fraunhofer” being the most widely used, and “Lame” being the most effective, with the latter being especially compatible with Pinnacle’s CDex.

WMA

Launched in 1999 by Microsoft, WMA (Windows Media Audio) was only intended to counter the rise of MP3. With compelling arguments. By utilizing the features of the human ear more effectively in the audible spectrum, WMA is able to eliminate frequencies that are truly useless while maintaining certain high frequencies that affect sound quality. The relatively efficient compression algorithm maintains a quality that corresponds to an audio CD with a 128 kbps bit rate, or 1 MB per second. Minute of a song.
Completely free of charge, WMA also has the advantage of having an encoder built into Windows Media Player. An effective way to ensure the spread of this support. Especially since this format is linked to precise copyright management (DRM or Digital Right Management) that allows, for example, to define a limited useful life of files or prohibit recording options. That’s why some music download sites use it. Many digital audio players also support WMA and reputable shareware such as WinAmp allows encoding in this format.

AAC

Contrary to belief, AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is not a format developed by Apple, but by a consortium that includes the Fraunhofer Institute (father of MP3), Sony and even Dolby. Prestigious names that grow well. In fact, AAC is arguably the most efficient compression algorithm. Unlike MP3 and WMA, it is not based on MPEG-1 but on MPEG-4 (the format behind DivX). This choice seems to have paid off as it allows you to get a better compromise between compression ratio and sound quality. That’s why at AAC we get the equivalent of audio CD quality with a bit rate of only 96 kbps. In addition, as with WMA, the DRM (copyright management) features and the ability to control sounds on 48 different channels,
We found AAC on the Apple iTunes online music site and on your iPod player. But it is also integrated into software like WinAmp.

OGG Vorbis

OGG Vorbis is in audio compression format, as Linux is in operating systems. In fact, it is an “open” format whose source codes are public and can be customized and changed by anyone. It’s still a pretty effective format. At 128 kbps, we reach the quality level of an audio CD (1 MB in 1 minute). The compression structure of OGG format is also significantly different from MP3, WMA and other AACs. Segmenting audio sources into successive packets, the compression algorithm works first on each packet independently of the others. This allows you to not really have weakness at certain frequencies and to maintain the same quality regardless of the type of music.
In addition, polyphony features allow playback of up to 255 audio channels (sic). The package structure also makes it very suitable for streaming on the Internet, especially for online radios. Open, OGG Vorbis needed to evolve quickly and maybe move closer to AAC in terms of performance.

What is the best file format for listening to music?

Digitizing music involves compressing the original sound that may distort the work. AAC, MP3, WMA or Wav: which of these formats offers the best representation?

Best audio format

If we are not aware of or no longer aware of the quality of today’s music in its digital form, it is often because our audio rendering tools are so poor. This is due to the speakers that come with desktops or built-in laptops, but also to the headphones / earphones that come with MP3 players, which are mostly entry-level products. On the other hand, for those with high performance equipment, listening to poorly recorded or poorly coded songs quickly becomes unpleasant.

best audio format

Therefore, choosing the best audio format for the same recording is best for fun. Today, there are 5 main audio file formats: AAC (promoted by Apple, iPod and iPhone in mind), WMA (promoted by Microsoft), MP3, Wav and Ogg (the last three are neutral).

In addition to the file format, there is another criterion called the compression ratio. The more a file is compressed, the more it removes the frequency bands in the music and therefore potentially small nuances that enrich the listening. The compression ratio is expressed in the number of bits, the basic computing unit. Values range from 56 Kbits / s (56,000 bits per second, minimum quality for radio or podcasts) to 320 Kbits / s. The lower the number, the more compressed and small the file will be, but the less comfortable it is to listen to.

The sampling frequency is also important. This value is expressed in Hz and must be as large as possible to preserve the shape of the original audio signal and therefore the accuracy of the recording. In general, we prefer a file with a sampling rate for CD quality (44,100 Hz), but we also found lower quality files (22,000 Hz).

