We will explain what the OGG format is and how you can open it in Windows 10. It is a free alternative to MP3 that is used to play compressed music, and in addition to being used by applications like Spotify you can also choose to use it when you go to digitize the CDs you have at home.
Let’s start by explaining in the most understandable way possible what exactly this file is and what makes it different. And then, we will end by telling you briefly how you can play it in Windows 10 very easily.
What is the OGG format?
The .ogg files are those that use the Ogg Vorbis compressed audio format, a free and open container that is developed and maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation. The OGG has no restrictions for software patents, and has been designed to provide more efficient and high quality sound broadcasting.
You can think of the OGG as an alternative to other audio formats such as MP3, and in fact you will almost always find it in audio files with sizes similar to MP3. This means that just as there are files that can be called song.mp3, there will also be some that are called song.ogg.
Between both formats there are notable differences, such as that the compression of the OGG is lower than that of the MP3, which means that the audio quality will be better. To give you an idea, an MP3 file can have a maximum of 320 kbps, while the OGG can reach up to 500 kbps.
Files that use this audio format may also include other metadata related to the music inside, such as the track number or the name of the artist that appears on it.
The word “Vorbis” refers to the coding scheme provided by the developers of the OGG format. However, there are also OGG files that are not considered Vorbis. In these cases, you can find them using other types of audio compression such as FLAC and Speex, or using different file extensions such as .OGA.
There are also times when the OGG is used as a multimedia container, the Vorbis Multiplexed Media OGGs that use the OGX format, can have videos and can be opened with programs such as VLC or Windows Media Player. We also have the OGM extension for OGG Media files where you can find videos, although in this case it is not a format supported by Xiph.org.
However, in the vast majority of cases you don’t have to worry about that, since you will only find .ogg files to be used to play music as an alternative to MP3. In principle, it can give you the impression that the OGG is a secondary format almost unused, but keep in mind that Spotify uses this format with a quality of 320 kpps.
How to play OGG files in Windows
Fortunately, it is now very easy to play this file on Windows 10. For example, you can use it with the default music player that comes in the operating system and is called Groove Music. Simply double click on it when you have configured that application to be used by default.
You can also use some of the most popular free music playback applications. For example, the VLC player that is possibly one of the most used includes support. And if you are going to download another player, look in its features to see if it also includes support, because it is very possible that it does.
