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MP3s are well known as a long-standing standard for digital music. But what is the M4A format of MP4 audio?<\/p>\n
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Is it the next generation MP3? Should I use the MP3 or M4A format to play and save my favorite music? In this article, we will explain in detail the difference between MP3 format and M4A format. We will also introduce TuneMobie Apple Music Converter, which makes it easy to convert M4A music and Apple Music songs purchased from iTunes store to MP3 format.<\/p>\n
The term MP3 has become synonymous with digital music, just as Google has become synonymous with web searches. Not surprising, given that the MP3 file format is over 20 years old. However, MP3s have now been overtaken by other file formats. One of them is MP4. The name increase from 3 to 4 does not mean that MP4 is just the next generation of MP3.<\/p>\n
Before addressing the differences between MP3 and MP4, let’s briefly explain what MP3 files are and how to use them. MP3 is an abbreviation for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3. It was developed to provide a way to store audio information in digital format, but the file size is smaller than the format used on CDs at the time. The original uncompressed digital audio file (such as a CD track) is taken, then the data chunks are selectively removed in a way that goes unnoticed by the human ear, and then the saved file is MP3 audio. This is a process called “lossy compression”. It uses only one-tenth the storage size of a CD audio track, but most people find the listening experience to be good when listening to MP3s.<\/p>\n
Difference between uncompressed audio and compressed audio<\/p>\n
Do all MP3 files have the same sound quality? No, the difference can be seen. When creating an MP3 file from an audio CD or a vinyl record, you can select the bit rate and the sample rate. These two values \u200b\u200bdetermine the file size of your MP3 music, but more importantly, the quality of the sound.<\/p>\n
Most MP3 files, especially when converted from a CD, are created at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. This is because it is the same as the sample rate used to create audio CDs. On the other hand, the bit rate of MP3 format can be set in the range of 8 kbps to 320 kbps. The difference between the two is huge: at 8 kbps, music sounds a bit better than poorly received AM radio. At 320 kbps, most people will find it impossible to distinguish between MP3 and CD. When MP3s go mainstream, file size is an important consideration, and if you reduce it to 128 kbps, the deterioration in sound quality will not be as noticeable. 128 kbps was preferred in the early days of the MP3 format because it is compatible with most MP3 playback devices, such as the iPod, but now all MP3 digital music players can process MP3 files from 8 kbps to 320 kbps. .<\/p>\n
M4A format tips for MP4 audio
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MP4 is an abbreviation for MPEG-4 Part 14. Unlike MP3s, which are dedicated to audio, MP4s are container files that can be used to store other data such as audio, video, or subtitles. This makes it a bit more difficult to know exactly what MP4 is. If you find something called “Kids.mp4”, is it a movie, a movie theme, or something else? You can judge if you don’t play it with the media player software. To reduce the confusion, Apple has started using the .m4a file extension for MP4 files that only contain audio.<\/p>\n
But what does this have to do with MP3s? MP3 is both a file format and a codec. In other words, MP3s can only process audio with the lossy compression mentioned above. However, since MP4 files are containers, you can choose from several different audio codecs to suit your needs. People often use the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) codec. And MP4 audio M4A (* .m4a) files are also often called AAC files.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"