The study from the Musiclassics studio.

This online digital music sales site dedicated exclusively to classical music launched a modernization of its interface during 2009. On this occasion, the question arose about the best audio formats that its customers could offer. To make it right, the site invited 15 people (bloggers, musicians, fans, audiophiles) to a listening session in a professional studio. They had to judge from 1 to 5 the quality of 4 different musical excerpts representative of the diversity of classical music (voice, violin, piano, orchestra and heart), coded in 6 different ways: MP3 320 Kbps, Wav, WMA 192 Kbps and 320 Kbps, AAC 192 Kbps and 320 Kbps. Here are the results of this study:

Examine listening results
File formats average rating received (out of 5)
MP3 320 Kbps ……………… 3.1
Wav ………………………………. 3.5
WMA 192 Kbps …………… 3.7
AAC 192 Kbps ……………. 3.8
AAC 320 Kbps ……………. 3.8
WMA 320 Kbps …………. 4.0

Since formats compressed at 128 Kbps or less have not been studied, the difference in ratings is relatively small. However, the MP3 format, even compressed at 320 Kbps, is the worst with a significant difference. More surprisingly, the CD (Wav file) is located behind the WMA and AAC formats. These files seem to change the rendering slightly. It is observed that the difference in notation between the 192 and 320 Kbps compression is not significant.

But too bad MusiClassics did not want to integrate the free and open OGG file format into these results. However, we noticed that as a consumer it would be better to choose 192 Kbps AAC or WMA files instead of 320 Kbps MP3 and 192 192 Kbps MP3. 128 Kbps files would score less than 3/5, which is not satisfactory.

Better audio formats

You have decided to digitize the music tracks in your audio CD collection by transferring everything to your computer, and in doing so you have begun to evaluate the possibility of converting them to a more pleasant format for you. However, having little experience in this regard, you would like to receive some advice on the subject so that you can make the best decision. How to say Things are exactly this way and would you like to know if I can help you by indicating what are the best audio formats? Of course yes, that was exactly what he intended to do.

If you allow me a few minutes of your free time, I can actually tell you, by thread and by sign, what are the most popular audio formats in circulation, their strengths and weaknesses and for what uses they may be more or less convenient to contact . condition to opt for those that you think may actually be right for you. To complete the information and to give you an even more complete description of the matter, at the end of the article it will also be my concern to indicate what tools you can use to perform various conversion operations. You will see that after reading this guide, you will no longer have any doubts about what to do.

So? How about putting the talk aside and finally getting to the heart of the matter? You? Brilliant! Therefore, I suggest not wasting any more time and immediately start focusing on the topic. Get comfortable in front of your trusted computer and read everything below. I am sure you can say that you are happy and satisfied with what you have learned. I wish you, as always, happy reading.

What is the best audio format?

Many are known, but there is always the question of what is the best audio format. The main and most recognized for listening to music are MP3, Wav, FLAC and Ogg.

But, to choose the best audio format, you must first know that they have several conformations, and you can always choose the best. Music always goes everywhere, at home in front of the computer, in a living room with a hi-fi system, with headphones on public transport or when playing a sport. Music that gives a special meaning at all times and that encourages listening.

There are many ways to take advantage of it, but this is usually done in digital format. In audio files, there is a wide variety and normally many still use MP3 for convenience. But there are less popular alternatives that seek to provide a different, better experience. For those who do not know it, there are a number of main sound systems.

The best audio format

Beyond the fact that the MP3 format is the most popular of all the audio formats available, it is not the only one. Some others like “FLAC”, “WMA”, “OGG” have certain characteristics which, depending on what you want, can be very useful on certain occasions.

In technology, audio formats can generally be classified into 2 categories. There are those which preserve all the quality and those which involve losses of quality of the sound or information.

Those that preserve the quality of the audio are those that come from pure sources such as CDs. This is how those who lose quality and sacrifice this information must save space.

Audio quality formats

“FLAC” is a lossless audio codec or “FLAC”. It is one of the formats that best preserves audio quality and its compression algorithm is excellent. It is open source, does not generate quality losses and the file size because it is compressed, is much smaller.

Apple Lossless is known as “ALAC” and is very similar to “FLAC”. The difference is that it is not as efficient, so these files are larger, although they still have unconditional support for iOS, which “FLAC” does not.

“APE” is another and although the problem with this format is that it is not compatible with the vast majority of players, it is considered to be similar to the “FLAC” or “ALAC” format in terms of audio quality. . As it is highly compressed, it accelerates the functioning of the computer’s processor and it is therefore not recommended to use it in low-consumption computer equipment.

“WAV” and “AIFF” are not compression formats, but rather exact copies of the original content and differ in the way they record the data. “AIFF” was created by Apple and “WAV” is more universal, but both have too much disk space.

Formats with loss of audio quality

MP3, MPEG Audio Layer III or MP3, as many people already know, is the most common format that can be found. “ACC” is very popular on iTunes and is considered more efficient than MP3 because files in this format are smaller.

OGG Vorbis is one of the free and open source alternatives to MP3 and ACC. It is not limited by patents, but it is also not supported by many players. WMA is Microsoft’s proprietary format and is very similar to MP3, but without much advantage over the others.

Which audio format to choose?

The most recommended is “MP3” or “AAC” because many players support it. In addition, if they are encoded with a high bit rate, they can hardly be distinguished from the original source. However, if you want to burn music, formats like “FLAC” are recommended, because you can then convert everything to other formats without losing audio quality.

Once the audio formats are known, when choosing, the differences between each must be taken into account. In general, what the experts recommend is to use “MP3” or “AAC” as they are compatible with most players and the quality of both is very similar to that of the original source, especially if it is encoded with a high bit rate. Unless you have a specific need, “MP3” and “AAC” are the most recommended options.

However, one thing to know is that to store music in lossless formats, there is no “FLAC”. You probably won’t notice any higher quality, but it’s good for storing music if you plan to convert it to other formats later. In these cases, “FLAC” is always recommended, and it is also possible to choose the format without loss or degradation of quality

What is the best audio format?

Many are known, but there is always the question of which is the best audio format. The main and most recognized for listening to music are MP3, Wav, FLAC and Ogg.

But, to choose the best audio format, you must first know that they have multiple conformations, and you can always choose the best one. Music always goes everywhere, at home in front of the computer, in a living room with a hi-fi system, with headphones on public transport or when playing sports. Music that gives a special meaning to each moment and that encourages when heard.

There are many ways to enjoy it, but it is usually always done in digital format. Within the audio files, there is a great variety and normally many still use MP3 for convenience. But there are alternatives that are less popular and that seek to offer a different and higher quality experience. For those who do not know it, there are a number of main sound systems.

The best audio format

Beyond that the MP3 format is the most popular of all available audio formats, it is not the only one. Some others like “FLAC”, “WMA”, “OGG” have certain characteristics that, depending on what you want, can be very useful on certain occasions.

In technology, audio formats can generally be classified into 2 categories. There are those that retain all the quality and those that lead to quality losses in sound or information.

Those that preserve the quality of the audio are those that come from pure sources such as CDs. This is how those who lose quality and sacrifice this information are to save space.

Formats that preserve audio quality

“FLAC” is Free Lossless Audio Codec or “FLAC”. It is one of the formats that best preserves the audio quality and its compression algorithm is excellent. It is open source, does not generate quality losses and the size of the file because it is compressed, is much smaller.

Apple Lossless is known as “ALAC” and is very similar to “FLAC”. The difference is that it is not as efficient, so these files are larger, although they still have the unconditional support of iOS, something that “FLAC” does not have.

“APE” is another and although the problem with this format is that it is not compatible with the vast majority of players, it is considered similar to the “FLAC” or “ALAC” format in terms of audio quality. As it is highly compressed, it makes the computer’s processor work faster and therefore it is not recommended to use it in low-power computing equipment.

“WAV” and “AIFF” are not compression formats, but rather exact copies of the original content and differ in the way they save data. “AIFF” was created by Apple and “WAV” is more universal, but both have too much disk space.

Formats with loss of audio quality

MP3, MPEG Audio Layer III or MP3, as many already know them, is the most common format that can be found. “ACC” is very popular on iTunes and is considered more efficient than MP3 since files in this format are smaller.

OGG Vorbis is one of the free and open source alternatives to MP3 and ACC. It is not restricted by patents, but it is also not supported by many players. WMA is Microsoft’s proprietary format and is very similar to MP3, but without great advantages over the others.

Which audio format to choose?

The one that is most recommended to choose is the “MP3” or “AAC”, since many players support them. Furthermore, if they are encoded with a high bitrate, they can hardly be distinguished from the original source. However, if what you want is to burn the music, formats such as “FLAC” are recommended, because then you can convert everything to other formats, without losing the audio quality.

Once the audio formats are known, when choosing, the differences between each one must be taken into account. In general, what experts recommend is to use “MP3” or “AAC” since they are compatible with most players and the quality of both is very similar to that of the original source, especially if it is encoded with a high bit rate. Unless you have a specific need, “MP3” and “AAC” are the most advisable options.

However, one thing to know is that to store music in lossless formats, there is no such thing as “FLAC”. You probably won’t notice a higher quality, but it’s good for storing music if you plan to convert it to other formats later. In these cases, “FLAC” is always recommended, and it is also possible to choose the format without loss or degradation of file quality.

As a final conclusion, it can be said that you should not be obsessed with the subject, but you just have to be sure of what you want and choose.

What is the best audio format for listening to music?

Although the MP3 format is the most popular of all available audio formats, it is not the only one, some such as FLAC, WMA, OGG and others, have features that, depending on what you want, can be very useful in certain occasions

Here I show you a summary of what to expect when you are looking for the best audio format to listen to music.

As a general rule, we can classify audio formats into two categories: those that retain all quality and those that lead to loss of quality in sound or information.

Those who retain all audio quality come from pure sources such as CDs, while those who lose quality sacrifice this information to save space.

Formats that preserve audio quality:

FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec or FLAC, for its acronym in English, is one of the formats that best preserves audio quality. Its compression algorithm is excellent and does not generate quality losses, it is open source and the file size when compressed is much smaller
Apple Lossless: known as ALAC is very similar to FLAC, but not as efficient as this, so these files are larger, although they have the unconditional support of iOS, which FLAC does not have

APE: The problem with this format is that it is not very compatible with the vast majority of players, but it is similar to the FLAC or ALAC format in terms of audio quality. Being very compressed makes the computer’s processor work faster so it is not recommended in low power computing equipment
WAV and AIFF: they are not compression formats, but exact copies of the original content, differing in the way they save the data. While AIFF was created by Apple, WAV is more universal, but both take too much disk space.

Formats with loss of audio quality:

MP3: MPEG Audio Layer III or MP3, as we all know them, is the most common format you can find
ACC: is more efficient than MP3, files in this format are smaller and is very popular on iTunes
OGG Vorbis: it is a free and open source alternative to MP3 and ACC, it is not restricted by patents but not supported by many players
WMA: this is the proprietary format of Microsoft very similar to MP3, without great advantages over the others
Which audio format to choose
You may be interested: «It’s proven: classical music modifies your genes and makes you smarter»
It is more recommended to choose MP3 or AAC, since many players support them, in addition, if they are encoded with a high bitrate they are almost indistinguishable from the original source. However, if what you want is to burn your music, I recommend formats like FLAC, then you can convert everything to other formats without losing audio quality.